Deciphering "disodium"

[suzyg17]

I am newly diagnosed with celiac disease and I am trying to navigate what I can eat and what I can't.

It seems that "disodium inosinate" and "disodium guanylate" are safe foods but what about just "disodium" or "calcium disodium EDTA".

I feel like I am going crazy!

[kbtoyssni]

Welcome! Disodium is fine (it's just a form of salt). Calcium disodium is fine, too (that's a combo of calcium and salt if I remember my high school chemistry correctly!)

[larry mac]

.....what about....."calcium disodium EDTA".....

sg17,

A quick trip to wikapedia reveals that disodium EDTA is a common anti-microbial preservative. See EDTA & preservatives in food:

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

It inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi, which happens when you package food and don't eat it right away (I used to work at Frito Lay Research so I know that happens!). I don't know if it's safe or not (gfp we need you). I hope so since it's in a lot of stuff, with BHA & BHT (Antioxidants), but there's some fascinating trivia associated with it:

~ EDTA played a central role in the O.J. Simpson trial when one of the blood samples collected from O.J. Estate was found to contain traces of the compound. This was used by the defense to indicate that the sample had been planted from one of the vials collected during the investigation. Prosecution claimed EDTA might have appeared in the sample as a result of eating McDonald's foods (either through bloodstream or, more likely, via contamination of blood flowing over the hand used in grabbing the food).

~ "Ethylenediaminetetraacetates" is the longest hypothetically legal Scrabble word (hypothetical because it exceeds 15 letters, the width of a Scrabble board) in North American play.

~ EDTA was used in the movie Blade as a weapon against vampires.

best regards, lm