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Sodium citrate is the sodium salt of citric acid with the chemical formula of Na3C6H5O7. It is chiefly used as a food additive, usually for flavor or as a preservative. In this sense, it is similar to calcium citrate.
Like citric acid, sodium citrate has a sour taste. Like other salts, however, it also has a salty taste. For this reason, citrates such as sodium and calcium citrate are common known as sour salt. Sodium citrate gives club soda both its sour and salty flavors.
Sodium citrate is common in lemon-lime soft drinks, and it is partly what causes them to have their sour taste. It's also been used in the field of medicine as an anticoagulant for preservation of blood in blood bank.
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