Iron tartrate

Core Concepts and Essential Attributes

Ferric tartrate is a food additive made from L-tartaric acid, sodium hydroxide and ferric chloride as raw materials by complexation reaction. In chemical essence, ferric tartrate is the complexation product of sodium tartrate with ferric chloride, the core structure of which is the iron (III) complex of D(+)-, L(-)-, and meso -2,3-dihydroxysuccinic acid. In the classification system of food additives, iron tartrate is clearly defined as anti-caking agent (Anti-caking Agent), its main function is to maintain the flow properties of salt particles through physical isolation or moisture absorption regulation mechanism, and prevent the formation of hardening aggregates during exposure to moisture and storage.

Term disassembly and synonymous expression

Dismantling analysis from the terminology level: "tartaric acid"(Tartaric acid) is a natural organic acid, widely present in fruits such as grapes; "iron" (iron) is an essential trace element for the human body. The core basis of the name "iron tartrate" is that its chemical composition contains two key components of tartrate and iron ions. In different contexts and standard systems, the substance has many synonymous expressions: the English common name is Iron tartrate or Iron meso-tartrate; In the EU system, it is called Iron tartrate, which can also be expressed as the complex product of sodium tartrate and iron(III) (complexation product of sodium tartrate with iron(III) chloride); The chemical system is named D(+)-, L(-)-and meso 2,3 Iron (III) complex product of dihydroxysuccinic acid. In terms of international codes, China's CNS number is 02.011, EU's E number is E 534, and CAS number (recorded in the EU system) is 1280193-05-9.

chemical structure and physicochemical properties

From the perspective of molecular structure, the molecular formula of iron tartrate is Fe(OH) C? H? O? Na, and the relative molecular mass is 260.92 (calculated according to the international relative atomic mass in 2018). The structural formula can be represented by a form containing an iron (III) ion forming a complex with a tartrate ion, the iron ion being at the center of the complex and forming a coordinate bond with the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups of the tartrate. In physical form, iron tartrate appears as a dark green aqueous solution, usually containing about 35% (weight percent) of the complexation product, with the characteristics of very soluble in water. The pH value of the 35% complex product aqueous solution is between 3.5 and 3.9, which is weakly acidic. Special attention should be paid to the fact that the substance is sensitive to oxygen and ultraviolet rays and should be stored in a closed brown bottle and isolated from oxygen. If the sample bottle cannot be filled, the sample should be covered with nitrogen, protected from light (ultraviolet) and stored in a refrigerator at low temperature (4 ℃). The sample solution can remain stable within 2 weeks.

historical evolution and development

From the perspective of development history, the application of iron tartrate as a food anti-caking agent has experienced a long process of research and approval. On 18 January 2012, the EU received a formal application authorizing the use of iron tartrate as an anti-caking agent in salt and salt substitute products, which was subsequently made available to the Member States in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1331/2008. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a safety assessment on iron tartrate as a food additive on December 9, 2014. After considering the toxicological data and conservative assumptions contained in the exposure assessment, it was concluded that there is no safety problem in using it as an anti-caking agent for salt and salt substitute products at the recommended use level. On September 28, 2015, the European Commission officially issued Regulation No. 1739, approving iron tartrate as an anticaking agent for salt and salt substitute products, and listing it in Annex II of Regulation (EC) No. 2008 and Commission Regulation (EU) No. 231/2012, and assigning E 534 number.

In China, the National Health and Family Planning Commission issued Announcement No. 8 on June 15, 2016, officially listing iron tartrate in the new food additive catalog, allowing it to be used as an anti-caking agent in salt and salt products, and Simultaneously issued the corresponding quality specifications. On February 8, 2024, the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration issued GB 1886.381-2024 "National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Iron Tartrate", which was officially implemented on August 8, 2024, replacing the previous quality specifications. The required documents have become the authoritative technical basis for the production, inspection and supervision of iron tartrate in China.

Interpretation from different perspectives

From the perspective of food science, the core functional value of iron tartrate is to solve the problem of salt agglomeration. Salt (the main component of sodium chloride) has a strong hygroscopicity, in the storage, transportation and use of the process of easy to absorb moisture in the air and lead to caking, seriously affecting the fluidity and ease of use of the product. By forming a uniform coating layer on the surface of the salt particles, iron tartrate increases the distance between the salt particles and reduces the bonding force between the particles, thereby effectively preventing the occurrence of agglomeration.

