Why Is EDTA Added to Salad Dressings

An inspection of the ingredients in many sandwich spreads, mayonnaises, margarines, and salad dressings reveals the abbreviation EDTA. Even real mayonnaise has this important ingredient. The chemical structure of this substance helps this additive perform its important function as a preservative. 

The sodium and calcium salts of EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Fig. 9.3.1.) are common sequestrants in food products. A three-dimensional representation of EDTA is shown in color Fig. 9.3.2. The EDTA ion is an especially effective sequestrant, forming up to six coordinate covalent bonds with a metal ion. These bonds are so named because a lone pair of electrons on a single atom serves as the source of the shared electrons in the bond between the metal ion and EDTA. The two nitrogen atoms in the amino groups and the oxygen 

TABLE 9.1 Formation Constants for Complexes of EDTA with Metal Cations at 25°C 

The larger the formation constant, K, the more likely the M EDTA complex is to form and the fewer free metal ions remain. 

A common form of EDTA used as a preservative is calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA). What metals will this form of the sequestrant scavenge effectively The dissolution of the solid will yield calcium ions, sodium ions, and the EDTA anion. Any metal more effectively complexed than calcium will be readily scavenged, including all ions listed in Table 9.1 except silver (Ag+) and magnesium (Mg2+). (In the absence of the calcium counterion, as in the case of the acid form of EDTA, chelation of calcium in the body can occur. In fact, EDTA administered orally is an FDA-approved treatment for calcium deposits in the bloodstream that lead to cardiovascular disease.) Citric acid (Fig. 9.3.3) is another sequestrant of metal ions in foodstuffs. 

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