A sequestrant is a
food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives have been used for centuries as part of an effort to preserve food, for example vinegar (pickling), salt (sal ...
which improves the quality and stability of foods. A sequestrant forms
chelate
Chelation is a type of bonding of ions and molecules to metal ions. It involves the formation or presence of two or more separate coordinate bonds between a polydentate (multiple bonded) ligand and a single central metal atom. These ligands are ...
complexes with
polyvalent metal ions, especially
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...
,
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...
and
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow ...
, which can prevent the oxidation of the fats in the food. Sequestrants are a type of
preservative
A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or ...
.
The name comes from Latin and means "to withdraw from use" .
Common sequestrants are:
*
Calcium chloride
Calcium chloride is an inorganic compound, a salt with the chemical formula . It is a white crystalline solid at room temperature, and it is highly soluble in water. It can be created by neutralising hydrochloric acid with calcium hydroxide.
Cal ...
(E509)
*
Calcium acetate (E263)
*
Calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is an aminopolycarboxylic acid with the formula H2N(CH2CO2H)2sub>2. This white, water-soluble solid is widely used to bind to iron (Fe2+/Fe3+) and calcium ions (Ca2+), forming water-soluble complexes ev ...
(E385)
*
Glucono delta-lactone
Glucono-delta-lactone (GDL), also known as gluconolactone, is a food additive with the E-number E575 used as a sequestrant, an acidifier, or a curing, pickling, or leavening agent. It is a lactone of D- gluconic acid. Pure GDL is a white odorl ...
(E575)
*
Sodium gluconate
Sodium gluconate is a compound with formula NaC6H11O7. It is the sodium salt of gluconic acid. Its E number is E576. Sodium gluconate is widely used in textile dyeing, printing and metal surface water treatment. It is also used as a chelating ag ...
(E576)
*
Potassium gluconate (E577)
*
Sodium tripolyphosphate (E451)
*
Sodium hexametaphosphate (E452i)
Sodium and calcium salts of
EDTA
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is an aminopolycarboxylic acid with the formula H2N(CH2CO2H)2sub>2. This white, water-soluble solid is widely used to bind to iron (Fe2+/Fe3+) and calcium ions (Ca2+), forming water-soluble complexes ev ...
are also commonly used in many foods and beverages.
Food additives
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