Calcium salt · Firming agent · E327 / INS 327

Food Grade Calcium Lactate

Food grade calcium lactate (E327 / INS 327) is a calcium salt of lactic acid used as a calcium source and firming ingredient in permitted foods. Bespring supplies ingredients for international B2B buyers. Confirm the offered hydrate form, food standard and assay basis before comparing calcium content, price or formulation requirements.

CAS number: 814-80-2
Additive number: E327 / INS 327
Anhydrous formula: C₆H₁₀CaO₆
Hydrate form: Confirm the offered grade

Request specification & quote Ask sales Product documents

White calcium lactate powder in a glass dish — Calcium lactate appearance reference; the image does not identify hydrate form, particle size or batch purity.

Product image · confirm grade and packaging when ordering

State the hydrate form, application, target calcium contribution, quantity and destination market.

Confirm hydrate formDo not compare forms as one material

Compare calcium contentCalculate on the agreed basis

Plan application trialsCheck clarity, set and sensory effects

Lot evidenceConfirm specification and COA availability

Product identity

What is calcium lactate E327?

Calcium lactate is the calcium salt of lactic acid, identified as E327 in the EU and INS 327 by Codex. The identity covers anhydrous and hydrated material: C₆H₁₀CaO₆·xH₂O, where x = 0–5. The JECFA calcium lactate monograph describes crystalline powder or granules, soluble in water and practically insoluble in ethanol. Confirm the actual form and identity on the offered-grade specification and SDS; the general CAS entry does not establish a particular hydrate or stereochemical grade.

JECFA lists buffer, dough conditioner and yeast-food functions. U.S. 21 CFR 184.1207 also recognizes uses including firming and nutrient supplementation under its conditions. A food function does not establish the performance or market permission of an individual grade.

Procurement snapshot

Chemical name: Calcium dilactate
CAS: 814-80-2
INS / E number: 327
Anhydrous molar mass: 218.22 g/mol
Public assay reference*: ≥98% on anhydrous basis (EU reference)
Order control: Approved specification + lot COA

The comparison buyers often miss

Hydrate form changes calcium content and delivered cost

JECFA describes C₆H₁₀CaO₆·xH₂O, with x from 0 to 5. Water of crystallization changes formula weight and the calcium fraction of the supplied material. Compare the declared hydrate, water test and assay basis together. The anhydrous formula weight is 218.22 g/mol; the calculated pentahydrate value is approximately 308.30 g/mol.

Identity

Lock the hydration state

Request the stated form and loss-on-drying method. “Calcium lactate” alone is not enough for an equal-cost comparison.

Assay

Check the reporting basis

Separate “as supplied,” “dried basis” and “anhydrous basis.” Dry-basis assay does not reveal how much crystallization water is shipped.

Calcium

Normalize elemental calcium

Pure anhydrous calcium lactate contains about 18.37% theoretical calcium; pure pentahydrate about 13.00%. These calculated mass fractions are not commercial specifications or batch results. Use the offered grade's measured or explicitly agreed calcium data.

Economics

Compare usable calcium

Compare landed cost per kilogram of compliant product and, for fortification, per kilogram of delivered elemental calcium.

Calculation frameworkElemental calcium delivered = ingredient mass × calcium mass fraction on the as-supplied basis. If that fraction is already a measured or corrected value, do not apply assay a second time. When calculating from a theoretical formula, document the hydrate, purity and water corrections without counting any correction twice. Verify calcium in the finished food for formulation and label purposes.

Function-led selection

Calcium lactate food applications require different tests

Use the application to define the grade and test plan. Regulatory permission, use level and labelling must be checked for the finished food and destination market.

Calcium fortification

Calculate target elemental calcium and verify dissolution, clarity, sediment, flavour, pH, shelf stability and analytical recovery.

Fruit & vegetable firming

Screen calcium uptake against firmness, cut-surface integrity, colour, drip, flavour and process yield.

Alginate gelation

Control calcium availability, addition order and contact time to avoid premature skin formation, uneven gelation or local precipitation.

