Product Overview
20% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade is a clear, colorless liquid acetic acid solution (CAS 64-19-7) offered at a working strength of 20% — strong enough to do real work in food processing, preservation, and pH control, but far more manageable at the receiving dock than concentrated acid. The pungent, vinegar-like odor announces itself the moment a container is opened; anyone who has broken down a pallet of this product knows it. Buyers are typically food processors, sauce and dressing manufacturers, beverage and vinegar producers, and food-service operations that need a dependable acetic acid solution in sizes from a single quart to 330 gallon totes.
Why This Concentration
At 20%, this solution sits in a practical middle band. It carries roughly four times the acetic acid of household-strength vinegar, so a little goes a long way in pH adjustment and preservation work, yet it dilutes down cleanly when a process calls for a milder working solution. That matters for transport too: at this strength the product ships as a Class 8 corrosive, Packing Group III (per 49 CFR 172.101) — the lowest danger grouping within its class.
If your process only needs mild acidification or surface cleaning, the 5% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade or 10% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade may spare you corrosive-handling steps entirely. If you would rather stock a stronger concentrate and dilute in-house, step up to the 30%, 50%, or 75% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade. Pick the strength that matches how much dilution labor and corrosive handling your operation actually wants to take on.
Chemical Profile
This is a clear, colorless liquid with the sharp, pungent, vinegar-like odor characteristic of acetic acid. The solution is fully miscible with water, which makes in-process dilution straightforward — add acid to water, never the reverse. Density runs 1.01–1.03 g/cm³ at 20°C, just above water, so volumetric dosing translates to mass predictably. The active molecule is acetic acid, formula CH3COOH, molecular weight 60.05, CAS 64-19-7. Its GHS classification carries the signal word Danger with hazard statement H314 (per the product's GHS classification), so it is handled and packed as a corrosive at every step.
Industrial Applications
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Food preservation — acetic acid lowers pH to a range that inhibits microbial growth, which is why it anchors pickling brines and preserved-food formulations across food processing.
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Flavoring — a concentrated source of the sour, sharp note in dressings, sauces, and marinades, dosed down to the target strength in the batch tank.
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pH adjustment and control — used in food manufacturing to bring product acidity to a set point; the 20% strength gives operators finer dosing control than concentrate without the volume penalty of household vinegar.
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Cleaning in food-service settings — cuts mineral scale and residues on kitchen surfaces and equipment where an acid cleaner is appropriate.
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Fermentation and vinegar production — serves as a working medium and acidity source in beverage and vinegar operations.
Handling & Storage
Treat this solution as the corrosive it is. The signal word is Danger and the governing hazard statement is H314 — causes severe skin burns and eye damage (per the product's GHS classification). Chemical splash goggles and acid-resistant gloves are the daily minimum for anyone decanting or dosing it; work with ventilation adequate to keep the pungent vapor out of your face. Store in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight, in HDPE or glass containers, and keep it well clear of strong oxidizers and bases. Kept sealed in compatible containers, the solution is stable in normal warehouse storage. Have a neutralization plan and spill supplies staged before you open the first container, not after.
Hazmat & Shipping
This product ships as regulated hazardous material. The classification is UN2790 (per 49 CFR 172.101), Hazard Class 8 — Corrosive (per 49 CFR 172.101), Packing Group III (per 49 CFR 172.101), under the proper shipping name "Acetic acid solution, with more than 10 percent and less than 50 percent acid, by mass" (per 49 CFR 172.101). Every order leaves our Taylor, TX dock packaged, marked, and documented to that classification — from single quarts up through 55 gallon drums, 275 gallon and 330 gallon totes.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet (English) ships with every order, and a lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is available for the material you receive — useful when your quality program requires lot traceability on incoming food-grade inputs. A Technical Data Sheet is also available for spec review before you buy. The Food Grade designation identifies the procurement tier food and beverage buyers request for food-contact processes; review the SDS and COA against your own program's requirements to confirm fit.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
We package and ship this exact classification — UN2790, Class 8, PG III — as routine work, and we offer it across the full range a buyer actually needs: quart bottles for benchtop and pilot batches through 55 gallon drums and 275–330 gallon totes for production lines, with SDS, TDS, and lot-specific COA support behind every size. Alliance Chemical has operated since 1998 and has served 55,000+ customers from our Taylor, Texas warehouse. Shipping and handling guidance on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist.
