Calcium propanoate or calcium propionate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Ca(C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>COO)<sub>2</sub>. It is the calcium salt of propanoic acid.
As a food additive, it is listed as E number 282 in the Codex Alimentarius. Calcium propionate is used as a preservative in a variety of products including bread, baked goods, processed meat, whey, and dairy products. It is only effective in foods with a pH of 5.5 or below (i.e., foods that are relatively more acidic).
In bakery products, it acts as a mold inhibitor, typically added at 0.1âÂÂ0.4%. Calcium propionate and sodium propionate are effective against both Bacillus mesentericus (rope) and mold.
In agriculture, it is used to prevent milk fever in cows and as a feed supplement.
It can be used as a fungicide on fruit.
It is of research interest in the production of belite cement clinkers and as a dual NO<sub>x</sub>/SO<sub>x</sub> reducing agent in coal furnaces.
Thermal decomposition in an inert atmosphere follows a radical mechanism that yields 3-pentanone. In the presence of oxygen, an exothermic reaction occurs involving the formation of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, acetaldehyde, methane and water. This occurs at approximately , while the radical pathway occurs near the melting point at . Both pathways end in the formation of calcite.
In a 1973 study reported by the EPA, the waterborne administration of 180 ppm of calcium propionate was found to be slightly toxic to bluegill sunfish.