From the perspective of nutrition, iron is one of the essential trace elements in human body, which is involved in important physiological processes such as hemoglobin synthesis and oxygen transport. Iron tartrate is a compound form of iron. Although its main function is not to strengthen nutrition, adding iron tartrate to salt can objectively provide a certain amount of iron intake source for the human body. However, it needs to be clear that iron tartrate is still positioned as an anti-caking agent in China's food additive system, and its nutritional fortification function is not the original intention and main purpose of the approval.

From the perspective of chemical engineering, the preparation process of iron tartrate involves the core principles of complexation chemistry. By isomerizing L-tartrate to an equilibrium mixture of D-, L-, and meso-tartrate, followed by addition of ferric chloride, complexation reactions occur under specific conditions to form stable complexes. This preparation process has strict requirements on the raw material ratio, reaction temperature, pH value and other process parameters to ensure the quality and safety of the product.

Comparative analysis of related concepts

In the family of food anti-caking agents, ferric tartrate is different from other common varieties in function and performance. Compared with potassium ferrocyanide (E 536) and sodium ferrocyanide (E 535), the maximum use of iron tartrate is relatively high (106 mg/kg vs. 10 mg/kg as ferrocyanide) and the unit cost is also high, but it avoids the public perception controversy related to cyanide. Compared with ferric ammonium citrate, ferric tartrate is dark green in color, while ferric ammonium citrate is light green or white, which may be different in some application scenarios with special requirements for color. Compared with inorganic anti-caking agents such as silica and calcium silicate, iron tartrate as an organic complex has better water solubility and biocompatibility. It is worth noting that iron tartrate can be used as an effective alternative to existing authorized anti-caking agents such as ferrocyanide and silica and silicate, providing more options for food manufacturers.

industrial chain structure analysis

From the perspective of the industrial chain, the overall chain of the iron tartrate industry can be divided into three main links: upstream raw material supply, midstream product production and downstream application consumption. The upstream link mainly includes the supply of three basic chemical raw materials: L-tartaric acid, sodium hydroxide and ferric chloride. L-tartaric acid is mainly derived from the extraction of wine brewing by-products (tartar), and can also be produced by biological fermentation or chemical synthesis; sodium hydroxide is a common industrial alkali; ferric chloride is a trivalent iron salt. The scale, product quality and price fluctuations of upstream raw material suppliers directly affect the cost structure and supply stability of midstream production enterprises.

The midstream link is the production and manufacturing link of iron tartrate products, involving complex reaction, purification, quality control and other core processes. Production enterprises are required to obtain food additive production licenses in accordance with the law, establish a quality control system that meets the requirements of GB 1886.381-2024 standards, and ensure that the physical and chemical indicators of the products meet the standards. Downstream links mainly include salt fixed-point production enterprises and salt products processing enterprises, these enterprises will be iron tartrate as an anti-caking agent to add to the edible salt products, and eventually flow to household consumption, catering services, food processing and other end-use scenarios.

Market size and development trend

Judging from the overall scale of the global food anticaking agent market, according to Credence Research research data, the global food anticaking agent market will be about US $0.638 billion (about 5.773 billion yuan) in 2024 and is expected to reach US $0.887 billion (about 8.457 billion yuan) by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2 per cent during the forecast period. In terms of regional distribution, the North American market ranks first in the world with a 33% share, which is closely related to the advanced food processing technology, strict regulatory framework and highly developed consumer market in the region. As the fastest growing regional market, the Asia-Pacific region has benefited from the rapid development of the food industry in China, India and other populous countries, and the market demand continues to expand.

From the perspective of the Chinese market, according to the data of the 2024 Annual Statistical Report of the China Food Additives and Ingredients Association, the overall market size of China's anti-caking agents was 1.286 billion yuan in 2023 and reached 1.352 billion yuan in 2024, an increase of 5.1 year-on-year; in 2025, the market size Further increased to 1.421 billion yuan, continuing the growth trend. In terms of application field distribution, the dosage of anti-caking agent in dairy products will be 0.431 billion yuan (27.0), condiment will be 0.398 billion yuan (24.9), baked food will be 0.265 billion yuan (16.6), health food and formula food for special medical purposes will be 0.214 billion yuan (13.4), and other fields will be 0.173 billion yuan (8.1). It is worth noting that salt and salt products, as the core application field of iron tartrate, occupy an important position in the whole anti-caking agent market.

