What is the function of sodium lactate? Last month, when I was making cranberry soft European bread for my child, I stared at the ingredient list of the bread improver for a while and stared blankly - "sodium lactate" ranked third, I had only seen it on the hospital infusion list before, how could it appear in the baking ingredients? I only found out after asking friends who do food research and development that this thing has great skills! From the kitchen to the ward, from the dressing table to the laboratory, sodium lactate is like a low-key versatile player, silently playing different roles. Today, let's have a good chat with everyone about the function of this seemingly unfamiliar "sodium lactate".
1、 The "all-in-one assistant" in the food industry. The processed foods we eat in our daily lives, from bread and cake to ham and pickles, occasionally show the presence of "sodium lactate" in the ingredient list. Its role in the food industry is not as simple as an "additive".
（1） The preservative that gives food "insurance": I used to make soft European bags that would dry and harden the next day. Later, I added 0.3% sodium lactate as taught by a friend and stored them at room temperature. On the third day, they were still soft when opened. This is because sodium lactate can inhibit the growth of mold and yeast - it is a weak alkaline substance that can regulate the pH environment of food, making it difficult for microorganisms to reproduce; At the same time, it has moisture absorption and can lock in moisture, which is equivalent to wrapping bread with a layer of "moisture-proof film". In meat processing, the preservative effect of sodium lactate is more pronounced. The factory in my hometown that makes sausages used to rely on increasing the amount of salt for preservation, resulting in sausages that were bitter and salty; Adding 1% -2% sodium lactate now can reduce salt content by 30%. Sausage can be stored at room temperature for 2 months without mold and has a fresher and more tender taste.
（2） Last year, when I tried making low calorie yogurt using sugar substitutes instead of cane sugar, I always felt that the sour taste was too strong. Adding a little sodium lactate solution to the mixture immediately softened the acidity - it can neutralize some free hydrogen ions, stabilizing the pH of the food within a more palatable range. In sauce production, the ability of sodium lactate is more crucial. For example, when making tomato sauce, the acidity of the raw tomatoes is greatly affected by their variety and maturity. Some batches are so sour that they make your mouth ache, while others are bland and tasteless. Adding about 0.5% sodium lactate can accurately control the pH value of the entire batch of tomato sauce at 4.04.5, with a uniform ratio of sour and sweet, and a smoother taste.
（3） The "moisturizing expert" who locks in moisture always likes to crack when baking cookies in winter. My friend taught me to add 0.2% sodium lactate to the dough, and the baked cookies have a smooth surface that doesn't harden even after three days. This is because sodium lactate molecules have hydrophilic groups in their structure, which can capture water molecules in the air and keep food moist. It is more important in frozen food. The frozen buns I bought before always had a dry skin after thawing. Later, I discovered that a certain brand of frozen buns contains sodium lactate in their ingredient list, which makes the skin still soft after thawing - it can inhibit ice crystal formation, reduce water loss during freezing and thawing, and maintain the soft and tender taste of the food.
You see, the processed foods we usually eat can maintain a stable taste and shelf life, and sodium lactate has been very helpful. Next time you go to the supermarket, why not take a look at the ingredient list? Maybe you can find this' invisible assistant '!
2、 Last year, my grandmother suffered from severe diarrhea due to acute gastroenteritis, and the doctor prescribed sodium lactate Ringer injection as a "life regulator" in the pharmaceutical field. I was particularly nervous at the time, staring at the instructions on the hanging bottle: 'Used to regulate body fluids, electrolytes, and acid-base balance'. Later, after consulting with an internal medicine physician, I realized that sodium lactate is a "first aid worker" for the balance of acid-base balance in the human body in the field of medicine.

