Sodium Sulphate E514
Sodium Sulphate is a food-grade inorganic sulphate salt used in selected industrial food and ingredient systems where mineral-salt functionality, carrier performance, dry-blend dilution, ionic-strength contribution, water-soluble salt behaviour and process stability are required. It is commonly reviewed for food colours, dry premixes, carrier systems, selected bakery or beverage formulations, ingredient preparations and process applications where E514 / INS 514 use is permitted.
For professional purchasing, Sodium Sulphate should be reviewed by exact identity, anhydrous or hydrated form, assay, sodium sulphate content, solubility, pH in solution, moisture, water-insoluble matter, particle size, bulk density, heavy metals, iron, chloride, food-grade status, destination-market compliance, label declaration and supplier documentation. It should not be confused with sodium sulphite, sodium bisulphite, sodium metabisulphite or phosphate salts, because these ingredients have different functions and legal conditions.
Product identity
| Product | Sodium Sulphate |
|---|---|
| Category | Phosphates, Salts & Sequestrants |
| Function | Mineral salt / carrier / diluent / ionic-strength contributor / process-stability ingredient |
| E / INS number | E514 / INS 514; confirm exact identity and food-category permission by destination market |
| CAS / identity | 7757-82-6 for anhydrous sodium sulphate |
| Formula | Na2SO4 |
| Common names | Sodium sulfate, sodium sulphate, disodium sulfate, sulfate of soda; decahydrate form is often called Glauber's salt |
| Typical form | White crystalline powder, fine powder, crystal or granular grade; solution grades are supplier-specific if offered |
| Technical character | Water-soluble inorganic sulphate salt used for mineral-salt contribution and carrier or diluent functionality |
Application fit
Potential use areas may include:
- Food colour preparations and colour diluent systems where permitted
- Dry blends, premixes and mineral-salt systems
- Carrier systems for selected food ingredients, powders and processing blends
- Beverage, syrup or ingredient systems requiring controlled inorganic salt contribution
- Bakery and dry-mix systems where local regulations and customer specifications allow use
- Sauces, dressings, seasoning systems and prepared-food ingredient blends
- Fermentation, enzyme or ingredient-processing applications requiring sulphate/mineral control
- Industrial food applications where a neutral inorganic salt or diluent is technically justified
Industrial functionality
Sodium Sulphate is selected when a formulation or ingredient preparation needs a stable, water-soluble inorganic salt that can contribute mineral content, bulk, ionic strength or dilution without the functional profile of phosphates, sulphites or acidulants. In food colour and dry blend applications, it may be used as a diluent or carrier to help standardize strength, improve dosing consistency or support powder handling. In aqueous systems, it can influence ionic strength, conductivity and mineral balance, so formulation testing is important when proteins, hydrocolloids, colours, flavours or sensitive minerals are present.
Functional contribution
- Carrier and diluent function: supports standardization of concentrated ingredients, colours or dry premixes where permitted.
- Mineral-salt contribution: provides sodium and sulphate ions that can influence ionic strength and mineral balance.
- Process consistency: can support repeatable dosing, powder flow and concentration control in selected ingredient systems.
- Water-soluble salt behaviour: useful where fast dissolution and predictable inorganic salt contribution are required.
- Dry-blend handling: may help adjust bulk density, carrier load or dilution ratio depending on particle size and grade.
- Non-phosphate option: relevant in formulations where a sulphate salt is needed but phosphate functionality is not desired.
Application engineering notes
- Food colours: evaluate colour strength standardization, carrier compatibility, particle size, dusting, solubility and label declaration.
- Dry blends: review segregation risk, bulk density, flowability, caking, hygroscopicity and blend uniformity.
- Beverages and syrups: test solubility, conductivity, taste impact, mineral balance, clarity, precipitation and storage stability.
- Sauces and dressings: review ionic strength, flavour, viscosity, emulsion interaction, pH and heat-process behaviour.
- Bakery systems: validate dough interaction, mineral balance, leavening compatibility, flavour impact and food-category permission.
- Ingredient processing: confirm grade suitability for fermentation, enzyme systems, powders or process-aid applications before use.
