Characteristic: The food additive E 385 is a salt of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, for the designation of which the abbreviation EDTA (EDTA) is often used. The substance is obtained by synthetic
Food additive E 385 is a salt of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, often referred to as EDTA. The substance is obtained synthetically by the reaction of ethylenediamine, formaldehyde and sodium cyanide. Worldwide, 80,000 tons of EDTA are produced annually.
Calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetate is a white powder with good solubility in water, medium - in alcohol, and in organic solvents - practically insoluble. The substance is a chelating agent. Upon interaction with the metal ions, the chelate molecule envelops it and forms a strong compound.
E 385 is used in some countries as an antioxidant and color stabilizer in the production of mayonnaise, margarine up to 100 mg / kg; in the canning of various crops (legumes, mushrooms, vegetables); in canned fish and canned seafood. The additive can be used in the processing of products in both metal and glass packaging. It is added to soft drinks containing ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate to reduce the formation of the harmful phenolic compound benzene in them.
In addition to the food industry, the substance is used: in medicine (for metal poisoning, including heavy), in the production of paper, in cosmetics (as a preservative).
EDTA is widely used in various fields, but when released into the environment it decomposes into simple compounds, so it is an environmental hazard.
The toxicity of calcium disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate is low. In practice, it is not absorbed by the body. The permissible daily dose is 2.5 mg / kg body weight. Due to the fact that the substance is able to form strong bonds with heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury), it is used to bind and separate them from the body. At the same time, EDTA has the ability to accumulate in human organs (for example in the liver), which could lead to various diseases.