Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Sodium hydrogen carbonate (commonly known as baking soda) is a white crystalline powder used as a leavening/raising agent, acidity regulator, and CO2 generator in food manufacturing. When heated or combined with acids it releases carbon dioxide, causing dough and batters to rise, and it is also used in packaging applications to extend the shelf life of fresh foods.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Sodium hydrogen carbonate has an ADI of 'not specified' assigned by both JECFA and the EU Scientific Committee on Food, indicating no quantitative limit is required at normal dietary use levels. It contributes to dietary sodium intake, which is a concern for individuals on sodium-restricted diets (hypertension, heart failure, kidney disease). At extreme non-dietary doses it can cause metabolic alkalosis, but this is not achievable through food consumption alone.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/141 extended the authorisation of sodium carbonates (E500), including E500ii, as acidity regulators in unprocessed cephalopods and molluscs/crustaceans. The SCF ADI of 'not specified' was affirmed as the basis for approving this extension without a new EFSA opinion.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Sodium hydrogen carbonate is listed as a permitted food additive in Appendix A of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. It is also explicitly permitted as a diluent/filler material in colour preparations under Chapter 3 of FSS Regulations.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) under 21 CFR 184.1736. Also listed as GRAS/FS (food standard) for use in self-rising cornmeal (21 CFR 137.270). Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) limits apply; no numerical maximum use level is prescribed for general food use.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Hypertension — Sodium hydrogen carbonate contributes dietary sodium; individuals with hypertension on sodium-restricted diets should account for cumulative sodium load from foods containing this additive.

Kidney Disease — Impaired renal sodium excretion in chronic kidney disease increases risk of sodium and fluid retention; high intake of sodium-containing additives including E500ii should be discussed with a clinician.

Heart Disease — Patients with heart failure or other cardiac conditions requiring low-sodium diets should consider the additive sodium contributed by sodium hydrogen carbonate in processed and baked foods.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. 21 CFR 184.1736 – Sodium bicarbonate. accessdata.fda.gov
2WHO. JECFA Food Additives Database – Sodium hydrogen carbonate (chemID 1892). apps.who.int
3FAO. Codex GSFA Online – Sodium hydrogen carbonate (INS 500(ii)). fao.org
4EFSA. Safety assessment of the active substances citric acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate for use in active food contact materials, 2016. efsa.europa.eu
5EFSA. Scientific Opinion on the safety evaluation of the active substances citric acid (E330) and sodium hydrogen carbonate (E500ii), used as carbon dioxide generators, together with liquid absorbers cellulose and polyacrylic acid sodium salt crosslinked, in active food contact materials, 2013. efsa.europa.eu

Independently researched5 citations