Formulation design factors
Sodium Sulphate performance should be evaluated in the finished formulation and process. Because it is an inorganic salt, its effect depends on total dissolved solids, ionic strength, water hardness, pH, protein level, hydrocolloid system, colour system, flavour profile, heat process, packaging and storage conditions. It may be technically useful in one dry blend or colour preparation and unsuitable in another due to taste, solubility, label, regulatory or customer policy constraints.
| Factor | Why it matters industrially |
|---|---|
| Anhydrous or hydrated form | Changes molecular weight, moisture contribution, dosage equivalency and storage behaviour. |
| Particle size | Influences dry blending, segregation, dusting, dissolution and automated dosing accuracy. |
| Bulk density | Affects packaging efficiency, volumetric dosing, premix uniformity and container loading. |
| Solubility | Important for beverages, syrups, colour preparations, liquid premixes and process solutions. |
| Ionic strength | Can influence protein stability, hydrocolloid hydration, emulsion behaviour, colour stability and mineral interactions. |
| Taste impact | Salt/mineral notes may be noticeable depending on dosage, matrix and flavour system. |
| Moisture control | Moisture exposure can affect caking, flowability, dissolution and shelf-life performance. |
| Regulatory function | Permitted use and naming depend on destination-market rules and final food category. |
Typical specification points to compare
Exact limits vary by manufacturer, grade, hydrate form and applicable food-additive standard. The following parameters are practical checkpoints for procurement, R&D and QA teams when comparing suppliers or approving a new Sodium Sulphate grade.
| Parameter | Why it matters industrially |
|---|---|
| Assay / sodium sulphate content | Confirms active salt content and enables accurate formulation and dilution calculations. |
| Anhydrous or hydrate identity | Determines dosage equivalency, water contribution, shelf-life behaviour and supplier comparison. |
| pH in solution | Relevant for compatibility with beverages, colour systems, protein systems and process solutions. |
| Water-insoluble matter | Important for solution clarity, filters, colour preparations, syrups and liquid systems. |
| Moisture / loss on drying | Important for caking, flowability, concentration control and storage stability. |
| Chloride | Useful impurity check for food-grade quality and taste or corrosion-sensitive processes. |
| Iron | Important for colour stability, haze control, oxidation-sensitive systems and customer specifications. |
| Heavy metals, lead and arsenic | Required for food safety, customer approval and destination-market compliance. |
| Particle size | Affects dry blending, dusting, segregation, dissolution speed and dosing accuracy. |
| Bulk density | Relevant for packaging, silo systems, auger dosing, premix uniformity and freight efficiency. |
| Microbiological limits | Relevant for ready-to-eat dry blends, direct addition and supplier approval. |
| Food-grade declarations | Confirm suitability for food use and support regulatory and customer documentation review. |
Processing and handling considerations
Sodium Sulphate may be added directly to dry blends, dissolved into process water, used as a carrier in ingredient systems or applied as part of a controlled mineral-salt formulation. Manufacturers should confirm particle size, dissolution rate, water temperature, mixing time, addition point, filtration needs and compatibility with colours, flavours, acids, proteins, starches, gums, minerals and packaging materials. In dry systems, attention should be paid to segregation, caking, dusting and dosing consistency.
Production checkpoints
- Confirm whether the selected grade is anhydrous, hydrated, fine powder, crystal or granular form.
- Validate dosage calculations using the actual assay and hydrate status from the supplier specification.
- Check dissolution rate at the plant’s process temperature and solids concentration.
- Review addition order with colours, acids, sweeteners, salts, flavours, proteins, hydrocolloids and preservatives.
- Monitor clarity, precipitation, taste, conductivity, viscosity and colour stability during pilot trials.
- Test storage performance for caking, segregation, moisture uptake, package integrity and blend uniformity.
Quality-control checkpoints
- Compare each COA against the approved internal specification before release to production.
- Inspect packaging integrity, odour, colour, foreign matter, caking and moisture exposure at receipt.
- Keep lot traceability from goods receipt through finished product batches.
- Run internal checks where critical, such as pH, clarity, conductivity, insoluble matter or dissolution time.
- Use retention samples for supplier-change investigations and process troubleshooting.
- Request trend data if Sodium Sulphate is critical to colour standardization, dry-blend flow or export compliance.
