Comparing E511 - Magnesium chloride vs E516 - Calcium sulphate

Synonyms
E511
Magnesium chloride
E516
Calcium sulphate
Gypsum
Selenite
Calcium sulfate
calcium sulfate added to prevent caking
Products

Found in 13 products

Found in 2,164 products

Search rank & volume
#6938.1K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#2293.6K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×309.18
over-aware

×6.31
over-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 6 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Popular questions
  1. Is magnesium chloride good for you?

    In foods, E511 simply provides magnesium—an essential mineral—and is considered safe at typical levels; it doesn’t confer special benefits beyond helping meet magnesium needs. Very high supplemental intakes can cause diarrhea and are risky for people with kidney problems.

  2. What is magnesium chloride good for?

    As a food additive (E511), it’s used as a coagulant (notably for tofu/nigari), a stabiliser/firming agent, and a source of magnesium for fortifying foods; it can also adjust water hardness in brewing.

  3. Is magnesium chloride safe for pets?

    Ingesting small amounts may cause mild stomach upset, but de-icing products containing magnesium chloride can irritate paws and cause vomiting/diarrhea if licked; large doses can disturb electrolytes—rinse paws and contact a vet if significant ingestion occurs.

  4. What is magnesium chloride used for?

    In foods, E511 is used to coagulate soy milk into tofu, stabilize/firm certain processed foods, and supply magnesium for fortification; outside food, it’s also used in de-icing and pharmaceuticals.

  5. Is magnesium chloride safe for concrete?

    No—magnesium chloride de-icer can chemically degrade concrete over time (and promote rebar corrosion), especially on new or poorly sealed surfaces; alternatives are preferred for long-term concrete durability.

  1. What is gypsum used for?

    In foods (E516), gypsum (calcium sulfate) is used as a stabiliser/firming and anti‑caking agent, a tofu coagulant, and to adjust brewing water; outside food it’s used for plaster, drywall, and as a desiccant.

  2. What is gypsum board?

    Gypsum board (drywall) is a building panel with a calcium sulfate core faced with paper, used for interior walls and ceilings—it's a construction use of the same mineral, not a food application of E516.

  3. What does gypsum do for soil?

    It supplies calcium and sulfate without notably changing pH, and can improve structure and water infiltration in sodic (sodium-affected) soils by displacing sodium; it has little effect on non‑sodic clays.

  4. What is selenite good for?

    Selenite is the crystalline mineral form of gypsum (calcium sulfate); it’s used like gypsum in construction materials and as a source of calcium and sulfate, including limited food uses as additive E516.

  5. How much gypsum to add to soil?

    Apply based on a soil test: typical maintenance rates are about 10–40 lb per 1,000 sq ft (50–200 g/m²) for lawns/gardens, while reclaiming sodic soils can require much more (around 1–4 tons/acre, 2–9 t/ha). Over‑application won’t fix non‑sodic clays and can add unnecessary salts.