Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3, CAS 144-55-8), widely known as baking soda, is listed as E500(ii) when used as a food additive. Buyers often ask for food grade, but the term means more than a purity number.

Grades in the market

  • Food grade: meets a food standard such as FCC or a national food code, and is produced and packed for food contact.
  • Feed grade: for animal nutrition.
  • Pharmaceutical grade: meets USP or EP monographs.
  • Technical or industrial grade: for detergents, water treatment and chemical use.

What to check

  • Assay: commonly 99 percent minimum NaHCO3.
  • Heavy metals such as arsenic and lead: food grade has strict limits.
  • Particle size: fine, medium or coarse, depending on the use.
  • pH of the solution, moisture and chloride.
  • Certificates your market requires, for example HACCP or ISO 22000. We confirm what is available with the supplier.

Storage and handling

Sodium bicarbonate is stable when dry, but it starts to lose carbon dioxide when heated, so store it cool and dry. Food grade is usually packed in 25 kg bags with a polyethylene liner. The customs heading is usually 2836.30.

Typical applications

  • Baking and food processing
  • Detergents and cleaning products
  • Animal feed
  • Fire extinguishing powders
  • pH control and water treatment
  • Textile and leather processing