Product Overview
10% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade is a clear, colorless aqueous solution of acetic acid (CAS 64-19-7) offered at a working strength of 10%. Buyers also search for it as diluted acetic acid or vinegar acid. It is the concentration food processors, pickling operations, and beverage producers reach for when they want acid strength well above household vinegar but without the handling burden of concentrated glacial material. The Food Grade descriptor signals the procurement tier commonly requested for food-contact and culinary workflows; review the product's documentation to confirm fit for your specific application.
We offer it in pack sizes from 1 quart bottles through 330 gallon totes, so the same product carries from bench trials to production-scale processing.
Why This Concentration
At 10%, acetic acid is dilute enough to dose directly in many processes — no on-site dilution step, no dilution math, no handling of concentrated acid. That matters for pH control: a 10% solution lets an operator make fast, fine adjustments where a stronger acid would overshoot. It is the practical middle of our food-grade ladder.
If you need a gentler working strength for flavor applications or light acidification, step down to 5% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade. If your process consumes acid faster than 10% can economically supply — high-volume pickling brines, aggressive descaling, or bulk pH correction — step up to 20%, 30%, 50%, or 75% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade. The trade-off is direct: higher concentration means less water shipped per dollar, but stricter handling discipline. Even at 10%, this solution carries a corrosive classification — it is not vinegar-strength material.
Chemical Profile
This is a clear, colorless liquid with the pungent, vinegar-like odor characteristic of acetic acid. The 10% aqueous solution has a density of 1.01–1.013 g/mL at 20 °C — just above water — and is miscible with water in all proportions, which makes in-process dilution and rinse-down straightforward. The active component is acetic acid, formula C2H4O2, molecular weight 60.05, CAS 64-19-7. Despite the dilution, the solution is classified as corrosive: it causes severe skin burns and eye damage (per the product's GHS classification).
Industrial Applications
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Pickling and food preservation — lowers pH in brines and preserved foods, the mechanism by which acetic acid inhibits microbial growth in preserved products.
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pH adjustment in food processing — a 10% solution gives operators fine control when trimming pH in sauces, beverages, and process water, with less overshoot risk than concentrated acid.
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Flavoring base — supplies clean acetic acidity for dressings, marinades, and sauce production where a food-grade procurement tier is specified.
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Fermentation and vinegar production — used in beverage and vinegar operations as an acidification aid in fermentation workflows.
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Food-service cleaning — dissolves mineral scale and cuts alkaline residue on kitchen equipment and surfaces, a standard acid-cleaning role for dilute acetic acid.
Handling & Storage
Treat this as the corrosive it is. The signal word is Danger, with hazard statement H314: Causes severe skin burns and eye damage (per the product's GHS classification). Our warehouse team handles it with chemical-resistant gloves, splash goggles, and aprons, and we recommend the same PPE at the point of use, plus eyewash access wherever it is dispensed.
Store it cool and dry, out of direct sunlight, in compatible containers — HDPE holds up well against dilute acetic acid. Keep it away from strong oxidizers and strong bases, and ventilate storage areas so the vinegar-like vapor doesn't accumulate. The solution is stable under normal warehouse conditions; keep containers closed and upright.
Hazmat & Shipping
This product ships as regulated hazardous material. The proper shipping name is Acetic acid solution, UN2790, Hazard Class 8 (corrosive), Packing Group III (per 49 CFR 172.101). We pack and label it to those requirements from our Taylor, Texas warehouse — UN-spec packaging, corrosive labels, and complete shipping papers on every hazmat shipment. Receivers should be prepared to accept a Class 8 delivery.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet (English) accompanies every order, and a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is available for the material you receive — the document QC and food-processing buyers use to verify each lot against their incoming-inspection requirements. A Technical Data Sheet is also available for spec review before you order.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
One product, one supplier, every scale: the same 10% food-grade acetic acid is offered from 1 quart bottles for bench work and recipe development up through 55 gallon drums and 275–330 gallon totes for production lines, each shipped as properly classified UN2790 Class 8 material with SDS and lot-specific COA. Alliance Chemical has distributed industrial chemicals since 1998 and has served 50,000+ customers from our Taylor, Texas warehouse. The shipping and handling guidance on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.