Characteristics, mechanism of action, and applications of sodium citrate. Translation and potential risks of sodium citrate

People who pay close attention to the composition of their food products may have come across this name several times, since sodium citrate is a commonly used food additive, sometimes under a more mysterious name, namely E 331.

Sodium citrate is the salt of citric acid (a weak organic acid) and sodium. It is most commonly a compound containing 3 atoms of sodium, but the name may also include mono- and di-sodium lemon. The substance itself is odorless, white powder or granules and is well soluble in water.

As a food additive, sodium citrate usually acts as an acidity regulator. That is, it gives the food a desirable acidic taste. It is also used as an antioxidant. It neutralizes the action of free radicals responsible for digesting fat and changing the color of food products, thus protecting them from spoilage. Another property of sodium lemon is its ability to emulsify substances.

The salt of citric acid and sodium will undoubtedly also be useful for household cleaning. After a few minutes without effort, we will remove the black layer of the salt when our favorite pots or pans are covered with an unbreakable burning solvent. The solution of sodium lemon will almost immediately restore their lost gloss. All we need to do is spray a surface-fired solution of lemon sodium. After several minutes without any effort we remove the dark layer of salt by glowing the salt. Doing this way the metal salts look like new.

Sodium citrate is used in blood transfusions and dialysis as an anticonvulsant. This compound has buffering properties and is also used to treat metabolic acid in serious diseases such as chronic kidney disease.

It's a good idea to buy ready-made sodium lemon if you're not convinced to make a cleaning mixture in a heated bakery. We recommend that you search the internet because that's where you can easily find this and other chemicals, and there are few stores with similar products. The price of sodium citrate depends mainly on the store where it's sold. In the case of online shops, the final purchase price also includes the cost of shipping. The product itself can be obtained from around 17.00 for 1 kilogram. However, there are sites where the same amount of gold lemon costs almost 30 dollars. After adding shipping costs, the purchase cost increases to almost 50 dollars.

When used as a food additive for sodium citrate, also known as E 331 sodium glutamine, it is considered to be completely safe. In the case of medicinal use of sodium cyanide, the situation is usually slightly different. It is therefore difficult to deliver enough to cause harm. However, there is a risk of ill-health after taking sodium lemon among people who are hypersensitive to another additive sodium glucamin.