（1） The key to correcting metabolic acidosis is that the normal blood pH value of the human body is between 7.35-7.45. If it is lower than 7.35, it is acidosis, and in severe cases, it can lead to organ failure. After entering the human body, sodium lactate will be metabolized in the liver to produce sodium bicarbonate (also known as baking soda), which can neutralize excessive acidic substances in the blood and return the pH value to the normal range. My grandmother lost a large amount of alkaline intestinal fluid due to diarrhea, and her blood was slightly acidic. After receiving sodium lactate injection, she felt less fatigued in less than 2 hours, which is why it was working. Doctors say that sodium lactate injection is a commonly used first-aid drug for patients with severe burns, shock or diabetes ketoacidosis.
（2） The "gentle partner" for supplementing electrolytes, sodium lactate injection, is often combined with electrolytes such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride to form a compound solution (such as Ringling solution). Its advantage lies in its "gentleness" - compared to directly using sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to correct acidosis, sodium lactate has less stimulation on blood vessels and is less likely to cause pain or phlebitis at the injection site. My classmate who works as a nurse said that when giving fluids to newborns or elderly people, they tend to use a compound solution containing sodium lactate because its metabolic process is smoother and can reduce the risk of electrolyte imbalance.
（3） In addition to injections, sodium lactate also appears in some topical medications as an anti-inflammatory helper. My heel was cracked before, and the doctor prescribed a moisturizing ointment containing sodium lactate. After applying it for a week, it improved significantly. Sodium lactate can soften the stratum corneum, promote drug penetration, and its weakly alkaline environment can also inhibit bacterial growth on the skin surface, assisting in the treatment of mild inflammation.
You see, in the emergency room, infusion hall, and even dermatology clinic of the hospital, sodium lactate is silently guarding our health. Next time you accompany your family for intravenous infusion, why not take a look at the ingredients on the medicine bottle? Maybe you can recognize this' old friend '.

3、 The "gentle guardian" in cosmetics bought a bottle of repair face cream last year, and the second place in the ingredient list was "sodium lactate". At that time, he still wondered: is this not a food additive? After asking my cousin who works in beauty research and development, I found out that sodium lactate is the "protector" of the skin barrier in cosmetics.
（1） The "moisturizer" that maintains the balance of water and oil in the skin. Our skin surface has a layer of "natural moisturizing factors", which include lactate salts. Sodium lactate added to skincare products can simulate this ingredient and help the skin retain moisture. My skin is prone to dryness and itching in winter. After using the face cream containing sodium lactate, my face is still moist when I get up in the morning - it is not like glycerin, which "strikes when full of water", but can continuously absorb water from the environment and slowly release it to the skin.
（2） The "stabilizer" for adjusting the pH value of cosmetics is crucial: acidic products can easily irritate the skin, while alkaline products can damage the stratum corneum. Sodium lactate can act as a "buffering agent" to stabilize the pH value of skincare products within a range close to the natural acidity of the skin (around 5.5). Cousin said that when they developed facial mask, they would deliberately make the pH value of essence slightly higher (such as 6.0), but after adding sodium lactate, it could drop to 5.5 within 5 minutes, which not only ensured the stability of the product, but also did not stimulate the skin.
（3） When the skin barrier is damaged (such as seasonal sensitivity or excessive cleaning), sodium lactate can be of great help as a "good partner" for assisting in repairing the barrier. I used irritant facial cleanser before, and my face was red and hot. After applying the repair essence containing sodium lactate for two days, the redness was significantly reduced - it can promote the synthesis of lipid between keratinocytes, just like "cement" the skin, so that the damaged barrier can recover faster.

Now every time I apply face cream, I always smile at the ingredients table - the "versatile" has already sneaked into my dressing table. Next time you take care of your skin, why not also take a look at the skincare products at hand? Maybe there is also sodium lactate silently guarding your skin!
4、 In addition to food, medicine, and beauty, sodium lactate also has its own "place of use" in the industrial field as a "hidden role" in other fields. For example, in the textile industry, it can be used as a dyeing aid to allow dyes to adhere more evenly to fibers; In detergents, it can soften water quality and reduce the impact of calcium and magnesium ions on the cleaning effect; Even in oil extraction, it can serve as a pH regulator for drilling fluids, protecting equipment from corrosion.
After saying so much, are you also impressed by this sodium lactate that was once "unknown" in the ingredient list, just like me? From the bread in the kitchen to the hanging bottle in the hospital, from the face cream in the dressing table to the workshop in the factory, sodium lactate, like a low-key "generalist", plays a key role in different scenes. It doesn't have fancy promotion, but with its most practical functions, it permeates every aspect of our lives.
Next time you see the name "sodium lactate", don't feel strange - it may help keep your bread soft, help patients adjust acid-base balance in the hospital, or quietly moisturize your skin when you apply face cream. This is the function of sodium lactate, ordinary yet important, low-key yet reliable.