Gluconic Acid Solution

A mild organic acid produced by oxidation of glucose, with a soft, non-pungent sour taste profile that distinguishes it from citric and malic acids. Naturally occurring in honey, fruit, and wine.

Clear, colorless to light-yellow liquid at 50 percent concentration. The dominant commercial format due to crystallization difficulties of the pure acid; the related Glucono-delta-Lactone (GDL) is the dry powder alternative.

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

Common market grades include Standard 50 percent Solution (the workhorse food grade), Pharmaceutical Grade meeting BP/USP specifications, and the related Glucono-delta-Lactone (GDL) as a dry powder alternative for slow-release pH applications.

Bulk shipments in tankers, IBC totes, and drums. Batch-level COA covering assay, density, pH, chloride, sulphate, reducing sugars, and microbiology.

Gluconic Acid is the oxidation product of D-glucose at the C-1 aldehyde position, occurring naturally in honey, fruit, and wine. Industrial production is by aerobic fermentation of glucose using Aspergillus niger or Gluconobacter species, the same Aspergillus niger that produces citric acid by a different metabolic pathway.

The pure acid is difficult to crystallize because it spontaneously forms an internal ester (Glucono-delta-Lactone, or GDL) that re-hydrolyzes to gluconic acid in aqueous solution. This is why commercial Gluconic Acid is sold as a 50 percent aqueous solution rather than a crystalline solid, and why GDL is the alternative dry-powder form that hydrolyzes back to gluconic acid in finished products.

Regulated as E574 in the EU, classified as Generally Recognized as Safe by the U.S. FDA, listed in BP and USP pharmacopoeias, and approved by JECFA without a numerical Acceptable Daily Intake limit.

The molecule's pKa of 3.86 places it in the mild-acid range, with sourness intensity meaningfully lower than citric acid. The defining sensory property is soft, non-pungent sourness that does not dominate the flavor profile, supporting use in applications where acidulant function must be invisible to the consumer.

Strategic role in food manufacturing centers on slow pH-drop applications: tofu coagulation, cured meat manufacturing, and direct-acidification cheese. In each case the slow hydrolysis of GDL or the buffered nature of Gluconic Acid produces a controlled, reproducible pH drop that pure Lactic or Citric Acid would overshoot.

• Tofu coagulation; the dominant coagulant for silken tofu manufacturing in Asian and global markets
• Cured meat applications: cured ham and frankfurter manufacturing where slow pH drop matters
• Bakery leavening systems where extended dough rest tolerates slow acid release
• Dairy applications: paneer, queso fresco, and direct-acidification cheese manufacturing
• Beverage applications including specialty fermented drinks
• Pharmaceutical pH adjustment in oral and injectable formulations
• Cleaning products: industrial scale removal and metal-surface treatment
• Cosmetic applications including skincare formulations and pH adjusters
• Mineral chelation in food fortification systems and nutritional supplements