Why is edta added to food

I would like to help readers expand their knowledge of ingredients in their food. Can youhelp me? I am Shastry from India. Thanks for the informative article. What is calcium disodium EDTA? How is it made? Solubility Freely soluble in water, practically insoluble in ethanol.

Structure Image Source. James Han Founder of FoodAdditives. Related Posts. What is the EU limit for E in alcoholic beverages? James Han. Hi Andy, Its uses in alcoholic beverages are not listed by EU. CP Shastry. Reply Cancel reply.

Calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate Edta calcium disodium Disodium calcium edta Calcium disodium edetate. News in Healthcare. News in brief. During his brief political career, Western North C Read More.

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Sponsored: Magnesium … why you need it and where to find it. Email Address. Zip Code. Food manufacturers add it to mayo, salad dressings , spreads and canned legumes to preserve their color and flavor. Fermented malt beverages and distilled alcoholic beverages may contain this ingredient, too. It has the role to stabilize mixtures of oils and fats, promote color retention and extend food shelf life. This compound is also used in cosmetics, soaps, cleaning products and pharmaceuticals.

At its core, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is a chelating agent that can form four or six bonds with a metal ion. Medical professionals use chelating agents to treat metal toxicity. EDTA is no exception. This compound can be injected intravenously or intramuscularly. Its role is to rid the body of heavy metals, such as mercury or lead. According to a research paper published in Coordination Chemistry Reviews in May , chelation therapy is often misused and may cause severe adverse reactions.

Additionally, most claims made by practitioners lack scientific proof. Chelating agents, such as EDTA, have been used for decades in the treatment of heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and other ailments. However, few studies support their effectiveness.

The risk of cardiac events decreased by 18 percent in subjects who received 40 infusions of a chelation mixture containing heparin, calcium disodium, electrolytes and other compounds. It's important to note, though, that 16 percent of participants left the study because of the side effects. Hypocalcemia , or low calcium levels, occurred in 52 subjects in the chelation group and in 30 subjects in the placebo group.

Another 57 chelation patients and 71 subjects in the placebo group experienced heart failure. One death was reported in each group. Researchers attribute these adverse effects to the study therapy. According to Coordination Chemistry Reviews , most claims supporting this therapy may look scientifically sound but are often unreliable. The review cited one study conducted on subjects with peripheral vascular disease in which EDTA didn't produce any significant results compared to a placebo.