Database/Chelating/Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate
Route-dependent · ISO 16128

Is Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate natural?

It depends. A biodegradable chelator built on alanine; the sodium ions are natural origin and the alanine may be fermented or synthetic, while the two acetate arms are petrochemical.

INCI nameTrisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate
CAS164462-16-2
FormulaC7H8NNa3O6 · 271.11 Da
FunctionChelating
FeedstockAlanine (fermentation or synthetic), chloroacetic acid and sodium…

Why the score varies

This ingredient is made commercially by more than one route, and ISO 16128 scores the feedstock actually used. Without a supplier certificate of origin the value cannot be claimed.

RouteFeedstockNOIShareNotes
fermentation L-alanineL-alanine from fermentation, carboxymethylated with chloroacetic acid (petrochemical), neutralised with sodium hydroxide0.58used by the main bio-based MGDA gradesalaninate C3H6NO2 88.1 + 3 Na 69.0 natural = 157.1 of 271.1 Da
synthetic DL-alaninealanine from acetaldehyde + HCN + ammonia (Strecker, petrochemical), chloroacetic acid, sodium hydroxide0.25also commercialonly the three sodium ions 69.0 Da are natural origin; 69.0/271.1 = 0.25
Ask your supplier. A batch-specific certificate of origin or bio-based carbon test (ASTM D6866) settles which route applies.

How we scored it

Trisodium MGDA C7H8NNa3O6 271.1 Da: alaninate C3H6NO2 88.1 Da, two carboxymethyl arms C2H2O2 2 x 58.0 Da (chloroacetic acid, petrochemical), three Na 69.0 Da (mineral, natural). Fermentation alanine: (88.1 + 69.0)/271.1 = 0.58; synthetic alanine: 69.0/271.1 = 0.25.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Alanine (fermentation or synthetic), chloroacetic acid and sodium hydroxide.

In plain English

A biodegradable water-softening and metal-binding ingredient built from a natural amino acid combined with two synthetic acid arms. Helps stop minerals in water from interfering with a formula.

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Structure

2D structure of Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate

trisodium;2-[bis(carboxylatomethyl)amino]propanoate

PubChem CID 11021984 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate. PubChem CID 11021984. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3TRISODIUM DICARBOXYMETHYL ALANINATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4TRISODIUM DICARBOXYMETHYL ALANINATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=TRISODIUM%20DICARBOXYMETHYL%20ALANINATE