Sodium dehydroacetate is a
compound with the formula Na(CH
3C
5HO(O
2)(CH
3)CO). It is the
sodium
Sodium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Na (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 element, group 1 of the peri ...
salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
of
dehydroacetic acid
Dehydroacetic acid is an organic compound which has several industrial applications. The compound is classified as a pyrone derivative. It presents as an odorless, colorless to white crystalline powder, almost insoluble in water and moderately so ...
. It is used as a preservative in food, cosmetics and personal care products such as shower gels, which is highly effective against a broad range of bacteria even at low concentrations such as 0.075 g/kg in meat. Its use is regulated in China, Japan and the USA, thus it can only be used in certain foods such as picked vegetables, fermented soy, compound seasonings and pickled mushrooms in China, and only peeled pumpkins in the US at 65 parts per million. It is not approved for use in the EU. It adds an acetic odor to food which can be mitigated using flavorings. It can also be used in bread and pastries. It is highly effective when applied to oranges.
It has
E number
E numbers, short for Europe numbers, are codes for substances used as food additives, including those found naturally in many foods, such as vitamin C, for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Commonly ...
E266.
References
Organic sodium salts
Dihydropyrans
Alkoxides
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