E503 - Ammonium Carbonates

Victoria Aly Author: Victoria Aly Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022
E503 - Ammonium Carbonates

CHAPTERS (Table Of Contents)



Characteristics: Ammonium carbonate is a white, pink, gray or colorless crystal that emits a pronounced ammonia odor. The substance is obtained synthetically. E 503 dissolves well in water

Characteristic

Ammonium carbonate is a white, pink, gray or colorless crystal that emits a pronounced ammonia odor. The substance is obtained synthetically. E 503 dissolves well in water, is unstable in air and solution, and at a temperature of 18-24 degrees begins to emit ammonia and turn into ammonium bicarbonate. At a temperature of 60 C it decomposes into water, carbon dioxide and ammonia.

Ammonium carbonate was obtained from organic nitrogenous products (nails, horns, hair) by distillation at high temperature. Today, E 503 is produced in industrial quantities by heating a mixture of ammonium chloride or by reacting water with ammonia under rapid cooling conditions.

Use

In the food industry E 403 is used as a substitute for soda and yeast in the manufacture of bakery products and confectionery (biscuits, cakes, chocolates, pretzels, etc.). In addition, ammonium carbonate is used in pharmaceuticals in the production of cough syrups, ammonia. Many cosmetic companies include in the composition of decorative cosmetics (makeup) ammonium carbonate, which acts as a stabilizer of color saturation. E 503 is often used in winemaking, it is also added to fire extinguishers.

Impact on humans

Food additive E 503 is considered potentially dangerous due to the possibility of releasing ammonia. At the same time, there is an opinion that since ammonia and carbon dioxide evaporate during heat treatment of the product, only one ingredient remains in the finished product of the complex substance - water, therefore the damage from ammonium carbonate is not relevant. The substance is harmful and dangerous only in its initial state. 

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