Key players and the competitive landscape

In the global food anti-caking agent market, major multinational companies include Kao Corporation (Kao), PPG Industries, Univar Solutions, IMCD N.V., Evonik Industries, Brenntag AG, Huber Engineered Materials, etc. These enterprises have significant advantages in product research and development, quality control, market channels, etc., and the market concentration is relatively high. In China, iron tartrate manufacturers need to obtain a food additive production license and organize production in strict accordance with GB 1886.381-2024. According to relevant statistics, in 2024, there are 87 special anti-caking agent production enterprises that have obtained food additive production licenses nationwide, of which 63.2 percent have passed ISO 22000 certification, and the level of industry standardization continues to improve.

As far as the iron tartrate market segment is concerned, the current market penetration rate is relatively low due to the fact that this variety is still an emerging variety in the Chinese market (approved in 2016 and updated quality standards in 2024). From the perspective of cost performance, the raw material cost of ferric tartrate (about 142 yuan/kg) is significantly higher than that of potassium ferrocyanide (about 29 yuan/kg) and sodium ferrocyanide decahydrate (about 20 yuan/kg), and the unit dosage is relatively large, which makes its promotion in the price-sensitive market face certain challenges. However, with the increasing attention of consumers to the concept of "clean label" and "natural ingredients", as well as some consumers' cognitive concerns about cyano-containing anti-caking agents, the market potential of iron tartrate as a cyanide-free anti-caking agent is gradually emerging.

Industry Development Stage and Regional Pattern

Judging from the perspective of life cycle, China's iron tartrate market is in the transition stage from the introduction period to the growth period. In the nearly ten years since its approval in 2016, the variety has been in the process of continuous improvement and cultivation in terms of technical standards, production capacity scale, and market awareness. The release and implementation of the GB 1886.381-2024 standard in 2024 marks the further maturity of the quality specification system of this variety, laying a technical foundation for large-scale production and market promotion.

From the perspective of regional competition pattern, China's salt industry presents obvious characteristics of regional concentration. Coastal areas (such as Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, etc.) rely on salt industry resource endowments and port logistics advantages to form a relatively complete salt production and processing industrial cluster; inland salt lake resource-rich areas (such as Qinghai Qaidam Basin, etc.) It also has an important position in salt production. As an additive product of salt industry, the market layout of iron tartrate is highly related to the industrial pattern of salt industry.

Key Milestones in Development

Reviewing the global regulatory approval process of ferric tartrate, the following key nodes are of milestone significance: on January 18, 2012, the EU accepted the application of ferric tartrate as a food anti-caking agent; On December 9, 2014, the European Food Safety Authority issued a safety assessment opinion, confirming that there was no safety problem at the recommended level of use. On September 28, 2015, the European Commission formally approved ferric tartrate as an anti-caking agent for salt and salt products, giving E 534 number; on June 15, 2016, China's National Health and Family Planning Commission issued Announcement No. 8, listing iron tartrate as a new variety of food additives. On February 8, 2024, the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration issued GB 1886.381-2024 "National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Iron Tartrate", which will be implemented on August 8, 2024.

Industry development pain points and challenges

At present, the main challenges faced by the ferric tartrate industry include: first, the cost of raw materials and unit usage of ferric tartrate are higher than those of traditional ferrocyanide-based anti-caking agents, and the promotion in the edible salt market with fierce price competition faces certain resistance; second, the market awareness is limited. Compared with traditional varieties such as potassium ferrocyanide that have been used for decades, food production enterprises do not know enough about the performance characteristics and application advantages of ferric tartrate, market education and promotion need to be strengthened; third, the standard system is still in the process of improvement. Although GB 1886.381-2024 has been issued and implemented, the docking and coordination with international standards and the promotion and application of inspection methods still need to be continuously promoted; fourth, there is uncertainty in consumer acceptance, and some consumers' misunderstanding of chemical names may lead to a crisis of trust, so it is necessary to strengthen popular science publicity and transparent communication.

