Calcium chloride (chemical formula: CaCl2) is a white or slightly yellowish solid inorganic compound belonging to the salt family and a typical ionic halide. Its high solubility, hygroscopicity, and dehydration properties make it widely used in various applications. It exists in different physical forms depending on its hydration form, the most common being the dihydrate (CaCl2·2H2O). Its high solubility enables it to dissolve rapidly in water, releasing a large amount of heat, making it useful in applications requiring rapid heating or drying. Calcium chloride is also commonly used in brines for refrigeration equipment, road de-icing agents, and desiccants.

Product Uses

As a food ingredient, calcium chloride acts as a sequestrant and firming agent. It has been approved as a food additive in the European Union with the E code E509 and is considered "generally recognized as safe" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Calcium chloride is used as a firming agent in canned vegetables. It also solidifies soy curd to form tofu. It is also used in molecular gastronomy to gelatinize the surface of vegetable and fruit juices, forming caviar-like balls by reacting with sodium alginate. It is added as an electrolyte to sports drinks and some soft drinks, including bottled water. Because calcium chloride has a very strong salty taste, it can be used in place of table salt in pickles without increasing the sodium content of the food. Its freezing point-lowering properties are used to slow the freezing of caramel-filled chocolate bars.

Calcium chloride is added to mineral-deficient beer brewing liquids because calcium ions are one of the most influential minerals in the brewing process, affecting the acidity of the wort and the activity of yeast. Calcium chloride also adds a sweetness to the brewed beer.