Open a pack of fruit juice, check the ingredients and the eye falls on you Code E330. Then take a look at a tomato sauce in the jar and still find the word E330. Look at an ice cream, a drink, a pack of candies, and he is always there, always the same code. What really is this omnipresent E330 on food labels? Has a more familiar name than you think: It is citric acida natural substance, abundant in citrus fruits and used for centuries, now labeled with a European code that many arouses doubts and perhaps some suspicions. In reality, it is one of the most common additives, studied and safe.
What is the E330?
The E330 is simply citric acid, an organic natural compound found in high concentrations in the fruits of the citrus familysuch as lemons, lime, oranges and grapefruits. From a chemical point of view it is a tricarbossic acidwith Formula c₆h₈o₇equipped with a strong acidifying and chelating capacity, that is, able to tie metals and minerals. The name derives from the Latin citrusprecisely in reference to the natural origin.
He was isolated for the first time in 1784 from the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele – discovered, among others, of elements such as tungsten, nitrogen, chlorine and manganese – and today comes large -scale product through the fermentation of sugars by microorganismsin particular the mushroom Aspergillus Nigera completely safe and widely controlled process.
Why is it so used?
Citric acid has multiple functions in the food industry and the merit is of theextreme versatilitywhich makes one of the most used additives in the world.
The Main functions citric acid include:
Easy to understand the reason for success: all the functions just observed make it particularly useful in an infinite number of large retailersincluding carbonated drinks, fruit juices, preserves, jams, dairy products, snacks, industrial desserts, worked meats and much more.
Citric acid is also present in other products, such as food supplementsThe pharmaceutical articlesi cosmetics and i Domestic detergents.
Is it dangerous for health?
One of the most common questions is if the E330 hurts. The answer, according to scientific evidence, is negative. Citric acid is considered safe by all international health authoritiesincluding EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), the US FDA and WHO. It is not classified as a toxic, carcinogen or mutageno, nor does it cause allergic reactions in the general population.
The human body is perfectly able to metabolize it: citric acid, in fact, It is a natural metabolite present in each cellbeing an integral part of the Krebs cycle, the biochemical process that produces energy starting from sugars and fats. This means that the body not only recognizes it, but it actively uses it in its vital mechanisms.
Are there side effects?
In normal conditions, the citric acid taken with food does not involve any risk. Only if taken in extremely high doses – definitely superior to those present in industrial foods – can cause irritating effects for the stomach or oral mucosa. In predisposed subjects – those suffering from conditions such as, for example, gastroesophageal reflux and gastritis – excessive consumption of acid foods (not of the E330 itself) can accentuate the symptoms.
Being an acidic substance, citric acid it can erode dental enamel if consumed frequently in pure formor through very acidic drinks, such as soft drinks. In this case, the risk is linked more to the pH of drinks than to the substance itself.
The abbreviation
The Code E330 It is nothing more than the Official designation of citric acid in the list of food additives authorized by the European Union. Each additive has a code and which uniquely identifies its function and safety. The problem, often, is not the code itself, but the perception that consumers have of these numbers: many people associate codes and with synthetic and dangerous chemicals, forgetting that even an acid contained in lemon can receive a code.
The E330, therefore, is the victim of a linguistic prejudice More than a real problem. In reality, it is much more “natural” than you think, and it is also present in fresh foods, such as fruit and vegetables.
Also used outside the nutrition
Citric acid is also used in many non -food sectors, for its ability to tie metals and adjust the pH. It is used as:
Such a widespread use confirms the versatility and safety of citric acidwhich over time has become one of the most used and appreciated molecules also in the industrial field.
