Citric acid applications in food and industry
1. Citric acid is mainly used as sour agent, solubilizer, buffer, antioxidant, deodorizer, flavor enhancer, gelling agent, toner, etc. In addition, citric acid also has the functions of inhibiting bacteria, protecting color, improving flavor, and promoting the conversion of sucrose.
2. Citric acid also has a chelating effect and can remove certain harmful metals. Citric acid can prevent oxidation caused by enzyme catalysis and metal catalysis, thereby preventing quick-frozen fruits from changing color and smell.
3. In terms of food additives, citric acid is mainly used in refreshing beverages and pickled products such as carbonated drinks, fruit juice drinks, and lactic acid drinks. Its demand changes due to changes in seasonal climate. Citric acid accounts for about 2/3 of the total sour agent consumption.
4. Adding citric acid to canned fruits can maintain or improve the flavor of the fruits in the collection, increase the acidity of some fruits with low acidity when canned, weaken the heat resistance of microorganisms and inhibit their growth, and prevent the canning of fruits with low acidity. Bacterial bloating and destruction often occur.
The role of citric acid in the chemical and textile industries
1. In chemical technology, citric acid can be used as a reagent for chemical analysis, experimental reagents, chromatographic analysis reagents and biochemical reagents; used as a complexing agent, masking agent; used to prepare buffer solutions. Using citric acid or citrate as a builder can improve the performance of washing products;
2. Citric acid can quickly precipitate metal ions, prevent pollutants from re-attaching to the fabric, and maintain the necessary alkalinity for washing; disperse and suspend dirt and ash; improve the performance of surfactants, and is an excellent chelating agent; Citric acid can be used as A reagent for testing the acid resistance of architectural ceramic tiles.
3. Formaldehyde pollution in clothing is already a very sensitive issue. Citric acid and modified citric acid can be used to make a formaldehyde-free anti-wrinkle finishing agent for the anti-wrinkle finishing of pure cotton fabrics. Citric acid not only has good anti-wrinkle effect, but also has low cost.