Dough & process systems

JECFA lists dough-conditioning and yeast-food functions. Assess handling, fermentation, crumb and flavour in the actual recipe. This does not establish calcium lactate as a direct replacement for an acid-phosphate leavening ingredient.

Formulation risk control

Solubility alone does not guarantee a clear, stable system

Calcium lactate may dissolve, yet free calcium can react with other ingredients. Test the finished matrix at manufacturing concentration and over shelf life.

Phosphates

Calcium and phosphate can reduce clarity or form deposits depending on species, pH, concentration and addition order.

Citrate & organic acids

Acid type and pH influence calcium speciation, taste and stability. Confirm the complete acid system.

Carbonate systems

In carbonate-containing recipes, assess possible calcium-carbonate precipitation, pH and processing conditions. Review bicarbonate together with the complete acid system; calcium lactate alone does not establish a gas-release or leavening profile.

Alginate & hydrocolloids

Calcium can cross-link alginate; other hydrocolloids respond differently. Confirm polymer type, calcium availability, dispersion and addition sequence. See the sodium alginate calcium-gel selection guide for formulation considerations.

Useful bench protocolCompare a control and candidate grades at actual use level. Record dissolution time and temperature, pH, turbidity, sediment, viscosity or gel set, sensory response and stability after processing and storage.

Specification architecture

What to verify on a calcium lactate specification

Request the current specification for the offered food grade. Use the checklist below to agree limits and complete test methods, then compare a representative COA and the shipment batch COA. The checklist is not a set of guaranteed numerical limits.

On small screens, swipe the table; keyboard users can focus it and use the arrow keys.

Swipe or use the keyboard to read all columns

Calcium lactate supplier qualification checklist
Control	What to request	Why it matters
Identity & form	Name, CAS, E/INS number, hydration state	Prevents hydrated and anhydrous material being treated as equal
Assay	Limit, method and reporting basis	Enables a valid dose and price comparison
Water / loss on drying	Limit, temperature and time	Supports hydrate and delivered-solids checks
Elemental calcium	Controlled range or calculation basis	Supports nutrition and cost normalization
Solution properties	pH, solubility/clarity and test concentration	Methods and matrix conditions affect meaning
Purity controls	Acidity, fluoride, lead and required contaminants	Standards and customer requirements differ
Physical properties	Particle size, density and caking criteria	Affects feeding, dispersion and blend uniformity
Documents	COA, TDS, SDS, origin/allergen and certificates	Qualifies the actual source and lot

Public reference versus sale specification

The agreed source-specific specification sets acceptance limits; a COA reports results for a particular batch. Public standards provide comparison criteria and do not establish conformity of a Bespring offer. Check certificate entity, product, site and validity for the exact supply.

*Standards comparison: the existing EU reference is ≥98% on anhydrous basis. JECFA specifies ≥98.0% on dried basis, with an EDTA assay on previously dried sample; loss on drying is ≤30% at 120°C for 4 h, pH 6.0–8.0 in a 1-in-20 solution, fluoride ≤30 mg/kg and lead ≤2 mg/kg. These are public criteria, not Bespring guarantees. Confirm the agreed standard, sample preparation and reporting basis. A “heavy metals as Pb” total does not establish a separate lead result. Read the JECFA methods and limits.

Authoritative references

Verify identity, function and market permission separately

FAO/WHO JECFA

Identifies calcium lactate as CAS 814-80-2 and INS 327 under Monograph 1 (2006).

Open JECFA record

Codex GSFA

Lists functional classes and category-specific provisions—not permission in every food.

Open GSFA record

U.S. FDA

21 CFR 184.1207 requires the incorporated FCC specification and GMP conditions. Its conditions exclude infant foods and infant formulas.

Open FDA record

European Union

The linked 2023 consolidated text is a historical E327 purity reference. Review subsequent amendments and current destination-market use conditions before approval.

Open EU criteria

Content updated 5 October 2026. JECFA and U.S. eCFR were checked for this update. Confirm current EU criteria and Codex provisions for the intended food and destination.

