E399 - Calcium lactobionate

Synonyms: E399Calcium lactobionate

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Function:

sequestrantstabilizer

Origin:

Animal

Products: Found in 0 products

Calcium lactobionate (E399) is a calcium salt of lactobionic acid, a gentle, non-sweet “sugar acid” made from milk sugar. It helps keep minerals stable in food and appears most often on European ingredient lists as E399.

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At a glance

  • What it is: The calcium salt of lactobionic acid, a mild organic acid made from lactose.
  • What it does: Helps stabilize flavor and color by keeping minerals in solution and reducing unwanted reactions.
  • Label names: “Calcium lactobionate” or “E399.”
  • Where it’s allowed: It is an authorized food additive in the European Union with defined purity specifications.
  • Taste/texture: Practically no sweetness; highly water-soluble and water-binding.
  • Typical use: Niche applications where gentle mineral control and stability are needed.

Why is calcium lactobionate added to food?

Food makers use calcium lactobionate to help control minerals in a recipe. Because it is the calcium salt of a polyhydroxy carboxylic acid, it can hold metal ions in a stable form, which helps protect flavor and color and improves stability during processing and storage.1 In the EU it is recognized as a distinct additive (E399) with specifications, reflecting its technological role in foods.2

What foods contain calcium lactobionate?

You’re most likely to see E399 on European labels for specialized products such as certain dairy desserts, processed foods that need mineral stability, or beverages that include added minerals. On the ingredient list it may appear as “calcium lactobionate” or “E399.” Its use is fairly niche compared with common acids like citric acid.

What can replace calcium lactobionate?

Depending on the job it’s doing in a recipe, formulators might consider:

The best substitute depends on pH needs, flavor impact, and mineral balance in the final food.

How is calcium lactobionate made?

Lactobionic acid is produced by oxidizing lactose (the milk sugar), turning the glucose part of lactose into gluconic acid while leaving the galactose part intact.3 Calcium lactobionate is then obtained as the calcium salt of that acid.1

Is calcium lactobionate safe to eat?

In the European Union, E399 has an official entry with identity and purity criteria in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.2 Inclusion on the EU Union list of additives means it has undergone safety evaluation under the food additive framework set by Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.4 When used as intended and within applicable rules, regulators consider it safe in food.4

Does calcium lactobionate have any benefits?

  • Process benefits: Helps keep trace metals under control, which can reduce off-flavors and color changes during shelf life.
  • Formulation benefits: Highly water-soluble and mild in taste; adds minimal acidity and sweetness.
  • Mineral contribution: Provides some calcium to the formula, although it is not typically used as a primary calcium supplement.

Who should avoid calcium lactobionate?

Most people don’t need to avoid E399 in normal amounts found in food. If you have a medically advised restriction on calcium intake (for example, certain kidney conditions), ask your healthcare professional about overall calcium from all sources. People monitoring dairy-derived ingredients should know it is made from lactose but is a different compound than lactose itself.

Myths & facts

  • Myth: “Calcium lactobionate is just lactose.”
    Fact: It is made from lactose but is a different molecule—the calcium salt of lactobionic acid, produced by oxidation of lactose.3

  • Myth: “It’s only a lab chemical.”
    Fact: It’s derived from familiar building blocks (lactose and calcium) and has official EU specifications for food use.2

  • Myth: “It will make foods taste sweet.”
    Fact: Calcium lactobionate has little to no sweetness and a very mild taste, so it won’t noticeably sweeten foods.1

Calcium lactobionate in branded foods

E399 shows up infrequently on mainstream labels. If present, it will appear by name or as “E399.” Availability varies by country and product type, so checking the ingredient list is the best way to know if a particular brand uses it.

References

Footnotes

  1. Calcium lactobionate — PubChem, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NIH). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Calcium-lactobionate ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Lactobionic acid — PubChem, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NIH). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Lactobionic-acid ↩ ↩2

  4. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R1333 ↩ ↩2

Popular Questions

  1. Calcium bromo lactobionate is equivalent to what medication in usa?

    E399 is calcium lactobionate, a food stabilizer—not a medication—so there’s no U.S. drug “equivalent.” Some medicines use lactobionate as a salt form (e.g., erythromycin lactobionate), but that’s unrelated to E399’s use as a food additive.

  2. E399 = what in american dollars?

    E399 is the EU code for calcium lactobionate, not a currency value; it has no fixed dollar amount and pricing depends on supplier and grade.

  3. E399 = what in english?

    E399 is calcium lactobionate (the calcium salt of lactobionic acid), used as a stabilizer.

  4. How many batteries are in razor e399?

    E399 refers to the food additive calcium lactobionate, not a Razor scooter model, so the battery question doesn’t apply.

  5. How to find pq astm e399?

    You’re mixing codes: E399 (food) is calcium lactobionate, while ASTM E399 is an unrelated fracture-toughness testing standard; the ASTM document can be found in ASTM International’s catalog.

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