E500; Sodium Carbonates(in 1,776 products)
Potential Risk Index®:
About:
Functions:
1. Acidity Regulator / Buffering Agent - Changes or maintains the acidity or basicity of food/cosmetics.
2. Anti-caking Agent - Prevents lumps from forming in food due to excess water. They usually function as a water repellent or by absorbing excess moisture.
3. Leavening / Raising Agent - Causes or forms gas bubbles in food
Sodium carbonates (washing soda, soda ash, and soda crystals) is used as a water softener in domestic laundering. It is also used in toothpaste, where it acts as a foaming agent and an abrasive, and to temporarily increase mouth pH. [1]
It is approved to use as food additive in EU and US.
Fun Facts:
-Sodium carbonates have been used to replace lye water (an alkaline solution) in ramen noodles by stopping it from disintegrating in the broth
-Can be mixed into hard water to soften it by precipitating out the calcium and magnesium ions
-Is also called soda ash and is used to make glass bottles
Scientific References:
1. PubChem: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/516892
Regulatory References:
1. EU Approved Food Additive [2018]
2. US FDA Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) Food Substances (21 CFR 184) [2017]
Safety and Hazards (UN GHS):
1. Causes serious eye irritation (H319)
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