Ammonium Bicarbonate

Ammonium hydrogen carbonate, NH4HCO3. The traditional chemical leavening agent of European biscuit and cookie production, used since the eighteenth century and historically called hartshorn salt or baker's ammonia.

White crystalline powder with a sharp ammonia odor. Decomposes on heating above approximately 36 °C into three gaseous products (ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water vapor), leaving no solid residue.

We supply food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade Ammonium Bicarbonate from manufacturers in China holding ISO, Halal, Kosher and other certifications relevant to the product and production.

Common market grades include food-grade fine powder for biscuit and cookie use, pharmaceutical USP/EP grade for tablet and inhalation applications, and industrial grade for non-food chemistry. Particle size is specified by application; biscuit lines typically use fine to extra-fine powder for rapid uniform decomposition.

Bulk and reduced-MOQ shipments. Batch-level COA covering assay, chloride, sulfate, residue on ignition, heavy metals, and microbiology.

Ammonium Bicarbonate has been used in European baking since at least the 1700s, originally produced by dry distillation of deer antlers (hence the name hartshorn). Modern industrial production proceeds by reaction of carbon dioxide with concentrated aqueous ammonia at controlled temperature and pressure.

The compound's defining property is complete thermal decomposition: above approximately 36 °C, NH4HCO3 breaks down to ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. No alkaline residue remains in the finished product, unlike sodium bicarbonate which leaves residual sodium carbonate that can affect flavor and pH.

Regulated in the EU as E503(ii), classified as Generally Recognized as Safe by the U.S. FDA under 21 CFR 184.1135, listed in pharmacopoeias including USP and EP, and approved by JECFA without a numerical Acceptable Daily Intake limit.

Mechanism in finished products is purely thermal: water and heat in the oven decompose the salt, releasing leavening gases and leaving nothing behind. This makes Ammonium Bicarbonate the leavener of choice for thin biscuits, wafers, and crackers where alkali aftertaste from sodium bicarbonate would be detectable. The application limit is product thickness: in thick cakes or breads, residual ammonia trapped in the crumb produces an objectionable odor.

Strategic positioning: Ammonium Bicarbonate is the traditional clean-residue leavening salt. It coexists with modern sodium-bicarbonate systems rather than competing with them, owning the specific niche of thin baked goods where complete volatilization is a quality requirement.

• Traditional biscuit, cookie, and cracker leavening, particularly in thin or low-moisture products where complete decomposition is possible
• European specialty baked goods including springerle, lebkuchen, speculoos, and amaretti
• Wafer and pizzelle production where rapid leavening and clean residue are required
• Chinese fried dough products, churros, and other quick-fry pastry items
• Pharmaceutical effervescent powders and expectorant formulations
• Buffering and pH adjustment in some fermentation media
• Component in some cough remedies and pharmaceutical preparations
• Industrial use in fire-extinguisher powders and chemical synthesis