Dear colleagues,
EDTA (Ethylene diamine tetra-acetate) is a chelating agent used to hold Ca++ and Mg++ ions.
One of its applications is in blood samples in order to avoid the coagulation of blood.
In foods, EDTA is used in those cases where ions (hardness of water used in the food product) interfere with some properties such as gelatinisation, emulsification, etc.
"GRAS" stands for "Generally Recognised As Safe", a term employed for those food additives whose toxicity is relatively low such as sugar, salt and vinegar (except of course for some people with disorders like diabetes or kidneys malfunction,etc.).
I do not have specific information about the effect of EDTA in the production of inclusion body-forming in Chlamydia pneumoniae but, as per the chelating nature of EDTA, I think that the absence of Ca++ and Mg++ ions allows the formation of the inclusion bodies.
Hope this information is useful for you.
Gustavo Limón
asik at total.net
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Russell Farris <tryggvi at email.msn.com> wrote in message news:u#k2wnlA$GA.307 at cpmsnbbsa05...
> A quick look in my refrigerator found calcium disodium EDTA listed
> as an ingredient in:
>> - Bernstein's Creamy Caesor dressing
> - Von's Real Mayonaise
> - Wishbone Italian dressing
>> Russ Farris
>> R. I. Mateles <rmateles at candida.com> wrote ...
> > I don't think EDTA is a "common food additive." What is the basis for
> this
> > statement?
> >
> > Russell Farris <tryggvi at email.msn.com> wrote ...
> > > Thanks, Lesley. I'm interested in EDTA because Kazuyama et al. (1997)
> > were
> > > able to increase inclusion body-forming activity of Chlamydia
> > > pneumoniae10,000 fold by use of EDTA or trypsin. I'm interested in EDTA
> > > because it is a common
> > > food additive, and I wonder what effect it has on the growth of C.
> > > pneumoniae in the human body.
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