E-numbers / Acidity regulators / E354
also: Calcium L-tartrate · Calcium salt of tartaric acid
The calcium salt of tartaric acid, a naturally occurring fruit acid. Used to regulate acidity and stabilise foods.
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Calcium tartrate is the calcium salt of tartaric acid, the same acid that gives grapes and wine their sharp taste.
Calcium tartrate is the calcium salt of tartaric acid, the same acid that gives grapes and wine their sharp taste. It occurs naturally in grape juice and is deposited on wine barrels as 'wine diamonds' (argol). As a food additive it is produced from tartaric acid and a calcium source.
Acts as an acidity regulator by buffering pH, helping foods maintain a stable acidity level. Also functions as a sequestrant, binding metal ions that would otherwise speed up rancidity or colour changes. Its low solubility means it releases acidity slowly and steadily.
Most commonly found in wines and wine-related products where tartrates form naturally or are added for stabilisation, in baked goods and confectionery as an acidity buffer, and occasionally in fruit preserves. On a label it appears as 'calcium tartrate' or 'E354'.
Tartaric acid and its salts, including calcium tartrate, are reviewed by EFSA as a group (E334 to E337 and E354). Tartrate is a normal metabolite found in fruit and wine and is handled through normal digestion. EFSA concluded that no numerical acceptable daily intake was necessary because intake from food is well within the range considered unremarkable. There are no genotoxicity signals in the published literature.
EFSA evaluated tartaric acid and tartrates (E334, E335, E336, E337, E354) as a group and found no evidence of genotoxicity or reproductive toxicity at relevant dietary exposure levels.
Tartrate is excreted via the kidneys. People who form calcium oxalate kidney stones are sometimes advised to moderate their intake of high-oxalate and high-organic-acid foods, including foods rich in tartaric acid. This is a general dietary consideration and not specific to E354 as a food additive. There is no published evidence of a kidney risk from E354 at typical food additive use levels.
Tartaric acid is absorbed and excreted renally; high dietary tartrate is a recognised dietary variable in calcium stone risk discussions, though evidence at food-additive use levels is limited.
People with a history of calcium kidney stones may wish to note that tartrate-containing foods contribute to dietary tartrate load, though this applies to tartaric-acid-rich foods generally rather than E354 specifically. Look for 'calcium tartrate' or 'E354' on the label.
Calcium tartrate is one of the more ordinary food additives in use. It comes from tartaric acid, a compound that has been part of wine, grapes, and fruit for as long as humans have eaten them. The EFSA group re-evaluation found nothing to flag. The science here is not contested.
No. Calcium tartrate is approved for use in the UK under the retained version of EU Regulation 1333/2008, which continues to apply as UK law following Brexit.
Not exactly. E354 is calcium tartrate, the calcium salt of tartaric acid (E334). They are closely related and reviewed together by EFSA, but carry different E numbers because they are chemically distinct compounds.
It is most common in wine and wine-related products, where tartrates occur naturally and may be added for stability. It also appears in baked goods, confectionery, and some fruit preserves. Check the ingredients list for 'calcium tartrate' or 'E354'.
Yes. Calcium tartrate is derived from tartaric acid, which can be sourced from grape processing, and combined with a calcium salt. No animal-derived inputs are involved in its production.
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