Definition

Noun: A white, crystalline salt produced by the chemical reaction of lactic acid with calcium carbonate. It is used as a source of calcium in food fortification and dietary supplements, and also functions as a leavening agent in some baking powders.

Usage

Calcium lactate is primarily used as a nutritional additive and a food ingredient. - It is added to foods to increase their calcium content. - It is used in some baking powders to help dough rise. - It is administered medicinally to treat or prevent calcium deficiency.

Examples

• Nutritional Supplement:
• Food Additive:
• Medical Use:

Advanced Usage

• In Molecular Gastronomy: Calcium lactate is a key component in the spherification technique, where it reacts with sodium alginate to create edible spheres with liquid centers.
  • The chef used calcium lactate to make the innovative caviar pearls.

Variants and Related Words

• Lactate (noun): A salt or ester of lactic acid.
• Calcium Citrate (noun): Another calcium salt used as a dietary supplement.
• Calcium Carbonate (noun): The compound that reacts with lactic acid to form calcium lactate.

Synonyms

• Calcium salt of lactic acid (technical synonym)
• E327 (its food additive code in the European Union)

Notes on Meaning

This term refers specifically to the chemical compound. It is not used idiomatically. Its meaning is consistent across contexts, relating solely to its chemical nature and applications in food, nutrition, and medicine.

Noun

1. a white crystalline salt made by the action of lactic acid on calcium carbonate; used in foods (as a baking powder) and given medically as a source of calcium