What Is Sodium Citrate?
FDA regulations at 21 CFR 184.1751 say sodium citrate is the sodium salt of citric acid, prepared by neutralizing citric acid with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate, and that it is used in food with no limitation other than current good manufacturing practice.
It also has medical uses. The FDA over-the-counter antacid rule lists citrate ion, as citric acid or salt, as an antacid active ingredient with a maximum daily dosage limit of 8 grams. A drug label posted on DailyMed says a 4% sodium citrate anticoagulant solution is intended for use only with automated apheresis devices, and a label for sodium citrate and citric acid oral solution describes it as an effective alkalinizing agent useful in conditions where long-term maintenance of an alkaline urine is desirable.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Regulatory filingFDA rules describe sodium citrate as the sodium salt of citric acid, made by neutralizing citric acid with sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate. US FDA, 21 CFR 184.1751 (eCFR) ↗
- Regulatory filingFDA rules say sodium citrate is used in food with no limitation other than current good manufacturing practice. US FDA, 21 CFR 184.1751 (eCFR) ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA antacid rule lists citrate ion, as citric acid or a salt, as an antacid ingredient with a maximum daily dose of 8 grams. US FDA, 21 CFR 331.11 (eCFR) ↗
- Medical referenceA DailyMed label says a 4 percent sodium citrate anticoagulant solution is intended only for use with automated apheresis devices. DailyMed, National Library of Medicine ↗
- Medical referenceA DailyMed label describes sodium citrate and citric acid oral solution as an alkalinizing agent for long-term maintenance of an alkaline urine. DailyMed, National Library of Medicine ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.