Sodium acetates

Studies in people

• Concern

  Fat burning during exercise³

  In six young men, sodium acetate lowered fat burning at rest and early in exercise.

Animal and lab studies only

• Open question

  Stomach cell growth⁵

  In lab studies, sodium acetate made stomach cells grow faster at low levels but slowed growth at high levels.

How it’s made and used

• Fat burning at rest²

  In people at rest, sodium acetates were burned for energy instead of fat, unlike plain bicarbonate.

• Fish shelf life⁴

  Sodium acetates helped seer fish steaks last longer in cold storage by slowing bacterial growth.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.

• UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 1973

  Reviewed its safety in 1973.