Calcium chloride
Calcium chloride suppliers and sourcing guide
Calcium chloride is a calcium salt used in food as a firming agent for canned vegetables and pickles, to restore calcium to pasteurized milk for cheese making, as a tofu coagulant, and in beverages and brewing water. It is recovered from natural brines, produced as a byproduct of the Solvay soda ash process, or made by reacting calcium carbonate with hydrochloric acid. Brands buy it as anhydrous granules or powder, dihydrate flakes, or as a water solution.
- Also known as
- CaCl2 · E509 · Calcium chloride dihydrate · Anhydrous calcium chloride
- Facts checked
- November 2026
Forms and grades of calcium chloride
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Anhydrous
Granules, pellets or powder with the highest calcium chloride content per kilogram.
Dihydrate flakes
CaCl2·2H2O flakes, common in cheese making and canning.
Solution
Liquid calcium chloride at a stated concentration, convenient for dairies and breweries.
Food grade (FCC)
Food grades tested to FCC specifications, which should be kept separate from deicing and industrial grades.
What to check on the COA
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
- Assay (complexometric titration)
- CaCl2 content, which differs widely between anhydrous, dihydrate and solution forms.
- Alkalinity
- Free alkalinity as calcium hydroxide, an FCC purity test.
- Magnesium and alkali salts
- Other salts carried over from brine or process sources.
- Fluoride
- Fluoride against the FCC limit.
- Lead and heavy metals
- Lead and other metals by ICP-MS.
Storage, lots and expiry
Storage and shelf life
Calcium chloride is strongly hygroscopic and deliquescent, so keep solids in sealed, lined bags or drums in a dry area and reseal opened containers immediately. It releases heat when dissolved. Shelf life follows the supplier specification, with a retest of assay for solids that may have absorbed water.
Lots and expiry dates
Record the form and assay of each lot, since switching between anhydrous, dihydrate and solution changes the amount needed. Keep food grade lots clearly separated from non-food stock and rotate FEFO.
Regulatory status
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 184.1193 describes food-grade calcium chloride as obtained from the Solvay process, from natural brines, or by substitution reactions.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)The same GRAS affirmation sets good manufacturing practice maximums by food category, including 0.3 percent as served for baked goods.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)7 CFR 205.605(a) lists calcium chloride among the nonsynthetic substances allowed in organic products.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's List of Permitted Firming Agents includes calcium chloride, starting with canned apples.
Source: canada.ca (opens in a new tab)
This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Calcium chloride suppliers
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
We are checking calcium chloride suppliers now
Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.
Sell calcium chloride? Request a listingFrequently asked questions
What forms of calcium chloride can brands buy?
Common forms include anhydrous, dihydrate flakes, solution and food grade (FCC). Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
What should the COA for calcium chloride include?
Expect assay (complexometric titration), alkalinity, magnesium and alkali salts, fluoride and lead and heavy metals, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
How should calcium chloride be stored?
Calcium chloride is strongly hygroscopic and deliquescent, so keep solids in sealed, lined bags or drums in a dry area and reseal opened containers immediately. It releases heat when dissolved. Shelf life follows the supplier specification, with a retest of assay for solids that may have absorbed water.
What is the regulatory status of calcium chloride?
21 CFR 184.1193 describes food-grade calcium chloride as obtained from the Solvay process, from natural brines, or by substitution reactions. The same GRAS affirmation sets good manufacturing practice maximums by food category, including 0.3 percent as served for baked goods. 7 CFR 205.605(a) lists calcium chloride among the nonsynthetic substances allowed in organic products. Health Canada's List of Permitted Firming Agents includes calcium chloride, starting with canned apples.
More acids, preservatives and leavening
- Citric acid2-hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid · E330
- Malic acidDL-malic acid · L-malic acid
- Lactic acid2-hydroxypropanoic acid · L(+)-lactic acid
- Tartaric acidL-(+)-tartaric acid · 2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid
- Fumaric acidtrans-butenedioic acid · E297
- Acetic acidethanoic acid · glacial acetic acid
- Phosphoric acidorthophosphoric acid · E338
- Glucono-delta-lactoneGDL · glucono delta-lactone
- Adipic acidhexanedioic acid · 1,4-butanedicarboxylic acid
- Sodium citratetrisodium citrate · trisodium citrate dihydrate
- Sodium lactatesodium 2-hydroxypropanoate · E325
- Sodium acetatesodium ethanoate · E262
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