Trisodium citrate

Trisodium citrate (CAS 68-04-2), also known as TSC and classified as E331iii in food applications, is the trisodium salt of citric acid used across food, pharmaceutical, and industrial markets.

It functions primarily as a pH buffer, chelating agent, and stabilizer, controlling acidity and sequestering metal ions in finished formulations. In food and beverage production, TSC acts as an acidity regulator and emulsifying salt.

This is critical in processed cheese manufacturing to prevent fat separation and improve texture. Pharmaceutical formulators rely on it to buffer oral solutions, effervescent tablets, and anticoagulant blood collection systems.

Precise pH control is non-negotiable in these medical applications. In personal care, it adjusts the pH of creams, shampoos, and cleansing products while chelating trace metals that would otherwise destabilize the formula.

Water treatment applications use TSC as a sequestrant to control scale-forming calcium and magnesium ions in industrial process water. Trisodium citrate is supplied as a white crystalline powder or granule.

The anhydrous form and the dihydrate are the two commercially standard variants. Recognized grades include FCC (food-grade), USP, BP, and Ph. Eur., covering pharmaceutical and food compliance requirements.

Technical grade is available for industrial and water treatment applications where food or pharma certification is not required. This versatile chemical ensures stability and performance across diverse manufacturing sectors.