Acetic acid in food
Purpose:
Used to adjust the acidity of food. Acidity may affect the microbiological quality, cooking results, flavor or texture of food.
Description:
Acetic acid (also known as acetic acid) is a weak organic acid. Unlike many other food additives, acetic acid is commonly used in home cooking. Acetic acid gives vinegar its unique sour taste and pungent smell. Commonly used vinegar is diluted acetic acid. Usually it is about 4% to 8% by mass. More concentrated solutions may be used in commercial pickling operations. As an industrial chemical, it has many uses, including the production of plastics and synthetic fibers and fabrics. Can also be used as a solvent. It can be produced synthetically or through biological fermentation.
Side effects/adverse reactions:
Most sources indicate that low concentrations of acetic acid are generally safe. However, some research suggests that long-term consumption of large amounts of vinegar may cause:
- Hypokalemia (low levels of potassium in the blood),
- Hyperreninemia (abnormally high concentrations of renin in the blood)
- Osteoporosis (lower bone density).
Common foods containing acetic acid:
As mentioned before, regular household vinegar is just a diluted form of acetic acid. Therefore, foods containing vinegar also contain acetic acid. This will include the following:
- Pickled foods,
- Condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard,
- Salad dressings and marinades.
Vinegar is commonly used to flavor fish and chips (french fries), potato chips, spinach and cabbage.
Vinegar has other uses in cooking. It can be used to sour milk as a substitute for buttermilk. It also reacts with alkaline ingredients like baking soda. This reaction produces a gas that helps the baked goods rise.
Food additive E number:
The E number of acetic acid is 260.