Application-specific value
The value of Sodium Sulphate depends on the target product or ingredient system. In food colour preparations, it may help standardize concentration and support consistent dosing. In dry blends and premixes, it can provide carrier and dilution functionality. In liquid systems, it should be tested for solubility, taste, clarity and mineral interaction. In all cases, the technical purpose should be documented clearly because E514 use, labelling and food-category suitability vary by market.
| Application | Technical objective | Trial focus |
|---|---|---|
| Food colour preparations | Provide diluent or carrier functionality and support colour strength standardization. | Colour strength, dispersion, solubility, dusting, particle size, blend uniformity and label declaration. |
| Dry premixes | Support bulk, dilution, flow and dosing consistency. | Flowability, caking, segregation, bulk density, moisture barrier, blend uniformity and dosing accuracy. |
| Beverages and syrups | Provide controlled mineral-salt contribution where permitted. | Solubility, clarity, taste, pH, conductivity, precipitation, heat stability and storage stability. |
| Sauces and dressings | Support ionic-strength or solids balance in selected systems. | Flavour, viscosity, emulsion interaction, pH, separation, heat process and storage texture. |
| Bakery and dry mixes | Provide permitted salt or carrier functionality in dry systems. | Dough behaviour, leavening interaction, mineral taste, flowability, caking and food-category permission. |
| Ingredient-processing systems | Support mineral balance, carrier function or process-standardization where technically justified. | Solubility, pH, conductivity, enzyme or protein compatibility, process yield and impurity limits. |
Regulatory and label review
Sodium Sulphate is associated with E514 / INS 514, but approval and permitted use are not identical in every country, every food category or every formulation. Before commercial production, buyers should verify destination-market legislation, food category permissions, maximum use levels where applicable, ingredient function, carry-over rules, sodium contribution, ingredient declaration and customer restricted-ingredient policies.
- Destination-market approval: check the final country of sale, not only the country of manufacture.
- Food category: confirm that Sodium Sulphate or the relevant sodium sulfates group is permitted in the specific product category.
- Function justification: document whether the ingredient is used as a mineral salt, carrier, diluent, processing aid or other permitted function.
- Label declaration: verify whether the ingredient must be declared as Sodium Sulphate, Sodium Sulfate, E514, mineral salt, carrier or according to local naming rules.
- Nutrition impact: review sodium contribution and finished-product nutrition-panel implications.
- Claims and certifications: validate halal, kosher, vegan, allergen, GMO and origin statements using supplier-issued documents.
- Food safety system: request available certificates such as FSSC 22000, ISO 22000, BRCGS, IFS, HACCP, GMP or equivalent where required.
Documents to request
For industrial procurement, the best supplier approval process combines product identity documents, batch documents, regulatory declarations and logistics information. Document availability can vary by manufacturer and market, so buyers should list mandatory documents at the inquiry stage.
- Product specification or technical data sheet
- Certificate of analysis for the offered batch or a recent representative lot
- Safety data sheet where applicable
- Food-grade statement and intended-use declaration
- Origin statement and manufacturing-site information where available
- Allergen statement, GMO statement, vegan statement, halal certificate and kosher certificate when required
- Assay, sodium sulphate content, pH, solubility, particle size, bulk density, moisture and impurity specification
- Heavy metals, lead, arsenic, iron, microbiology and contaminant declarations
- Residual solvent, pesticide, PAH, mineral oil or other market-specific declarations where required
- Shelf-life, storage and handling information
- Packaging specification, label draft, net weight, gross weight and pallet configuration
- Export documents, customs documents and legalization requirements for the destination country
Packaging, storage and logistics
Sodium Sulphate is commonly supplied in bags, cartons, drums, big bags or other manufacturer-specific packaging depending on grade and order volume. Because it is a dry inorganic salt, buyers should consider moisture protection, dust control, pallet condition, warehouse hygiene, odour pickup, caking risk and suitability for manual or automated dosing systems.
Packaging questions
- What is the standard net weight per bag, carton, drum, big bag or pallet?
- Is the inner liner food-grade and moisture-protective?
- Can the supplier provide batch coding on each unit and pallet?
- Is the product supplied as fine powder, crystal, granular grade or customer-specific particle size?
- What are the recommended loading quantity and container conditions?
- Are sample, partial pallet, mixed container or full-container options available?
Storage guidance
- Store in closed original packaging in a clean, dry, food-grade warehouse.
- Protect from moisture, direct sunlight, excessive heat and strong odours.
- Keep away from non-food chemicals and materials that may create taint or contamination risk.
- Apply FIFO or FEFO stock rotation according to the declared shelf life.
- Seal opened packaging carefully and avoid foreign matter or water contamination.
- Review dust-control and operator-protection procedures according to the safety data sheet and site rules.
