The price of Chinese-made dry sodium gluconate in the EU is set to rise after the EU Council of Ministers imposed stiff anti-dumping duties on the widely-used food additive. 

Tariffs will be set at 53.2% – except for two producers cooperating with European Commission inquiries into the problem of dumping. 

Shandong Kaison Biochemical Co., Ltd will face duties of 5.6%, while Qingdao Kehai Biochemistry Co. Ltd will pay duties of 27.1%.

The action follows complaints from European producer Roquette, based in the UK and Germany, about the dumping of cut-priced Chinese dry sodium gluconate in Europe that it says has caused the business “material injury” commercially.

Made from corn starch, sodium gluconate is widely used in cheese, desserts, canned vegetables, sauces and broths.