I'm trying to make homemade mayonnaise with a longer shelf life. I see all the commercial brands list calcium disodium edta as a preservative so I was wondering where I could find this ingredient.
I see it being sold as a supplement on bulksupplements.com but I get the feeling that this isn't what I'm looking for.
Calcium disodium edta is added to food items as a preservative and flavoring agent. However, don't assume that "preservative" means an ingredient keeps your food safer longer. This particular preservative is probably added to maintain color and flavor, rather than to extend shelf life. Homemade mayonnaise is a product with a fairly short shelf life...generally only a few days in the fridge, even if you are making an egg-less version. There are online recipes for lacto-fermented mayonnaise, which could extend that life for up to a month. Maybe try that route....or make less mayo more frequently.
Calcium Disodium EDTA in commercial mayonnaise acts as an emulsifier and most importantly prevents purification of the oil due to oxidation. It also has beneficial chelation properties that bind up any metals introduced through the manufacturing process. If you're looking towards antimicrobial benefits then you should consider another route including pasteurization, sterile techniques, and acidity as you would with canning.
