A food and pharmaceutical grade product which meets the requirements of the Food Chemicals Codex and U.S. Pharmacopeia XXII. It is a partially neutralized salt of EDTA, in dry form, and is suitable for direct food applications. It is well suited for applications calling for neutral pH or mildly acidic conditions. The principal function of this chelating agent is to chemically bind and render inactive those trace metals having an adverse impact on the color, flavor, clarity and shelf life of final products.