The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the Department of Health that is responsible for protecting public health by supervising and regulating food, dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals and other related products. As part of its responsibilities, the FDA regulates the use of sodium hypochlorite, most commonly encountered in household chlorine bleach, as a chemical often used in food preparation and production.
Food Preparation
You've probably come across sodium hypochlorite before, usually in its most commonly found solution: common household chlorine bleach. While people often use sodium hypochlorite solutions, or NaClO, in the home for a variety of cleaning purposes, the substance is also often used in the preparation of certain foods, primarily fruits and vegetables. The Code of Federal Regulations section 173.315 allows the use of sodium hypochlorite in the washing or peeling of fruits and vegetables.
Additives
Sodium hypochlorite is also sometimes used as a food additive, but its use as such is regulated to limit the amount used. The Code of Federal Regulations section 172.892 states that food manufacturers can use sodium hypochlorite as a food starch oxidizer. However, manufacturers cannot exceed 0.055 pound of chlorine per pound of dry starch. When found in food starch for human consumption, the amount cannot exceed 0.0082 pounds of chlorine per pound of dry starch.
Calcium Hypochlorite
The Code of Federal Regulations section 173.315 also allows for the use of calcium hypochlorite in food preparation when washing or peeling fruits and vegetables. Producers can use either calcium hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorate interchangeably in these processes. The FDA reports that while government regulations allow for use of both these chemicals for food production, they do not specify or impose any maximum level.
Health Effects
While the FDA allows the use of sodium hypochlorite for various purposes, the chemical poses health risks if too much is ingested. The National Institutes of Health, or NIH, reports that swallowing sodium hypochlorite can lead to poisoning, as can inhaling sodium hypochlorite fumes, especially when the product is mixed with ammonia. Ingesting small amounts of it, or watered down mixtures of it, usually only leads to stomach upset, but ingesting large quantities can lead to more serious health concerns, such as coughing, redness of the eyes, slow heartbeat, delerium and shock.
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