Calcium Hydroxide (Food Grade Slaked Lime)

Slaked lime, Ca(OH)2, the food-grade hydroxide of calcium. Produced by hydration of calcium oxide (quicklime) with controlled water addition, yielding a fine white powder used for alkaline processing, firming, and calcium fortification.

White or pale cream odorless powder. Slightly soluble in water, yielding a saturated solution (limewater) with pH near 12.4. Reacts slowly with atmospheric carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate.

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

Common market grades include food-grade Type N (normal hydrate, ≥ 90 percent assay), food-grade Type S (special hydrate, ≥ 92 percent assay, fine particle size), pharmaceutical USP/EP grade, and dental and traditional-use grades. Nixtamal-specific grades are positioned for tortilla and masa applications.

Bulk and reduced-MOQ shipments. Batch-level COA covering assay, free lime, magnesium, carbonate, heavy metals, and microbiology.

Calcium Hydroxide is one of the oldest food-processing chemicals in continuous use. Mesoamerican nixtamalization, which transforms field corn into edible masa, has used slaked lime for at least 3,500 years and is the technical basis for tortilla, tamale, and atole production across the Americas. The process gelatinizes corn starch, liberates niacin from its bound form, and softens the pericarp.

Industrial production is by hydration of high-calcium quicklime (CaO), which is itself produced by calcining limestone (CaCO3) at temperatures above 900 °C. The quicklime is reacted with water under controlled conditions to yield Ca(OH)2 as a fine dry powder. Type N is the standard product; Type S is processed for higher reactivity and finer particle size, preferred in plastering and high-performance food applications.

Regulated in the EU as E526, classified as Generally Recognized as Safe by the U.S. FDA under 21 CFR 184.1205, listed in USP and EP monographs, and approved by JECFA without a numerical Acceptable Daily Intake limit when used within Good Manufacturing Practice.

Function in finished products is application-specific. In nixtamalization, the high pH hydrolyzes hemicellulose in corn pericarp, releases bound niacin, and converts starch surfaces to a partially gelatinized state that enables grinding into masa. In sugar refining, lime precipitates calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate from raw juice, carrying down protein and color bodies. In pickling, calcium ions cross-link pectin in vegetable cell walls, generating the firm crisp texture characteristic of lime-cured pickles.

Strategic positioning: Slaked lime serves applications where strong alkalinity must coexist with calcium ion delivery. Sodium and potassium hydroxides cannot substitute in nixtamalization, pickling, or sugar refining because the calcium ion is functionally required.

• Nixtamalization of corn for masa, tortilla, and tamale production; the original Mesoamerican alkaline cooking process
• Sugar refining clarification where lime precipitates organic non-sugars from cane and beet juice
• Pickling lime for crisping cucumbers, pickles, and watermelon-rind preserves
• Calcium fortification in fruit juices, plant milks, and ready-to-drink beverages
• Betel nut and paan preparation in South and Southeast Asian traditional foods
• pH adjustment in dairy processing and CIP cleaning chemistry
• Firming agent in canned vegetables and fruit, working through pectate cross-linking
• Sourdough and traditional Chinese alkaline noodle production
• Pharmaceutical antacid and calcium-source formulations