Ingredient · Ingredient
Acidity regulator trisodium citrate
A common salt of citric acid used to control acidity - safe at normal food levels.
Trisodium citrate (E331) is the sodium salt of citric acid, a natural compound found in citrus fruit. It's added to food to balance acidity, act as a buffer, or help texture in products like cheese, drinks, and jellies. It's widely permitted and has no meaningful safety concerns at normal dietary amounts.
Why it matters
Trisodium citrate is made by neutralising citric acid with sodium (a type of salt-forming mineral). Food makers use it to keep acidity steady, stop products separating, or give a smooth texture - for example in processed cheese, soft drinks, and canned foods. In the body, citrate is a normal part of energy metabolism (it's part of the citric acid cycle your cells already use), so it's processed the same way as citrate from lemons or oranges. Almost nobody needs to worry about this ingredient in food.
Sources (2)
- 1.Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 (EU food additives list, E331)
- 2.US FDA GRAS database - Sodium citrate
