Sodium Lactate

The sodium salt of lactic acid, supplied as a 60 percent aqueous solution. The dominant clean-label preservative in cured meat and poultry processing, providing extended shelf life and pathogen inhibition without nitrite or nitrate addition.

Clear, colorless to slightly yellow viscous liquid with a mild characteristic odor. Miscible with water in all proportions. Mildly alkaline in solution.

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

Common market grades include Standard Food Grade 60 percent solution (FCC compliant), Pharmaceutical Grade meeting BP/USP/EP specifications, Meat Processing Grade with optimized handling characteristics, and Cosmetic Grade for humectant use in personal care.

Bulk shipments in tankers, IBC totes, and drums. Batch-level COA covering assay, free lactic acid, heavy metals, chloride, sulphate, and microbiology.

Sodium Lactate is produced industrially by neutralizing lactic acid with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate, followed by concentration to the standard 60 percent solution. The starting lactic acid is produced by Lactobacillus fermentation of glucose, sucrose, or whey-derived lactose.

The compound is supplied as a liquid solution rather than a solid because the salt is strongly hygroscopic and difficult to handle as a dry powder; the 60 percent solution is the stable commercial format.

Regulated as E325 in the EU, classified as Generally Recognized as Safe by the U.S. FDA, listed in BP, USP, and EP pharmacopoeias, and approved by JECFA without a numerical Acceptable Daily Intake limit.

The compound has become the dominant clean-label preservative in cured and processed meat manufacturing since the early 2000s. It functions through three mechanisms: lowering water activity to inhibit microbial growth, providing direct antimicrobial action against Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogens of concern, and stabilizing product pH during refrigerated storage.

In pharmaceutical applications the compound is the source of bicarbonate-equivalent alkali in Hartmann's solution (lactated Ringer's), the most widely used intravenous fluid for volume replacement and electrolyte correction. The lactate is metabolized to bicarbonate in the liver, providing physiological pH buffering without the carbon dioxide release that direct bicarbonate would cause.

• Cured and uncured meat and poultry: deli meats, sausages, hot dogs, and chicken products; the dominant clean-label preservative in this category
• Listeria control in ready-to-eat meat applications at typical dosing of 2 to 3 percent of finished weight
• Cheese manufacturing for pH control and shelf-life extension
• Sauces, dressings, and condiments as a pH buffer
• Beverage applications including sports drinks and electrolyte beverages
• Pharmaceutical intravenous solutions including Hartmann's solution and lactated Ringer's solution
• Hemodialysis solutions and continuous renal replacement therapy
• Cosmetic products as a humectant and pH adjuster
• Personal care: shampoos, lotions, and body washes