Core factors driving the development of the industry

The main factors that promote the development of the iron tartrate industry include: First, the rise of the trend of clean labels. With consumers' pursuit of concepts such as "natural", "simple" and "no additives", organic iron-based anti-caking agents without cyanide groups are more in line with the needs of clean label products; Second, food safety supervision has become stricter, the strict implementation of the "Food Safety Law" and the implementation of the "most stringent standards and most stringent supervision" requirements, it has created market space for high-quality anti-caking agents. Third, the demand for functional salt products has increased. Functional salt products such as low sodium salt, selenium-enriched salt and seaweed salt have put forward precise requirements for special anti-caking systems. Iron tartrate can play a role in subdivision fields by virtue of its unique properties. Fourth, international trade facilitation, developed economies such as the European Union and the United States have approved the use of iron tartrate, providing formula selection space for Chinese edible salt products for overseas markets.

national standard system

In China's food additive standard system, the implementation standard of iron tartrate mainly includes two core national standards: GB 2760-2024 "National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Use Standard" and GB 1886.381-2024 "National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Iron Tartrate".

GB 2760-2024 specifies the scope and maximum usage of iron tartrate as an anti-caking agent. According to this standard, iron tartrate is allowed to be used in "salt and salt substitute products" with food classification number 12.01, with a maximum usage of 0.106 g/kg (based on iron tartrate content). This use regulation clarifies the application boundaries of iron tartrate and ensures its regulated use in specific food categories.

GB 1886.381-2024 is the product quality specification standard for ferric tartrate, which was released on February 8, 2024 and officially implemented on August 8, 2024. This standard replaces the previous quality specification document issued in 2016 and further improves the technical index system. The standard specifies the following in detail:

Scope of application: This standard applies to L-tartaric acid, sodium hydroxide and ferric chloride as raw materials, meridian combination of food additive iron tartrate.

Chemical name, molecular formula and relative molecular mass: chemical name is D,L-meso -2,3-dihydroxysuccinic acid combined iron (III); The molecular formula is Fe(OH) C, H, O, Na; The relative molecular mass is 260.92 (according to the 2018 international relative atomic mass).

Sensory requirements: the color is dark green, the state is liquid. The test method is to take an appropriate amount of sample and place it in a 50mL beaker, and observe its color and state under natural light.

Physical and chemical indicators:

The content of meso-tartaric acid (disodium salt based on dry basis) shall be ≥ 37.0%;

The content of D-and L-tartaric acid (disodium salt based on dry basis) shall be ≥ 14.0%;

The content of oxalate (calculated on dry basis) shall be ≤ 1.5;

Iron (Fe) content (based on dry basis) shall be ≥ 8.0%;

The moisture content shall be ≥ 65.0%;

Chlorine (Cl) content (on dry basis) shall be ≤ 25.0%;

Sodium (Na) content (on dry basis) shall be ≤ 23.0%;

Total arsenic (as As) shall be ≤ 3.0 mg/kg;

Lead (Pb) shall be ≤ 5.0 mg/kg;

Total mercury (in Hg) shall be ≤ 1.0 mg/kg.

The test methods of the above physical and chemical indicators correspond to GB 5009.90 (iron content), GB 5009.3 (moisture), GB 5009.44 (chlorine content), GB 5009.91 (sodium content), GB 5009.11 or GB 5009.76 (arsenic content), GB 5009.12 or GB 5009.75 (lead content), GB 5009.17 (mercury content) and other general food safety test method standards, A special method for the determination of meso-tartaric acid, D-and L-tartaric acid and oxalate by high performance liquid chromatography as specified in A.4 of Annex A of the standard.

EU and International Standards

In the EU system, the quality specifications of iron tartrate are specified in the Annex to Commission Regulation (EU) No. 2012. The Regulation provides for the following key indicators:

Definitions: Iron tartrate is prepared by isomerizing L-tartrate to an equilibrium mixture of D-, L-and meso-tartrate, followed by addition of ferric chloride.

CAS No.: 1280193-05-9

Chemical name: Iron (III) complex products of D(+)-, L(-)-and meso -2,3-dihydroxysuccinic acid

Chemical formula: Fe(OH) C? H? O? Na

Molecular weight: 261.93

Specifications: meso tartrate should be> 28% (expressed as dry base anion);D(-)-and L(+)-tartrate should be> 10% (expressed as dry base anion); Iron (III) should be> 8% (expressed as dry base anion); Chloride should be ≤ 25%; Sodium should be ≤ 23%; Arsenic should be ≤ 3 mg/kg; lead should be ≤ 2 mg/kg; mercury ≤ 1 mg/kg; oxalate ≤ 1.5%(expressed as dry base oxalic acid).