Alternative calcium sources

Compare by function, not by ingredient name alone

Calcium citrate

Compare calcium density, dispersion, acid system, sensory profile and clarity.

View calcium citrate

Monocalcium phosphate

Primarily evaluate acid-phosphate and leavening behavior; it is not a like-for-like replacement.

View MCP

Sodium alginate

Design the intended gelation rate and texture when combining it with a calcium source.

View sodium alginate

Food phosphate blends

Assess calcium compatibility when phosphate functionality is part of the system.

View phosphate blends

Storage & handling

Protect the declared hydration and physical condition

Keep sealedProtect from moisture, odours and contamination.
Follow source conditionsUse the offered-grade label, specification and SDS. Confirm shelf life, retest date and storage conditions in those documents.
Maintain traceabilityRetain lot identity and rotate stock.
Control dust exposureApply SDS workplace measures.

Historical logistics reference

Container loading example

Wrapped paper bags stacked on pallets inside a shipping container — **Export handling reference**Historical pallet and container image. The contents, hydrate form and cargo weight are not identifiable from this view. Confirm bag size, liner, pallet arrangement and shipment loading in the actual offer.

Buyer questions

Calcium lactate FAQ

Is food grade calcium lactate the same as calcium lactate pentahydrate?

Not necessarily. Calcium lactate includes anhydrous and hydrated forms. Pentahydrate contains five waters of crystallization per formula unit. Confirm the offered hydrate, exact identity and assay/water methods; this page does not guarantee availability of every form.

How much elemental calcium does calcium lactate provide?

Pure anhydrous calcium lactate contains about 18.37% theoretical calcium by mass, compared with about 13.00% for pure pentahydrate. These calculated values are not batch results. Use an as-supplied calcium value for formulation; do not apply assay again if the declared value already includes that correction.

Is calcium lactate soluble in water?

JECFA describes calcium lactate as soluble in water. Dissolution time and finished-food clarity also depend on form, particle size, temperature, concentration, pH and other ingredients. Agree test conditions and run trials through processing and storage.

Can calcium lactate be used with sodium alginate?

Calcium ions can cross-link alginate. Match calcium concentration and delivery to alginate type, hydration, addition order and contact time. Trials are needed to establish set time, texture and stability; another calcium salt is not automatically an equal-dose replacement.

Does E327 mean calcium lactate is allowed in every food?

No. E327 or INS 327 identifies the additive; market and food-category conditions still apply. In the United States, 21 CFR 184.1207 specifies FCC and GMP conditions and excludes infant foods and infant formulas from those conditions. Check the intended finished food and destination.

Are the public assay reference and checklist a batch COA?

No. The public assay reference is a standard criterion, and the checklist identifies information to request. Agree the offered-grade specification, including test methods and reporting bases. A batch COA supplies results for a specific lot; it does not replace the specification or market-use assessment.

What should a calcium lactate RFQ include?

Provide hydrate form and exact food identity, required standard, application/process, calcium target, critical purity and physical tests, quantity, packaging, destination, Incoterm and delivery requirements. Request the offered-grade specification, TDS, SDS, representative and batch COA, plus any required declarations and certificates; confirm their availability and scope.

Hydrate-aware sourcing

Request a calcium lactate specification and quote

Provide the intended food, destination standard and hydrate preference so we can review the offered grade, documentation and commercial terms. Request confirmation of packaging, quantity, Incoterm and delivery timing.

Hydrate form and specification standard
Application and elemental-calcium target
Quantity, packing and destination
Required certificates and delivery date

[email protected] +86 139 1489 6109

Product documents

Request documents

Tell us your grade and destination market so we can confirm which documents are available for your order.

TDSSpecification / TDSReview the offered grade’s specification and test methods.Request documents ↗SDSSafety data sheet / SDSCheck hazards, handling and storage for the supplied form.Request documents ↗COASample certificate of analysis / COACheck results for the relevant batch; a sample COA does not represent the delivered batch.Request documents ↗

An external reference is not a batch certificate or a Bespring product specification.