Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate
Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate is the hydrated form of the tri-sodium salt of citric acid, with the formula Na₃C₆H₅O₇·2H₂O and CAS number 6132-04-3. It carries the European food additive number E331(iii) and is the standard commercial form of trisodium citrate worldwide.
The material is a white crystalline solid with a cool, mildly saline taste. It dissolves readily in water to give a clear, gently alkaline solution near pH 8 at one percent. The two molecules of crystal water make the dihydrate form non-hygroscopic at normal storage conditions, which is why it dominates global supply.
We source bulk Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturers are in Shandong. For this ingredient the minimum order is 1,000 kg and a 20-foot container takes 25 MT, and a smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Minimum order
- 1,000 kg
- Qty in 20' FCL
- 25 MT
- Packaging
- 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
Grades / Types Available: Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White crystalline powder or granules |
| Assay (anhydrous basis) | 99.0-100.5% |
| pH (5% solution) | 7.5-9.0 |
| Water of Crystallisation | 10.0-13.0% |
| Chloride | ≤ 0.005% |
| Sulfate | ≤ 0.015% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 3 mg/kg |
| Purity (Food Grade) | 99.5-100.5% |
| Moisture (Food Grade) | ≤1.0% |
| Ash (Food Grade) | ≤0.1% |
| Lead (Food Grade) | ≤0.5 ppm |
| Total Plate Count (Food Grade) | <0.5 IU/mg |
Common Markets Grades
Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate trades in three grades: food, pharmaceutical, and technical.
Food grade meets FCC and JECFA purity specifications and covers a fine powder, a coarse powder, and several granular grades. The most common commercial grade is a free-flowing granulate with a controlled particle size between 0.2 and 1.4 millimeters, which gives the best balance of dissolution speed and dust-free handling.
Pharmaceutical grade meets USP, Ph. Eur., BP, and JP monographs for sodium citrate dihydrate. It is the preferred form for liquid pharmaceutical preparations, oral rehydration salts, and anticoagulant solutions for blood collection and apheresis.
Technical grade is produced for detergent formulation as a phosphate-replacement builder, for water-softening, and for industrial cleaning. The dihydrate form is particularly favored in liquid detergents and rinse-aid concentrates where slight hydration is not a disadvantage.
Applications
- Acidity regulator and buffer in soft drinks, flavoured waters, energy drinks, and ready-to-drink teas
- Emulsifying salt in processed cheese, cheese sauces, cheese slices, and analogue cheese products
- Stabiliser in evaporated milk, cream, and dairy desserts
- Component of oral rehydration salts (ORS) and intravenous electrolyte solutions
- Anticoagulant in blood collection bags, blood collection tubes, and apheresis sets
- Buffer in jams, jellies, marmalades, and fruit preparations for yogurt
- Acidity regulator in ice cream and sorbet to balance the perceived sweetness
- Sequestrant in canned vegetables, seafood, and prepared dishes
- Buffer in pharmaceutical syrups, chewable tablets, and effervescent liquid formulations
- Phosphate-free builder in liquid laundry and dishwashing detergents
Brands Using Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate on the ingredient label.
- Abbott (Pedialyte)Pedialyte Classic Oral Electrolyte Solution ↗Pedialyte medicinal ingredient declaration: 'dextrose, citric acid, potassium citrate, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, zinc gluconate.' Hydrated trisodium citrate (dihydrate) is the standard form used in ready-to-drink ORS.Label verified 2026-05-24
- PepsiCo (Gatorade)Gatorade Thirst Quencher (Ready-to-Drink) ↗Thirst Quencher panel: 'water, sucrose, dextrose, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, ...' Trisodium citrate dihydrate is the standard liquid-beverage form used as acidity regulator/electrolyte.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Bel Brands (The Laughing Cow)The Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss French Onion Spreadable Cheese Wedges ↗Panel: '...Sodium Phosphate and Sodium Polyphosphate, Onion, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Salt, Sodium Citrate.' Trisodium citrate dihydrate is the standard emulsifying-salt form used in spreadable processed cheese.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Kraft Heinz (Velveeta)Velveeta Original Pasteurized Recipe Cheese Product ↗Velveeta panel lists 'Sodium Citrate' (trisodium citrate dihydrate, the standard food-grade hydrated form) as a 2%-or-less emulsifying salt alongside sodium phosphate.Label verified 2026-05-24
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate
Top Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate manufacturers in China.
RZBC Group Co., Ltd.13 ingredients in the directory
Shandong Ensign Industry Co., Ltd.3 ingredients in the directory
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate together with other ingredients such as Sodium Acetate, Calcium Citrate and Sodium Lactate into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate is approved as a food additive in all major regulated markets.
In the European Union it is listed as E331(iii) under Regulation 1333/2008 and authorised at quantum satis in most food categories. The citrate ion is a normal metabolite of the human Krebs cycle, which is why the E331 family is generally treated as one of the safest classes of food additives.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognises sodium citrate as GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1751 and clears it for direct food use without quantitative limit. The Food Chemicals Codex provides identity and purity specifications for the dihydrate form. JECFA has assigned the citrate salts an acceptable status without numerical limit.
Pharmacopoeial monographs for sodium citrate dihydrate appear in USP, Ph. Eur., BP, and JP. The dihydrate is the form most commonly specified for pharmaceutical use because its non-hygroscopic crystals behave reliably in tablet compression and liquid preparation. Kosher and Halal certifications are routinely available because the fermentation feedstock is plant-derived.
Manufacturing Process
Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate is produced by neutralising food-grade citric acid with sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, or sodium bicarbonate to a stoichiometry of three moles of sodium per mole of citrate. The reaction is exothermic and is carried out in stirred reactors with controlled cooling.
The citric acid feedstock is made by submerged fermentation of corn glucose, cane sucrose, or molasses using the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger. The fermentation broth is filtered to remove biomass, precipitated as calcium citrate, then re-acidified with sulphuric acid and purified through ion exchange and crystallisation.
After neutralisation the trisodium citrate solution is decolorised over activated carbon and filtered to polish out residual colour and trace particulates. The clear solution is concentrated by evaporation and crystallised by controlled cooling below the dihydrate transition point. The two water molecules incorporate into the crystal lattice naturally during this step.
The wet crystals are centrifuged, dried in a fluid-bed dryer at moderate temperature to preserve the hydrate form, then sieved to the target particle-size distribution and packed in 25-kilogram lined paper bags or in 500-kilogram and 1000-kilogram FIBC bags. Most global production capacity sits in China, with significant additional capacity in Western Europe and North and South America.
