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In our daily life, we often encounter various food additives, industrial materials and medical substances that we may not be familiar with. One of them is EDTA-Ca with cas number 23411-34-9, which is short for calcium disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate. Although its name sounds complicated, it plays an important role in many fields and is closely related to our life.

First of all, it is necessary to clarify what EDTA-Ca is. EDTA-Ca is a synthetic chemical substance, which appears as a free-flowing white powder and is easily soluble in water. Its chemical structure allows it to bind tightly with various metal ions, a property called chelation. This chelating ability is the core reason why EDTA-Ca can be widely used in many fields. Unlike some other similar substances, EDTA-Ca contains calcium, which makes it safer in use and reduces its impact on the human body’s absorption of essential minerals. It has several other names, such as edetate calcium disodium and calcium disodium edetate, but they all refer to the same substance.

The food industry is one of the main application fields of EDTA-Ca. As a common food additive, it is mainly used as a preservative, stabilizer and sequestrant to help maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of food. In many processed foods, metal ions such as iron and copper may cause oxidation reactions, leading to changes in color, flavor and texture, and even food spoilage. EDTA-Ca can bind these metal ions, prevent oxidation reactions, and thus keep the food in a good state for a longer time.

For example, in canned foods such as canned clams, crab meat, shrimp and various beans, EDTA-Ca is often added to maintain the original color of the food and prevent discoloration during storage. In pickled foods like pickled cabbage and cucumbers, it can help retain the color, flavor and texture of the food, making the taste more stable. In beverages such as canned carbonated soft drinks and distilled alcoholic beverages, EDTA-Ca can promote flavor retention and maintain the clarity of the drinks, avoiding precipitation caused by metal ions. It is also used in salad dressings, mayonnaise, sauces and other condiments as a preservative to prevent spoilage.

It should be noted that the use of EDTA-Ca in food is strictly regulated in various countries. There are clear limits on the amount added to different foods, which are calculated as anhydrous compounds and usually measured in parts per million (ppm). For example, the maximum amount of EDTA-Ca added to canned clams is 340 ppm, while that added to canned carbonated soft drinks is 33 ppm. These regulations ensure that EDTA-Ca can play its role while not endangering human health.

Besides the food industry, EDTA-Ca also has important applications in the medical field. Its most common use is in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning, especially lead poisoning. Due to its strong chelating ability, EDTA-Ca can bind tightly with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and iron in the human body, forming soluble compounds that can be excreted through urine, thus reducing the harm of heavy metals to the body. It is approved for the treatment of lead poisoning in both adults and children in many countries, and is more effective than some other chelating agents.

In addition, EDTA-Ca is also used in diagnostic tests to assess the level of lead in patients. A test called lead mobilization test can be performed by injecting EDTA-Ca into the human body. If the patient excretes more than 6 grams of lead in urine within 24 hours after injection, the test result is positive, which helps doctors accurately understand the total lead content in the patient’s body and formulate appropriate treatment plans. Some studies have also shown that EDTA-Ca may have certain benefits for cardiovascular health, as it may help reduce the accumulation of calcium in atherosclerotic plaques, but this application is still in the research stage and has not been widely promoted.

EDTA-Ca also plays a role in some other fields. In the industrial field, it is used in electroplating, textiles, printing and dyeing, cosmetics and other industries as a complexing agent and stabilizer to enhance product performance and stability. In the agricultural field, it can be used as a trace element additive in pesticides and fertilizers, which can improve the stability of pesticides and the utilization rate of fertilizers, and promote crop growth. In the field of environmental protection, it can be used to chelate and adsorb heavy metal ions in the environment, reducing heavy metal pollution.

When it comes to the safety of EDTA-Ca, many people may have concerns. In fact, EDTA-Ca is generally considered safe when used within the regulated limits. It has been approved as a safe substance by food and drug regulatory agencies in many countries. The calcium contained in EDTA-Ca makes it less likely to affect the absorption of calcium and other essential minerals in the human body compared with other similar substances such as disodium EDTA.

Unilong Industry Co.,Ltd is a professional manufacturer and supplier of EDTA. For EDTA-Ca, we supply industrial grade, food grade and pharmaceutical grade. We guarantee both stable product quality and consistent supply capacity. Please feel free to contact us for any inquiries or demands regarding EDTA-Ca.