E386 - Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Disodium EDTA)

At a glance

• Also called E386, disodium EDTA, or disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate
• Role: chelating agent (metal binder) that protects flavor, color, and vitamins
• Typical in: dressings, sauces, canned foods, and some beverages
• Appearance: white, water‑soluble powder
• Regulated in both the U.S. and EU with strict purity and use limits
• Listed on labels as “disodium EDTA” or “EDTA”

Why is Disodium EDTA added to food?

Manufacturers use disodium EDTA to control metal ions like iron and copper that drive oxidation. By binding these trace metals, EDTA slows rancidity, color changes, and vitamin loss, helping foods taste and look the way they should for longer.¹ It can also reduce the formation of benzene in certain soft drinks by tying up metals that catalyze reactions between benzoate and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).²

What foods contain Disodium EDTA?

You’ll most often see disodium EDTA in shelf-stable, high‑moisture products where flavor and color matter—such as salad dressings, mayonnaise, sauces, canned or jarred items, and some beverages. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes its use in specified foods and sets maximum levels for each category.¹

On ingredient lists it usually appears as “disodium EDTA,” “EDTA,” or “disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate.”

What can replace Disodium EDTA?

Depending on the food and the problem to solve, technologists may choose:

• Organic acids and buffers to control metals and pH: citric acid, phosphoric acid, sodium citrates
• Antioxidants that donate electrons or quench radicals: ascorbic acid, extracts of rosemary (E392)
• Preservatives targeting microbes (not metal-driven oxidation): potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sodium metabisulphite

No single substitute matches EDTA’s strong metal binding in every recipe, so formulators often combine tools (acidification, antioxidants, and packaging) to get similar protection.

How is Disodium EDTA made?

Food‑grade disodium EDTA is the disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). It is produced by neutralizing EDTA with sodium hydroxide and supplied as a high‑purity, white crystalline powder meeting official specifications.¹³

Is Disodium EDTA safe to eat?

Under U.S. law, disodium EDTA is permitted for use in specific foods at defined maximum levels; products must also meet purity specifications, which are enforced through regulation.¹ In the European Union, E386 is regulated as a food additive with detailed identity and purity criteria laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.³

International evaluations by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for EDTA (expressed as the acid) and report that EDTA salts are poorly absorbed and largely excreted unchanged at approved food-use levels.⁴

Does Disodium EDTA have any benefits?

For consumers, the main benefit is quality: EDTA helps keep flavors from going “metallic” or rancid and keeps colors bright by slowing metal‑catalyzed oxidation.¹ In beverages that contain benzoate and vitamin C, using EDTA can lower benzene formation by chelating trace metals that would otherwise speed that reaction.²

Who should avoid Disodium EDTA?

Most people don’t need to avoid EDTA at the very low levels used in foods and allowed by regulators.¹⁴ If your healthcare provider has advised you to limit specific additives or you follow a specialized diet, read labels and choose products that fit your needs.

Myths & facts

• “EDTA is a preservative that kills germs.” Fact: EDTA doesn’t kill microbes; it mainly binds metals to slow oxidation. Microbial preservatives are different compounds (for example, potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate).
• “EDTA strips minerals from your body.” Fact: At permitted food levels, EDTA salts are poorly absorbed and are largely excreted, and safety limits account for this behavior.⁴
• “EDTA in food is the same as in cleaners.” Fact: The chemical is similar, but food‑grade EDTA must meet strict purity specifications before it can be used in foods.¹³

Disodium EDTA in branded foods

To check if a brand uses EDTA, scan the ingredient list for “disodium EDTA” or “EDTA.” You’ll most often find it in dressings, mayonnaise, sauces, canned goods, and some beverages where flavor and color stability are important.¹

References

Footnotes

1. 21 CFR 172.135 Disodium EDTA — U.S. FDA/eCFR. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-D/section-172.135 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Questions and Answers on Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages — U.S. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/chemicals-metals-pesticides-food/benzene-soft-drinks-and-other-beverages ↩ ↩²

3. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012: Specifications for food additives — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) — WHO JECFA Monographs (evaluation and ADI). https://inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v05je07.htm ↩ ↩² ↩³