Comparing E334 - L(+)-tartaric acid vs E550 - Sodium silicate

Synonyms
E334
L(+)-tartaric acid
tartaric acid
2‚3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid
2‚3-dihydroxysuccinic acid
threaric acid
racemic acid
uvic acid
paratartaric acid
E550
Sodium silicate
Sodium Silicates i‚ Sodium silicate (ii)‚ Sodium metasilicate
Products

Found in 2,434 products

Found in 12 products

Search rank & volume
#1577.7K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#1756.4K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.46
under-aware

×55.31
over-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 9 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 3 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Popular questions
  1. Is tartaric acid bad for you?

    No—L(+)-tartaric acid (E334) is approved for use in foods (e.g., EU E-number; FDA GRAS) and is considered safe at typical levels; very high intakes may cause stomach upset, and only the L(+)-form is used as an additive.

  2. What is tartaric acid used for?

    It’s used as an acidulant to add sourness and control pH, and as an antioxidant/sequestrant; it also partners with baking soda in leavening and is added to wine to adjust acidity.

  3. How much tartaric acid to add to wine?

    It depends on your must/wine’s pH and titratable acidity—bench trials are essential; as a rule of thumb, 1 g/L tartaric acid raises TA by about 1 g/L and can lower pH by ~0.1–0.3, with typical adjustments in the 0.5–2 g/L range subject to local regulations.

  4. What does tartaric acid do?

    It provides a sharp, tart flavor while regulating acidity, chelating metals, and limiting oxidation; in baking it reacts with sodium bicarbonate to release CO2, and in wine it helps set acid balance and stability.

  5. What foods have tartaric acid?

    It occurs naturally in grapes, wine, and tamarind (also in smaller amounts in some fruits), and as an additive it’s found in soft drinks, candies, jams/jellies, gelatin desserts, and baking powders/cream of tartar.

  1. What is sodium silicate used for?

    In foods, E550 sodium silicate is used mainly as an anti-caking/flow agent in dry powders; outside food it serves as a binder/adhesive and deflocculant in detergents, paper, cement, and ceramics.

  2. Is sodium silicate toxic?

    At the low levels used in foods it isn’t considered toxic by major regulators, but concentrated solutions are strongly alkaline and can irritate or burn skin, eyes, and the GI tract.

  3. How to use sodium silicate in pottery?

    Use it as a deflocculant by adding very small amounts (often with a little soda ash) to clay slip until the desired specific gravity/viscosity is reached; it can also be brushed on and the surface stretched to create crackle textures—wear gloves and avoid over‑addition.

  4. Is sodium silicate safe for skin?

    Undiluted or moderately concentrated sodium silicate is not skin‑safe because it’s caustic; only very dilute formulations (as in some cosmetics) are used on skin, and even then may cause irritation in sensitive individuals.