Calcium carbonate is found throughout the world, as part of the earth's crust. You find it in chalk, limestone and marble — it's also present in the shells of shellfish, explains the Industrial Minerals Association of America. It's used to make building materials, paper, plastics, paints and chalkboard chalk.
Now calcium carbonate powder food grade
Calcium caco3 is an essential mineral that can be found naturally in foods such as dairy products, soy milk, or as a dietary supplement like calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Calcium Carbonate is a natural mineral, derived from the earth’s limestone, marble or sedimentation of crushed marine shells. Food grade calcium carbonate is usually added to many foods like ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and cereal bars,
Calcium Carbonate is approved for use in food with no limitations, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Calcium carbonate is a natural product, but doesn't naturally occur in foods; learn which foods have this ingredient added to boost their calcium content.
About Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate is also a dietary supplement used to boost your dietary consumption of the mineral when your diet is calcium-deficient. You need calcium for healthy bones, a well-functioning nervous system, proper heart function and smooth moving muscles, explains Medline Plus.
Adults require 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. Calcium carbonate supplements usually supply 500 to 600 milligrams per tablet, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Calcium carbonate is sometimes used as an antacid, as it has a high alkalinity and can neutralize stomach acid. Chew the tablets thoroughly before swallowing, and never exceed the recommended dose.
If you take calcium carbonate as a dietary supplement, consume it with food or right after meals. The National Institutes of Health explains that it's best-absorbed in the presence of food.
When used as a food additive, calcium carbonate acts as an anti-caking agent, an added source of calcium and a white food color. It is also a nutrient for yeasts, an acid reducer and a firming agent, explains PubChem. Calcium carbonate can also stabilize and thicken some products, and be used to strengthen dough.
Calcium Carbonate in Food
Calcium carbonate is in baking powder, dry-mix dessert mixes, dough and wine. It's also used in animal feed. Huber Engineered Materials explains the multiple potential uses of calcium carbonate in food, which include:
- Breakfast cereal
- Nutritional bars
- Baked foods
- Fortified beverages
- Cookies and crackers
- Soups and sauces
Ultimately, to know if a product has calcium carbonate in it, you have to read the ingredient list. Not all calcium-fortified foods use calcium carbonate, either. For example, Tropicana fortified orange juice, contains tricalcium citrate as the calcium source. The company claims it offer superior absorbance when compared to calcium carbonate. Other calcium-fortifying ingredients include gluconate, lactate and phosphate. Calcium citrate malate is another form, and is found in several brands of juice.
Specific foods that do have calcium carbonate on the label include many types of Kellogg's Nutri-grain bars, Eggo waffles and Quaker breakfast cookies. Not all non-dairy "milks" contain calcium carbonate, but Silk brand products do — including Silk's almond milk, cashew milk and soy milk. Some commercial breads, including Wonder Bread, also contain calcium carbonate.
