E330 is a common citric acid, available as colorless or white crystals. It is the trade name for a series of food additives based on citric acid, prepared by reacting citric Acid with various substances, such as aluminum or calcium salts.
E-number 330 is used in many foods and drinks to add sourness and tartness. Citric Acid monohydrate is made from starch and is used as an acidity regulator. In fruit juices and carbonated beverages, it contributes to the sour taste. E330 is totally halal in Islam.
Popular halal food ingredient Citric Acid Monohydrate E330 is used in food and beverage.
What is E330
Citric Acid is a weak acid that is colorless, odorless, and crystalline. Citric Acid is isolated from fruits, especially citric fruits like berries, oranges, lemons, pineapple, and grapefruits.
Among these fruits, lemons and limes contain the most concentrated amount of citric Acid since it includes as much as 8% of the dry weight.
The bulk of commercially available citric Acid comes from fungal fermentation, although you can also produce it via the oxidation of acetylene. 99% of Citric Acid used by humans is made in this manner.
E numbers are numbers representing the food additives used in the European Union.
The market forms of citric Acid come in two:
- Citric Acid anhydrous (C6H8O7) – the free-water form of Citric Acid.
- Citric acid monohydrate (C6H8O7·H2O) – Contains one water molecule associated with one citric acid molecule.
Is E330 Halal?
E330 is made of Citric Acid and Citric Acid Monohydrate E330 is generally recognized as halal because of its use as a synthesized chemical. Citric Acid Monohydrate E330 is a white crystalline powder that is made from starch. E-number 330 is used in many foods and drinks to add sourness and tartness.
How Is E330 Made?
According to historians, the historical use of Citric Acid can be traced back to 1784. Swedish-German chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele first isolated and crystallized citric Acid from lemon juice.
He obtained it by adding calcium hydroxide or hydrated lime to lemon juice, precipitating calcium citrate. The citric acid would then be recovered by precipitating calcium citrate by reacting it with sulfuric acid.
The Italian company Arenella dominated the industry as a monopolistic corporation using this method until World War I disrupted the trade of calcium citrate.
At that time, United Fruit Company began manufacturing and refining processes before Charles Pfizer & Co bought out all other companies in 1915, who also produced this way by importing unripe fruits from Italy at a very high cost.
Used as preservative
Citric Acid is a common ingredient used in foods like ice cream, soft drinks, and canned goods because of its antimicrobial properties.
Citric Acid has a shallow pH level which plays a vital role in inhibiting the growth of microbes that can cause food poisoning if not killed by the product. Citric Acid is a natural preservative.
Food safety regulations require that home-canned foods be acidic enough to prevent bacterial growth and foodborne illness. A pH test using litmus paper will confirm if preserved food is safe for consumption.
Also, citric acids are natural fermentation residues from fruits or vegetables hydrolyzed during production, e.g., organic products like vinegar. The product is popular in jams and jellies.
Is citric acid (E330) carcinogenic?
E330 Citric Acid is not carcinogenic. If you were to consume this molecule by itself, there are many instances where it would spare your cells from becoming cancerous.
E330 Citric Acid is a structural component of all living cells in the form of alpha-hydroxy acids and is essential for energy metabolism and biosynthesis.
Some side effects of E330
Although this is a traditional food additive, you must be careful while ingesting foods that list Citric Acid 330 in their ingredient.
You may have some unwanted side effects if you do not follow safe injection practices (cited at the bottom of the page). Suppose specific components affect your health in dangerous ways when ingested with Citric Acid 330, for example, an allergy to MSG that can cause similar negative impacts to anyone who consumes them together.
In that case, it may be better for one’s health if they don’t eat it. The same goes for people who can also get sick from citric Acid. Some people break out in hives or eczema after consuming these things.
There aren’t too many people who can’t handle citric Acid, but you should still be cautious about eating these products blindly without having done your research beforehand.
Final words
While citric acid is found naturally in citric fruits and is also created from an extracted mold, E330 citric Acid made from the mold makes it a cheaper and more widespread ingredient commonly added to food, medicines, supplements, and cleaning agents.
Traces of this mold can trigger allergies in rare cases. E330 Citric Acid is, however, deemed safe for consumption because most people don’t react negatively to it.
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