Food additives Europe numbers: E262
Functional Category:
Antimicrobial preservative; buffering agent; flavoring agent, stabilizing agent.
Applications in Pharmaceutical Formulation
Sodium acetate is used as part of a buffer system when combined with acetic acid in various intramuscular, intravenous, topical, ophthalmic, nasal, oral, otic, and subcutaneous formulations. It S 620 Sodium Acetate may be used to reduce the bitterness of oral pharmaceuticals.(1) It can be used to enhance the antimicrobial properties of formulations; it has been shown to inhibit the growth of S. aureus and E. coli, but not C. albicans in protein hydrolysate solutions.(2) It is widely used in the food industry as a preservative.(3) Sodium acetate has also been used therapeutically for the treatment of metabolic acidosis in premature infants,(4,5) and in hemodialysis solutions.(6,7)
Description
Sodium acetate occurs as colorless, transparent crystals or a granular crystalline powder with a slight acetic acid odor
Stability and Storage Conditions
Sodium acetate should be stored in airtight containers.
Incompatibilities
Sodium acetate reacts with acidic and basic components. It will react violently with fluorine, potassium nitrate, and diketene.
Safety
Sodium acetate is widely used in cosmetics, foods, and pharmaceutical formulations (see Section 18), and is generally regarded as a nontoxic and nonirritant material. A short-term feeding study in chickens with a diet supplemented with 5.44% sodium acetate showed reduced growth rates that were attributed to the sodium content.(9) Sodium acetate is poisonous if injected intravenously, is moderately toxic by ingestion, and is an irritant to the skin and eyes.(10) LD50 (rat, oral): 3.53 g/kg(10) LD50 (mouse, IV): 0.38 g/kg(11) LD50 (mouse, SC): 8.0 g/kg(10)