Acidulants: Functions, Mechanism of Action, and Regulations

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Acidulants
Acidulants are chemical substances that confer acidic, tart or sour tastes in food. They are
additives that provide food a sharp taste and as well assist with the setting of the gell besides
acting as preservatives. Acidulants are different from acidity regulators which are often food
additives that are made to modify the stability of foods or the enzymes found in the food. Among
the most common Acidulants include acetic acid and citric acid. Phosphoric acid is found is most
beverages such as colas while color candies are in most cases formulated using malic acid
(Hithamani & Srinivasan 2017).
Functions of Acidulants
The main roles of acidulants in the food industry include:
 Flavoring of food to offer the desired taste as well as intensity which improves, modifies
or blends the overall flavor of the food product
 Acidulants maintain or establish the pH via buffering action. In most cases, a collection
of free salts and acids is adopted (Caballero, Finglas & Toldrá 2015).
 Reduce the pH so as to inhibit or slow down the rate of growth of microorganisms
besides growth of spores to enhance the how lethal the process is
 Chelate metals ions to aid in the minimization of the oxidation o lipids (copper and lead),
regulating the texture of some vegetables and fruits and reducing the changes in the color.
How they work
Food acidulants including phosphoric acid, malic acid, acetic acid and lactic acid have
been found to have pH-regulating, stabilizing, antimicrobial as well as preservative properties.

Mechanism of Action at equal Concentration
The acidulants have different abilities to depress pH and the extent of tartness generated.
There is also a variation in the percentage that is needed is the replacement of anhydrous citric
acid which varies from 55-60 per cent for the case of phosphoric acid, 110-115 per cent for
adipic acid, 80-85 per cent for tartaric acid, 67-72 per cent for fumaric acid and 78-83 per cent
for malic acid. Owing to its excellent features including mild acid flavor and slow rate of
hydrolysis, the use of gluconodelta-lactone is slowly but steadily gaining popularity (Silvaa et
al., 2015).
The pH if a food is the determination of the alkalinity or the acid of the product and the
pH scale often ranges from 0-14. A pH value that is less than 7 indicates that the substance is
acidic, while a value of 7 is neutral (Fischer et al., 2015). Any pH value greater than 7 is basic or
alkaline in nature. Acidulants are used in the regulation and alteration of the alkalinity or the
acidity to a certain level that is needed for taste, processing and food safety. Insufficient control
of the pH may culminate into the growth and development of undesirable bacteria in the food or
the product which may eventually be a potential health risk or hazard. Acidification is thus one
of the means that is adopted in the preservation of food products.
Besides the prevention of the growth of bacteria, it aids in the maintenance of the
required quality of a product. The most commonly acidulants in control the pH of a food product
include citric acid which is mainly used in the enhancement of the activity of numerous
antioxidants even though itself it is not an antioxidant. Citric acid enhances the consistency of
gel in marmalades and lowers enzymatic browning in fruits and related products (Akogou et al.,