Calcium Lactate

Calcium lactate is the calcium salt of lactic acid, formula C6H10CaO6·xH2O with x running from zero to five, formula weight 218.22 on the anhydrous basis and 308.29 as the pentahydrate. It carries 18.4% elemental calcium anhydrous and 13.0% as the pentahydrate, so it is a lower-load calcium source than the carbonate — but it is soluble in water and practically insoluble in ethanol, and it has a notably mild, non-chalky taste. That combination is why it turns up in instant drinks, effervescent formats and clean-label food systems where mouthfeel matters more than tablet count. The grade Thovek supplies meets the JECFA/FCC criteria for INS 327: assay not less than 98.0% on the dried basis, loss on drying not more than 30% at 120 °C for four hours, pH 6.0 to 8.0 in a one-in-twenty solution, magnesium and alkali salts not more than 1%, fluoride not more than 30 mg/kg and lead not more than 2 mg/kg. Appearance is a white to cream, almost odourless crystalline powder or granule; the pentahydrate is somewhat efflorescent, so packing integrity and storage humidity matter more here than with the carbonate or citrate. USP and EP/BP monograph grades are available for pharmaceutical use. Beyond straight calcium fortification, calcium lactate has a long-established second life as a processing aid: buffer, dough conditioner and yeast food in baking, firming agent in fresh-cut produce and canned vegetables, and calcium source in cheese and dairy processing and in spherification work. Thovek supplies powder and granular forms, milled to an agreed mesh, in 25 kg lined sacks or fibre drums with a Certificate of Analysis, MSDS and origin documentation for every lot.