Sodium propanoate or sodium propionate is the
sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable ...
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
of
propionic acid which has the
chemical formula
In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbol ...
Na(
C2 H5 C O O). This white crystalline solid is
deliquescent
Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance' ...
in moist air.
Reactions
It is produced by the reaction of
propionic acid and
sodium carbonate or
sodium hydroxide.
Uses
It is used as a food
preservative
A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by ...
and is represented by the food labeling
E number E281 in Europe; it is used primarily as a mold inhibitor in bakery products. It is approved for use as a
food additive in the EU, USA and Australia and New Zealand
[Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code] (where it is listed by its
INS number
The International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS) is a European-based naming system for food additives, aimed at providing a short designation of what may be a lengthy actual name."Class Names and the International Numbering System for Fo ...
281).
See also
*
Propionic acid, E 280
*
Calcium propionate
Calcium propanoate or calcium propionate has the formula Ca( C2 H5 C O O)2. It is the calcium salt of propanoic acid.
Uses
As a food additive, it is listed as E number 282 in the Codex Alimentarius. Calcium propionate is used as a preservative ...
, E 282
*
Potassium propionate
Potassium propanoate or potassium propionate has formula K(C2H5COO). Its melting point is 410 °C. It is the potassium salt of propanoic acid.
Use
It is used as a food preservative and is represented by the food labeling E number E283 in Europ ...
, E 283
References
External links
Sodium propanoateat Sci-toys.com
Propionates
Organic sodium salts
E-number additives
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