Description: A dark green aqueous solution, typically containing about 35% by weight of the complexation product. Very soluble in water; tartrate and iron test positive; 35% aqueous solution of the complexed product pH between 3.5 and 3.9.

Comparing the standards of China and Europe, it can be found that China's GB 1886.381-2024 and EU Regulation 231/2012 are basically the same in terms of core definition, chemical molecular formula and content of key components. The main differences are as follows: the limit index of lead is ≤ 5.0 mg/kg in China and ≤ 2 mg/kg in EU; Molecular weight calculation benchmark (according to the 2018 international relative atomic mass and Chinese standard, EU is 261.93) there are minor differences.

Certification System and Qualification Requirements

The following qualification requirements are required for the production and operation of iron tartrate in China:

Food additive production license: according to Article 15 of the measures for the administration of food production license (Order No. 24 of the State Administration of market supervision and administration), food additive production license shall be obtained in accordance with the law. To apply for a license, it is necessary to have places, production equipment or facilities, food safety management personnel, professional and technical personnel and management systems suitable for the varieties of food additives produced. The local market supervision and management department at or above the county level shall examine the application materials submitted by the applicant and may conduct on-site verification. If the conditions are met, a food production license shall be issued within 10 working days from the date of making the decision.

Implementation of product standards: iron tartrate manufacturers must strictly organize production in accordance with GB 1886.381-2024, and establish a complete factory inspection system to ensure that product quality meets standard requirements. The product label shall comply with the provisions of GB 7718 "National Food Safety Standard General Principles for the Labeling of Prepackaged Foods" and GB 2760-2024, indicating the name of food additives, production date, shelf life, production license number and other information.

ISO certification system: in 2024, the proportion of food additive enterprises certified by ISO 22000 reached 63.2%, which has become an important symbol of the level of food safety management of enterprises.

Standard Evolution and Version Update

The evolution of the Chinese standard of ferric tartrate reflects the process of continuous improvement of the standard system of food additives in China:

On June 15, 2016, the National Health and Family Planning Commission issued Announcement No. 8, which included iron tartrate in the new variety of food additives and issued the initial quality specifications. The specification requirements specify sensory requirements, physical and chemical indexes (meso-tartaric acid ≥ 37%, D-and L-tartaric acid ≥ 14%, oxalate ≤ 1.5, iron ≥ 8%, moisture ≥ 65%, chlorine ≤ 25%, sodium ≤ 23%, arsenic ≤ 3.0 mg/kg, lead ≤ 5.0 mg/kg, mercury ≤ 1.0 mg/kg) and inspection methods.

On February 8, 2024, the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration issued GB 1886.381-2024, replacing the previous quality specification requirements document. On the basis of maintaining the stability of core technical indicators, the new standard further improves the expression of inspection methods and improves the standardization and operability of the standard.

Inspection method and detection technology

According to the provisions of Annex A of GB 1886.381-2024, the inspection methods of iron tartrate mainly include:

Identification test: In the determination test of the contents of meso-tartaric acid, D-and L-tartaric acid and oxalate by high performance liquid chromatography, the retention time of the main peak of the chromatogram of the test solution shall be consistent with that of the chromatogram of the standard solution.

Determination of meso-tartaric acid, D-and L-tartaric acid, oxalate content: high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with refractive index detector. The principle of the method is that ferric tartrate reacts with excess hydroxide to decompose. After filtration to form Fe(OH), organic acid chromatographic column (300mm × 7.8mm,8 μ m) is used as stationary phase, 0.01 mol/L sulfuric acid is used as mobile phase, components are separated and detected by refractive index detector, and calculation is carried out by external standard. The chromatographic conditions were as follows: column temperature 10 ℃, flow rate 0.3 mL/min, injection volume 20 μL.

Safety warning: The standard specifically points out that some reagents used in the inspection method are toxic or corrosive, and appropriate safety and protective measures should be taken during operation. If it splashes on the skin, it should be washed with water immediately, and serious cases should be treated immediately. When using volatile acids, this should be done in a fume hood.

Storage conditions and stability: the sample should be stored in a closed brown bottle, isolated from oxygen; If the sample bottle cannot be filled, the sample should be covered with nitrogen. Avoid light (ultraviolet light) and keep it in the refrigerator at low temperature (4 ℃). The sample solution remains stable within 2 weeks.