Baby Safety / Compounds / Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate)

Is Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate) safe for babies and kids?

Moderate risk for kids

Infants are more vulnerable to Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What is calcium disodium edta (cana2edta / edetate calcium disodium / e385 / versenate)?

The IUPAC name is benzyl-[2-(4-ethoxybenzoyl)oxyethyl]azanium chloride.

Also known as: 94997-12-3, DTXSID50915190, 2-(Benzylamino)ethyl 4-ethoxybenzoate--hydrogen chloride (1/1), RefChem:1061470.

IUPAC name
benzyl-[2-(4-ethoxybenzoyl)oxyethyl]azanium chloride
CAS number
62-33-9
Molecular formula
C18H22ClNO3
Molecular weight
335.8 g/mol
SMILES
CCOC1=CC=C(C=C1)C(=O)OCC[NH2+]CC2=CC=CC=C2.[Cl-]
PubChem CID
56840

Risk for babies

Moderate risk

Infants are more vulnerable to Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

Neonates and infants up to 12 months have incomplete blood-brain barrier development, immature Phase I/II metabolic enzymes (particularly CYP3A4, UGT1A1), and higher gastrointestinal permeability. Equivalent doses produce higher internal concentrations and longer residence times.

What to do: Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
FDA—GRAS food additive (21 CFR 172.120); approved drug for lead chelation
EU—E385 — approved food additive with ADI 2.5 mg/kg/day
WHO—Essential Medicine — lead poisoning treatment

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter calcium disodium edta (cana2edta / edetate calcium disodium / e385 / versenate)

  • Food Preservation — canned beans and vegetables, salad dressings, sandwich spreads, pickled products
  • Beverages — soft drinks (prevents oxidation), canned beer
  • Medical Chelation — IV lead chelation therapy, diagnostic EDTA mobilization test
  • Industrial — rust removal, metal finishing

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate):

  • DMSA (Succimer)
    Trade-offs: Alternative chelating agent; stability constants for target metal ions differ; biodegradability varies (EDTA poorly biodegradable, citrate fully biodegradable); downstream water treatment impact should be assessed.
  • Ascorbic acid
    Trade-offs: Direct chemical substitution requires verification that the replacement does not introduce new hazards (regrettable substitution). Conduct full hazard assessment of proposed alternative before adoption.

Frequently asked questions

Is calcium disodium edta (cana2edta / edetate calcium disodium / e385 / versenate) safe for kids?

Infants are more vulnerable to Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate) than children or adults due to immature hepatic/renal clearance, higher intake-to-body-weight ratio, rapid organ development, and increased gastrointestinal absorption.

What products contain calcium disodium edta (cana2edta / edetate calcium disodium / e385 / versenate)?

Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate) appears in: canned beans and vegetables (food preservation); salad dressings (food preservation); soft drinks (prevents oxidation) (beverages); canned beer (beverages); IV lead chelation therapy (medical chelation).

What should I do if my child is exposed to calcium disodium edta (cana2edta / edetate calcium disodium / e385 / versenate)?

Minimize infant exposure through source control. For breastfeeding mothers: reduce maternal exposure. For formula-fed infants: use certified low-migration bottles and verified water sources. Consult pediatrician regarding any concerns.

Why do regulators disagree about calcium disodium edta (cana2edta / edetate calcium disodium / e385 / versenate)?

Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate) has been classified by 3 agencies including FDA, EU, WHO, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Calcium disodium EDTA (CaNa2EDTA / Edetate calcium disodium / E385 / Versenate) in the baby app

Look up products containing calcium disodium edta (cana2edta / edetate calcium disodium / e385 / versenate), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →