How It's Made
Key facts
- Name on labels (INCI)
- Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate
- Also called
- Baking soda, Sodium hydrogen carbonate, Bicarbonate of soda, E500(ii)
- E number
- E500(ii)
- Grade to ask for
- Food or pharma grade, fine powder
Baking soda: a fine white alkaline powder.
What it does
- Raising agent
- Gives off carbon dioxide in the oven or when combined with acidic ingredients, lightening doughs and batters.
- Spread and browning
- Raises dough pH, which helps cookies spread and brown.
- Effervescence
- Reacts with citric acid in water to make effervescent tablets and powders fizz.
- pH adjustment
- Neutralises acidity in foods and other formulations.
Products on How It's Made that use sodium bicarbonate
| Product | Its role there |
|---|---|
| Pancake mix | Raising agent (base). Baking soda, the base that releases the gas that makes the pancakes fluffy. |
| Shortbread biscuits | Lightness. Baking soda, used with or instead of ammonium bicarbonate for a lighter, more open texture. |
| Cream crackers | Lightness. Neutralises acid from fermentation and helps the crackers colour. |
| Vanilla sponge cake | Leavening. Baking soda, the base half of the baking powder, adding a little extra lift. |
| Cream sandwich biscuits | Lightness. Baking soda, a raising agent that lightens the biscuit and helps it colour. |
| Vitamin C fizz | Base for the fizz. |
| Chocolate wafer bar | Raising agent. A raising agent in the batter that helps the sheets bake light and even. |
| Chocolate chip cookies | Spread and lift. Baking soda. It releases gas in the oven and raises the dough's pH, which increases spread and browning. |
| Chocolate cake mix | Raising agent (base). Sodium bicarbonate, the base that reacts with the acid to release carbon dioxide and raise the cake. |
| Chin chin | Lightness. A small amount of raising agent lightens the dough so the pieces are crunchy rather than dense. |
On How It's Made, sodium bicarbonate is used in chocolate chip cookies, chin chin, shortbread, crackers, chocolate wafers, cake mix, pancake mix and vitamin C fizz.
Grades and specifications
- Food grade
- Fine or granular powder meeting food-additive specifications, for bakeries and snack makers.
- Pharmaceutical grade
- Higher purity for effervescent medicines and antacids.
- Technical grade
- For industrial uses such as fire extinguishers and water treatment.
Handling, safety and regulation
A low-hazard powder; kept dry because moisture causes caking and slow loss of carbon dioxide. Used at controlled levels because too much leaves a soapy, alkaline taste.
A permitted food additive (INS 500(ii)) in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives. Foods made in Nigeria need NAFDAC registration.
Where sodium bicarbonate comes from
Sodium bicarbonate is made industrially from sodium carbonate (soda ash) and carbon dioxide, or extracted from natural trona deposits. It is produced at scale in Asia, Europe and the Americas and imported into West Africa in 25 kg bags.
Sourcing sodium bicarbonate through Matta
Send Matta a request with the grade, quantity and delivery location you need. For the wider category, see Matta's ingredients page.
Listings found on matta.trade, read 20 Oct 2026. Prices are a snapshot, not live; the listing is always the final word. Different suppliers and grades: compare prices only where the unit matches.
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