What is E576?

Complete guide to understanding E576 (Sodium Gluconate) in your food

The Quick Answer

E576 is sodium gluconate, an organic mineral salt made from gluconic acid (derived from glucose) bonded with sodium.

It’s used in food primarily as a sequestrant (chelating agent), stabilizer, acidity regulator, and flavor enhancer—binding metal ions that could cause discoloration or spoilage, improving food stability and taste.

Unlike E577 (potassium gluconate) or E578 (calcium gluconate) which provide nutritional minerals, E576 doesn’t add nutritional value. Instead, it’s valued purely for its functional properties in food preservation and quality improvement.

📌 Quick Facts

Category: Sequestrant, stabilizer, acidity regulator, flavor enhancer
Chemical form: Sodium salt of gluconic acid
Also known as: Sodium salt of gluconic acid, sodium d-gluconate
Found in: Beverages, dairy products, meat products (especially sausages), canned vegetables, confectionery, cereals, bakery products, seafood products, condiments, cheese
Safety: FDA GRAS approved, EFSA approved, JECFA approved
Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): “Not specified” set by JECFA in 1998; “quantum satis” principle applies (use as much as needed)
Source: Fermented glucose via microbial fermentation
Physical form: White to tan, granular or fine crystalline powder; very soluble in water
Taste: Slightly sweet, mildly acidic taste (reduces bitterness of artificial sweeteners and minerals)
Key property: Excellent chelating agent; more effective than EDTA for certain applications
Dietary status: Suitable for vegetarians and vegans (plant-derived)
Important distinction: Does NOT provide nutritional sodium—unlike potassium gluconate (E577) or calcium gluconate (E578)
Biodegradability: Rapidly biodegradable (98% degradation in 2 days)

What Exactly Is It?

E576 is the sodium salt of gluconic acid.

Gluconic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid created by fermenting glucose. When gluconic acid is chemically bonded with sodium, it creates sodium gluconate—a white crystalline powder that dissolves easily in water.

Unlike its sister compounds E577 (potassium gluconate) and E578 (calcium gluconate), E576 is designed purely for functional food technology properties rather than nutritional supplementation.

Chemical formula: C₆H₁₁NaO₇ or NaC₆H₁₁O₇

Molecular weight: 218.14 g/mol

How it’s made:

• Step 1 – Fermentation: Glucose is fermented using specific microorganisms (typically Aspergillus niger or Pseudomonas species) to produce gluconic acid
• Step 2 – Neutralization: The gluconic acid is neutralized with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to create sodium gluconate
• Step 3 – Purification and crystallization: The product is purified and crystallized to create the final additive
• Step 4 – Drying: Crystals are dried using air drying or spray drying methods

Key mechanism: E576’s primary function is chelation—the ability to bind and remove metal ions (calcium, iron, copper, aluminum) that could cause undesirable reactions in food.

Where You’ll Find It

E576 appears in a wide range of processed foods:

• Beverages (sports drinks, soft drinks, table-top sweeteners)
• Dairy products (cheese, yogurt, milk products)
• Meat products (especially emulsion-type sausages like frankfurters)
• Canned vegetables
• Confectionery and candies
• Cereal and cereal products
• Bakery products and breads
• Fish and seafood products
• Fats and oils and fat/oil emulsions
• Sauces and condiments
• Soups and broths
• Spice blends and seasonings
• Table-top sweetener products
• Biscuits and crackers
• Black olives (canned)
• Ready-to-eat meals

E576 is approved under “Group I” with “quantum satis” use levels in the EU, meaning it can be added to virtually all food categories as needed.

💡 Pro Tip: Check labels on canned vegetables, beverages, dairy products, meat products, and foods marketed as having “extended shelf life” or “improved stability” for “E576” or “sodium gluconate”. It’s particularly common in foods that need to maintain color stability or prevent metal-ion-catalyzed spoilage during long storage or transportation.

Why Do Food Companies Use It?

E576’s primary function is chelation—binding and removing metal ions that cause food spoilage.

Food manufacturers use sodium gluconate for multiple critical advantages:

• Sequestration/Chelation: Binds metal ions (calcium, iron, copper, aluminum) that catalyze oxidative spoilage and discoloration
• Color preservation: Prevents darkening and discoloration caused by metal-catalyzed reactions
• Shelf life extension: Prevents degradation of fats and oils—extends product shelf life
• Rancidity prevention: Prevents oxidative rancidity (off-flavors from fat degradation)
• Metal ion removal: More effective than EDTA for certain applications
• Stabilization: Maintains product consistency and prevents separation
• pH regulation: Acts as a buffer to maintain desired acidity levels
• Flavor enhancement: Masks bitter or unpleasant tastes of minerals and artificial sweeteners
• Taste improvement: Reduces aftertastes from artificial sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame), minerals (magnesium, calcium), and plant proteins
• Bitterness inhibition: Specifically reduces bitter taste of high-intensity sweeteners
• Meat stabilization: Increases water-binding capacity in meat products, improving firmness and sliceability
• Phosphate replacement: Functions as a replacement for phosphate-based stabilizers in meat products
• Water retention: Helps retain moisture in products
• Non-toxic metabolism: Biodegradable and non-toxic
• Yeast nutrition: Can serve as yeast nutrient in fermented foods

Cost efficiency: E576 is relatively inexpensive and highly efficient at very low concentrations (typically 0.1-0.3% by weight), making it cost-effective for large-scale food production.

