Sodium bicarbonate
E500(ii)
E500, E500(ii), sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, baking soda
What it is
Sodium bicarbonate is ordinary baking soda. In food it is used mainly to make doughs and baked goods rise and become lighter, and also to regulate acidity. On a label it may appear as sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate or E500 .
Why BOTIA flags it
In the French NutriNet-Santé observational cohort of 92,000 adults, higher E500 intake was associated with a higher incidence of premenopausal breast cancer (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.07-2.05). This association does not establish causation and needs confirmation in further research. No statistically significant association was observed in postmenopausal women in this study.
BOTIA CAN
- Detect E500, E500(ii), sodium bicarbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate and baking soda when they are declared on the label.
- Explain its use in food and show the Woman and E-number information layers.
BOTIA CANNOT
- Determine how much sodium bicarbonate a product contains when the amount is not declared.
- Determine from the ingredient list whether a person's intake corresponds to the higher-intake group studied in NutriNet-Santé.