Product Overview
5% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade is a clear, colorless liquid with the characteristic pungent, vinegar-like odor familiar to anyone who has worked with acetic acid at any concentration. At 5%, this is the mildest acetic acid solution in our food-grade line — a ready-to-use strength that matches standard white vinegar and requires no further dilution for most food-contact and light cleaning applications.
This product is food grade, meaning it meets purity standards appropriate for direct food-contact use. we distribute it in our Taylor, TX warehouse and ship it daily in sizes from 1-quart bottles up to 330-gallon totes, serving buyers across food processing, institutional cleaning, and bench-scale lab work.
Why This Concentration
Five percent sits at the entry point of usable acidity. It is mild enough for direct food contact — pickling brines, marinades, pH trimming in processed foods — yet acidic enough to dissolve light mineral deposits and cut grease on hard surfaces. For buyers whose process demands more aggressive acid action, such as accelerated descaling, weed control, or higher-acid pickling, our 10% Acetic Acid Food Grade or 20% Acetic Acid Food Grade deliver meaningfully faster reaction rates without jumping to full-strength glacial.
The handling trade-off matters here. At 5%, you stay below DOT's hazardous materials threshold for transport — no UN number, placard requirements depend on the shipment, no special freight classification. That simplifies receiving, storage, and internal logistics compared to 30% Acetic Acid Food Grade or 50% Acetic Acid Food Grade, both of which carry a DOT hazmat classification. If your process can run at 5%, you avoid those costs entirely.
Choose this concentration when you need a mild, ready-to-use acid with food-grade purity and the simplest possible logistics chain. Step up to 75% Acetic Acid Food Grade only when your application genuinely demands concentrated strength.
Chemical Profile
5% Diluted Acetic Acid Food Grade is a clear, colorless liquid with a pungent, vinegar-like odor. It is fully miscible with water in all proportions. The solution has a density of approximately 1.01 g/cm³ — essentially the same as water at this dilution. The acetic acid molecule has a molecular weight of 60.05, the molecular formula C₂H₄O₂, and is registered under CAS number 64-19-7.
Industrial Applications
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Food Preservation — At 5% acidity, acetic acid suppresses microbial growth by lowering pH below the threshold most spoilage organisms tolerate. This is the working concentration for standard pickling brines, fermented condiments, and acidified canned goods where the acid serves as both preservative and flavor component.
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Flavoring and pH Adjustment — Food processors use 5% acetic acid to fine-tune the acidity of dressings, sauces, and marinades. At this strength, small volumetric additions produce predictable pH shifts without overshooting, making it practical for batch-scale recipe work where precision matters more than speed.
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Cleaning and Descaling — The mild acidity dissolves light calcium carbonate deposits, hard-water scale, and soap residue on stainless steel, glass, and tile surfaces. Institutional kitchens and food-processing facilities use it as a rinse agent where stronger acids would damage equipment or leave residues incompatible with food contact.
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Laboratory Reagent — Bench-scale analytical and preparation work often calls for dilute acetic acid as a buffer component, rinse acid, or mild pH adjuster. A pre-diluted 5% solution eliminates the handling risk and dilution error associated with working from concentrated stock.
Handling & Storage
Despite its mild concentration, 5% acetic acid carries the GHS signal word Danger and the hazard statement H314: Causes severe skin burns and serious eye damage (per the product's GHS classification). Treat it accordingly — wear chemical-resistant gloves and splash-proof safety goggles when handling. In poorly ventilated areas or when pouring from bulk containers, a face shield and adequate ventilation reduce exposure to the pungent vapor.
Store in the original HDPE container or other compatible material (HDPE, polypropylene, glass, or 316 stainless steel) in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight. Keep away from strong oxidizing agents and strong bases, which react exothermically with acetic acid. Containers should remain tightly sealed when not in use — acetic acid vapor is corrosive to carbon steel and will attack nearby unprotected metal surfaces over time.
Hazmat & Shipping
Canonical transport status is not regulated. Review the current SDS and carrier requirements before shipment.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in English ships with every order. A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis (COA) is available for this product, confirming the concentration and purity of the specific batch you receive — request it at checkout or contact us after your order ships. A Technical Data Sheet (TDS) is also available on request.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
We are a hazmat chemical distributor operating out of Taylor, TX. We physically stock this product, pack it in-house, and ship it daily. When you order 5% Acetic Acid Food Grade from us, it leaves our warehouse in properly rated containers, packed by trained hazmat personnel, with correct documentation — not drop-shipped from a third party.
Our shipping and handling guidance is reviewed by a DOT Hazmat Specialist. Whether you need a single quart for a bench test or a 330-gallon tote for production, we carry the full size range and ship to your dock. SDS documentation accompanies every shipment, and lot-specific COAs are available on request.
