It is the sodium salt of erythorbic acid, a stereoisomer of sodium ascorbate. Likewise, it is used as an antioxidant, a preservative and a curing accelerator in meat and fish products. The European food additive number for it is E316.
Sodium erythorbate chemical structure
What is Sodium Erythorbate Used for in Food?
It is used as an antioxidant, a preservative and a curing accelerator, let’s see each function:
Antioxidant: it keeps the food fresh (color, flavor and etc) as sodium erythorbate itself can be oxidized by scavenging oxygen and then inhibiting the oxidation of fruits and vegetables.
Preservative: it prevents microbial growth and therefore extends the shelf life of food.
Curing accelerator: it accelerates the curing process of meat and fish products by speed up the development of the pink color.