Is It Safe?

E576 is one of the safest and most widely approved food additives.

Approval status:

• FDA approved: Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) when used as a sequestrant in food
• EFSA approved: Listed in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 as an authorized food additive
• JECFA approved: Set ADI as “not specified” (indicating no safety concerns)
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Approved with code number 576
• UK Food Standards Agency: Categorized as “Others” approved additive
• International approval: Approved in virtually all countries worldwide

Safety profile:

• ADI: “Not specified” by JECFA (set in 1998)—indicating no safety concerns at any approved level
• Toxicity: No documented toxicity at food use levels
• No carcinogenicity: No evidence of cancer-causing potential
• No reproductive effects: Safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Biodegradability: Rapidly biodegradable—98% degraded within 2 days
• Non-corrosive: Non-corrosive and non-irritating
• Natural metabolism: Body metabolizes it as sodium and gluconic acid
• Decades of safe use: Extensive history of safe use without documented adverse effects
• No documented adverse effects: No widespread adverse effects documented at food use levels

Special populations:

• Infants and young children: Safe for use in infant food and infant formula
• Pregnant women: Safe for use during pregnancy
• People with sodium restrictions: While sodium gluconate contains sodium, the amount in food is negligible compared to added salt (NaCl)

✓ Safety Summary: E576 is exceptionally safe because it’s a compound derived from natural glucose and biodegrades rapidly in the environment. FDA, EFSA, and JECFA approval with no specific ADI limit indicates high safety confidence. It’s approved for use in infant formula—the strictest food category—demonstrating safety for vulnerable populations.

Natural vs Synthetic Version

E576 is derived from natural glucose through fermentation:

Source and production:

• Glucose starting material: Derived from corn, sugar cane, or other natural plant sources
• Fermentation method: Uses naturally occurring or selected microorganism strains (typically Aspergillus niger or Pseudomonas)
• Sodium bonding: Chemical process to create the salt
• Final product: Chemically identical regardless of production method

Fermentation vs chemical synthesis: Most commercial E576 is produced via fermentation (the more “natural” route). Chemical synthesis is less common but produces identical final product.

Vegetarian/vegan status: E576 is fully vegetarian and vegan (not derived from animal products).

Natural Alternatives

Want to avoid E576 or looking for alternative chelating agents?

Some alternatives include:

• Potassium gluconate (E577) – Similar chelating function; provides potassium instead of sodium
• Calcium gluconate (E578) – Similar chelating function; provides calcium instead of sodium
• Glucono delta-lactone (E575) – Related gluconate compound; similar properties
• Citric acid (E330) – Alternative chelating agent; acidic taste (different property profile)
• EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) – Synthetic chelating agent; more aggressive
• Tartaric acid (E334) – Natural chelating acid
• Natural whole foods: Simply avoid adding metal-contaminated ingredients; use fresh foods
• Accept natural color/flavor changes: Store foods properly to reduce need for chelation

Comparison to Related Compounds

E576 differs from related gluconate additives:

• E574 (Gluconic acid): The base compound (liquid form); less convenient for some applications
• E575 (Glucono delta-lactone): Lactone form of gluconic acid; different properties and uses
• E577 (Potassium gluconate): Similar chelating function; provides potassium (nutritional benefit)
• E578 (Calcium gluconate): Similar chelating function; provides calcium (nutritional benefit)
• E579 (Ferrous gluconate): Iron salt; used specifically for coloring olives

Key distinction: Unlike E577 and E578, E576 does NOT provide nutritional value. It’s purely functional—no potassium, no calcium supplementation.

The Bottom Line

E576 (sodium gluconate) is a safe and effective food additive used primarily as a chelating agent and stabilizer.

It’s found in beverages, dairy products, meat products, canned vegetables, and confectionery—where it prevents metal-catalyzed spoilage, extends shelf life, and improves taste and color stability.

E576 is approved by the FDA, EFSA, JECFA, and virtually all regulatory bodies worldwide.

Key advantage: E576 is one of the safest food additives—fermented from glucose, rapidly biodegradable, approved for infant formula, and with decades of safe use history without documented adverse effects.

Key limitation: Unlike potassium gluconate (E577) or calcium gluconate (E578), E576 does not provide nutritional benefits. It’s a purely functional additive that improves food quality without nutritional supplementation.

Environmental consideration: E576 is rapidly biodegradable (98% degradation in 2 days), making it environmentally friendly compared to synthetic chelating agents.

For consumers, E576 is actually a positive indicator in food labels—it suggests the manufacturer used a gentle, natural-origin chelating agent (derived from fermented glucose) rather than more aggressive synthetic alternatives.

What is E576? – Complete guide to understanding Sodium Gluconate in your food