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Tartaric acid is a food additive marked in the unified classifier of additives with the E334 mark and has the properties of a preservative. This substance, originally known as a by-product of winemaking, was widely used to prevent the growth and development of bacteria in wine barrels, and is now being used with might and main in the food industry, and not only.
Description of the additive and its main characteristics
Food additive E334 has other names: food tartaric acid, dihydroxysuccinic acid, Tartaric acid for use in foodstuffs, tartaric acid, L (+)-tartaric acid, 2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid and others.
It has excellent antioxidant properties, acting as a preservative and acidity regulator. It significantly enhances the properties of other similar antioxidants, and therefore is often used in complexes of various additives.
For the first time, a method for the production of tartaric acid, which has been successfully used to this day, was proposed in the eighteenth century by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. However, it is believed that long before that, the product was obtained by the alchemist Jabir ibn Khayyam.
At the moment, this substance is extracted in a natural way, the source for which is the waste of wine production. On barrels during storage and fermentation of wine, cremortartar is formed – tartar, which is most often the main product for the production of tartaric acid. Additional ingredients are: dried wine yeast, dried sediments formed during storage of the must, tartaric lime, pomace, chalk sediments formed when the acidity of the product decreases, as well as the remains of wine in barrels.
Such an additive is obtained when the components are exposed to calcium salts, with their subsequent splitting with sulfuric acid.
Of the impurities, malic acid is quite acceptable, as well as tartars – esters of tartaric acid.
This supplement is produced in two grades: the highest and the first. Classiness directly depends on the quality of the feedstock and the degree of its subsequent purification.
Since this substance is obtained using chemical exposure, it is not allowed to consider it completely natural.
Tartaric acid is a fine powder or crystals that do not have a characteristic color and odor. They are highly soluble in water, ether and ethyl alcohol, but absolutely insoluble in oily liquids and fats. Tartaric acid has a sour taste and does not absorb moisture well.
It occurs naturally in citrus fruits and grapes, currants and apples. It is also rich in natural wine.
Leading nutritional supplement manufacturers
The leading manufacturers of E334 are both Russian and foreign companies:
- JSC “Ural Plant of Industrial Chemistry”;
- LLC Component-Reaktiv, located in Moscow;
- German corporation JEBSEN & JESSEN GMBH & CO. KG;
- UD Chemie GmbH, also registered in Germany;
- Japanese company Clean SRL.
Such a substance is packaged in various containers:
- multilayer laminated paper bags;
- bags made of linen, kenaf, jute fabrics, not lower than the second grade, while an additional internal polyethylene liner is required;
- unimpregnated three-layer paper bags, with an additional polyethylene liner;
- ящики для упаковки пищевой продукции дощатые, изнутри укомплектованные подпергаментом, исключая промежутки и зазоры.
The substance is packaged in bags of 30 kilograms. The only exceptions are fabric bags, which can hold 40 kilograms of products.
The use of food additive E334 in various fields
Данная добавка разрешена к применению в пищевой промышленности во всех странах мирового сообщества. Она пользуется большой популярностью, за счет своих плохих влаговпитывающих качеств, кисловатому привкусу и абсолютной безвредности. Он широко применяется в качестве регулятора кислотности, антиоксиданта и консерванта при изготовлении различных продуктов. Она находится в следующих изделиях:
- marmalade and various jellies;
- confectionery;
- berry and fruit ice cream;
- canned vegetables and fruits;
- pasta and bakery products;
- cocoa and chocolate.
Tartaric acid is used to acidify products in the production of wines, beers, liqueurs and soft drinks. The E334 additive is very popular in molecular cuisine, where it is used to give beetroot marmalade a blackcurrant flavor.
Tartaric acid has also found its application in the cosmetic industry. It is used as an additional ingredient in body and face care products. It improves skin firmness and elasticity.
The antioxidant properties of this substance are successfully used in the manufacture of anti-aging cosmetics, whitening and toning lotions, moisturizing creams. Also included in various peels.
The E334 additive has proven itself well in the medical industry and the pharmaceutical industry. There, it is used in the manufacture of instant tablets that relieve hangovers, help relieve heaviness in the stomach, and get rid of heartburn.
As one of the components, tartaric acid is included in diuretics and laxatives, contributing to the normalization of metabolic processes in the body.
Также используют данное вещество и в других целях:
- in electronics and electrical engineering, in the manufacture of computers, microphones;
- in the production of non-ferrous metals;
- in analytical chemistry, for the separation into isomers of racemates of organic substances, as well as for the detection of aldehydes;
- for dyeing fabrics in the textile industry;
- as a gypsum mixture retarder in the construction industry.
Useful and dangerous properties of tartaric acid
Semi-natural nutritional supplement E334 has the same beneficial properties for the body as a natural element. It helps to improve digestion, does not cause allergic reactions, and also significantly increases energy and vitality.
The maximum allowable daily allowance of this substance is thirty milligrams per kilogram of weight. Exceeding this dose is strictly prohibited, as it is a dangerous toxin that causes muscle paralysis, which is fatal.
However, in the industrial sector, in the manufacture of products, such a small amount of this substance is used that it can be consumed with absolutely no worries about one’s own health. That is why the food additive E334 is generally considered a safe product.
In order not to be unfounded, we will give the amount of tartaric acid in carbonated soft drinks, where it is contained the most – 1,7 grams per liter of product. And this is several hundred times less than the maximum lethal dose.
This substance is very poorly absorbed in the body. Only a small amount is excreted, and most of it remains in the form of calcium salts – calcium tartrates – in the intestines.
In conclusion
Tartaric acid is a popular food additive that is made from natural ingredients by treating them with chemicals. Therefore, it is rather difficult to call it completely natural. However, at the same time, the substance retains all the useful properties, like a natural product. Due to its antioxidant properties, the E334 additive has found wide application not only in food production, but also in medical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other industries.
Ее употребление считается абсолютно безопасным, поэтому такое вещество разрешено во всех мировых странах. Однако ни в коем случае нельзя превышать установленную суточную дозу, иначе это приведет к непредсказуемым и страшным последствиям, а в некоторых случаях даже к смерти. Но стоит сказать, что в пищевой отрасли ее используют настолько мизерное количество, что говорить о каком-либо вреде для организма не приходится.