acidulant

1 7.5

An ingredient added to food and drink to make them sour or keep them fresh

noun
/ˈæsɪdʒʊlənt/

Specialized

: acidulante

The acidulant added to the yogurt helps preserve its freshness and gives it a tangy taste.

Examples

For a refreshing drink, this recipe includes citric acid as an acidulant to balance the sweetness.
The inactivation of L. monocytogenes in chicken salad observed in the study reported here cannot be explained solely by the use of an acidulant—in this case, acetic acid.

Academic text (2005)
Malic acid is commonly used as an acidulant in candy to enhance its sour flavor.

Synonyms

acid

vsacidulant

Specialized

357 2.9

A chemical with a sour taste that can burn and reacts with a base to form a salt

is specifically an added ingredient to make food more acidic or preserve it

food additive

vsacidulant

Specialized

7 3.2

A substance added to food to make it taste better, look better, or stay good longer

is narrowly about added substances that increase acidity or aid processing

malic acid

vsacidulant

Specialized

1 4.8

A natural substance in fruits that makes them taste sour and adds sourness to foods

is any added substance that raises acidity for taste or preservation

How Acidic

superacid

Specialized

1 9.6

acid

26 4.2

acidulant

Specialized

1 7.5

neutral

Specialized

5 5.2

alkali

Specialized

3 7.0

Surface Forms

acidulant singular

acidulants plural

Morphology

acidulant = acid (transparent) = acid + ulant

The meaning is directly derived from 'acid' with an agent/causative suffix, indicating a substance that makes or imparts acidity.

Etymology

Acidulant comes from the root acid, meaning 'sour', and from an old form acidulus meaning 'a little sour'. So, an acidulant is a substance added to food or drink to make it more 'sour' or 'acidic', often to help preserve it or change the taste.