Sulfuric Acid In Food? Yes, If It Contains E513
Author: Maryam Ayres
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
E513 is the code for sulfuric acid, but do not be surprised that it is used in food.
Food additives, denoted by the corresponding code, including E and several digits, are a wide variety of chemical compounds. Among them are healthy substances, neutral ones, as well as compounds that are very dangerous to health. This is also the case for the substance marked E513 on food packaging.
Behind the code E513 in the food industry is actually sulfuric acid . How does such a dangerous compound find application in food production and how safe are they?
All food additives marked with E and the first digit 5 are used as acidity regulators .
E513 is mainly used in the composition of cooked foods to prevent the destruction of the structure of some sugars during heat treatment during cooking.
Sulfuric acid as a food additive is used in a very dilute form and studies have shown that it is completely neutralized in the process of food processing and is not detected in their finished form. E513 is an approved additive for use in the European Union and the United States, but in Australia and New Zealand the use of sulfuric acid in the food industry is banned . The reason for this ban is the evidence that E513 may have a teratogenic effect . It is recommended that foods containing this supplement be avoided during pregnancy to prevent the potential risk of harm to the fetus.
Food and sulfuric acid ? At first glance, this is a completely incompatible combination. However, it may turn out that we consume foods that produce sulfuric acid as a supplement on a daily basis. E513 is used including in the production of beer . It turns out that even inorganic compounds such as sulfuric acid can be used safely in the food industry. Or so say the manufacturers, who are required to indicate each ingredient on the food label.
The scientific evidence in this case speaks in their favor. E513, or sulfuric acid, is a dangerous compound when used alone, but in the composition of food does not pose health risks when its use is well regulated.
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