Commercial sourcing checklist
When requesting Sodium Sulphate, provide enough technical and commercial detail to avoid unsuitable offers. The same product name can correspond to different hydrate forms, particle sizes, assay bases, packaging formats, document sets and application suitability.
| Quotation item | Recommended buyer input |
|---|---|
| Target grade | Food grade Sodium Sulphate, E514 / INS 514, anhydrous or hydrate grade, supplier reference grade or buyer specification. |
| Application | Food colour, dry blend, carrier, beverage, syrup, bakery mix, sauce, ingredient-processing system or other use. |
| Required specification | Assay, hydrate form, pH, solubility, insoluble matter, particle size, bulk density, moisture, chloride, iron and heavy metals. |
| Functional target | Carrier, diluent, mineral-salt contribution, ionic-strength control, colour standardization or process support. |
| Quantity | Sample, trial order, bag quantity, pallet quantity, container quantity, annual demand or call-off schedule. |
| Packaging | Bag, carton, drum, big bag, pallet format or site-specific handling preference. |
| Destination | Country, port, city, warehouse address and import-document requirements. |
| Delivery term | EXW, FCA, FOB, CFR, CIF, DAP or another requested Incoterms basis. |
| Documentation | COA, TDS, SDS, origin, halal, kosher, allergen, GMO, food-grade and regulatory declarations. |
| Timing | Required shipment date, target lead time, validity period and expected repeat demand. |
Supplier comparison checklist
When approving a new source, compare technical performance and documentation reliability, not only price per kilogram. Sodium Sulphate can affect dry-blend behaviour, colour standardization, mineral contribution, clarity, taste, label declaration and export compliance.
- Does the offered grade match your approved E514 / INS 514 requirement?
- Are CAS identity, assay, hydrate form and food-grade status clearly documented?
- Do pH, solubility, insoluble matter, particle size, moisture, chloride, iron and contaminant limits match your specification?
- Is the physical form suitable for your dosing, dry blending, dissolution, premixing or liquid-processing step?
- Does the material perform correctly in your pH range, colour system, mineral balance, heat process and packaging system?
- Does the supplier provide batch-specific COA data and traceable lot numbers?
- Are allergen, GMO, halal, kosher, origin and regulatory declarations available when required?
- Can packaging, palletization, lead time and freight terms support your production schedule?
- Has the ingredient been tested in pilot production, storage trials or customer approval trials before commercial supplier change?
How to request this product
Send the product name, target grade or reference specification, application, required quantity, destination country, packaging preference, expected shipment date, delivery term and required documents. If you already purchase Sodium Sulphate, attach or describe your current specification, supplier grade, COA, label declaration, particle-size need, application target or customer document checklist so available sourcing options can be compared more accurately.
Useful answers
What is Sodium Sulphate used for in food manufacturing?
Sodium Sulphate is typically evaluated as a food-grade inorganic sulphate salt for mineral-salt contribution, carrier functionality, dry-blend dilution, ionic-strength control and process standardization where permitted. Exact suitability depends on grade, application, process, regulations and supplier documents.
Is Sodium Sulphate the same as Sodium Sulphite?
No. Sodium Sulphate is Na2SO4 and is associated with E514. Sodium Sulphite is Na2SO3 and is associated with E221. They have different chemical identities, functions, label implications and regulatory conditions.
Which specification parameters should buyers compare?
Buyers commonly compare assay, sodium sulphate content, anhydrous or hydrate form, pH in solution, solubility, water-insoluble matter, moisture or loss on drying, chloride, iron, heavy metals, lead, arsenic, particle size, bulk density, microbiology, shelf life, storage conditions and food-grade declarations.
Can Global Food Additives source Sodium Sulphate?
Global Food Additives can review sourcing options for Sodium Sulphate according to target specification, application, quantity, destination, packaging preference, delivery term and required documentation.
Which documents should be requested?
Buyers commonly request a technical data sheet, product specification, certificate of analysis, safety data sheet where applicable, food-grade statement, origin statement, shelf-life information, storage guidance, allergen declaration, GMO statement, halal or kosher certificate where required, packaging details and market-specific regulatory declarations.
Is this product permitted in every country?
No. Food additive use depends on destination-market rules, food category, use level, function, label requirements and buyer responsibility. Buyers should verify regulatory status and final suitability for the intended application before commercial production.
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Send product names, target specifications, quantity, destination country, packaging preference, delivery term, and document requirements. Our team will review your inquiry and respond from orders@foodgradeadditives.com.
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