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 NutriNet-Santé cohort, women who had not yet reached menopause and consumed more E500 had more breast cancer diagnoses than those who consumed less. In women past menopause, this relationship was not observed.
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.