Mineral ascorbates are a group of salts of ascorbic acid (

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...

). They are composed of a

mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...

cation bonded to ascorbate (the anion of ascorbic acid).

Production

Mineral ascorbates are

powders A powder is a dry solid composed of many very fine particles that may Particle-laden flow, flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms ''powder'' and ''granular'' are sometimes use ...

manufactured by reacting ascorbic acid with mineral

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, (), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate group ...

s in aqueous solutions, venting the

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...

, drying the reaction product, and then milling the dried product to the desired particle size. The choice of the mineral

s can be

calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in Rock (geology), rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skel ...

, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate, or many other mineral forms.

Uses

Mineral ascorbates are used as

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill (pharmacy), pill, capsule (pharmacy), capsule, tablet (pharmacy), tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients eithe ...

s and

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...

s, and drugs. An example of a mineral ascorbate drug is sodium ascorbate injections, as the acid form (ascorbic acid) of vitamin C is too acidic for injections). Ascorbate salts may be better tolerated by the human body than the corresponding weakly acidic ascorbic acid. Ascorbates are highly reactive antioxidants used as food preservatives.UK Food Standards Agency: Examples of mineral ascorbates are: * Sodium ascorbate ( E301) * Calcium ascorbate ( E302) * Potassium ascorbate ( E303) * Magnesium ascorbate

References

{{reflist, 2 Food antioxidants Ascorbates

Production

Uses

See also

References