Is Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate safe in cosmetics?
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. This ingredient has been reviewed by cir.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Also known as: L-Glutamic acid, N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)-, sodium salt (1:4), Tetrasodium N,N-Bis(carboxymethyl)-L-glutamate, EINECS 257-573-7, UNII-5EHL50I4MY
INCI: TETRASODIUM GLUTAMATE DIACETATE
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate (CAS 51981-21-6) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Chelating Agent, Preservative Booster, Antimicrobial Potentiator. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted, max 0.05–0.30%; 5 safety opinions reviewed (cir). Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 51981-21-6 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
Chelating Agent, Preservative Booster, Antimicrobial Potentiator
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
tetrasodium;(2S)-2-[bis(carboxylatomethyl)amino]pentanedioate
InChIKey
UZVUJVFQFNHRSY-OUTKXMMCSA-J
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
EU Max Conc.
0.05–0.30%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No FDA restrictions. Not classified as a preservative by FDA or CIR despite preservative-booster function. CIR 2025 Final Report concluded safe in present practices of use and concentration. Verify NTA impurity levels on CoA -- NTA is IARC 2B and prohibited in EU.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Safety Opinions
Official safety assessments from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR).
cir
Verdict: safe
NOAEL: 1000 mg/kg bw/
d (oral)
ata to determine the safety of these ingredients. The Panel concluded that Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is safe in cosmetics in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment, and that the available data are insufficient to make a determination that Beta-Alanine Diacetic Acid is safe
cir
Verdict: safe
NOAEL: 75 mg/kg bw/d (not specified)
ata to determine the safety of these ingredients. The Panel concluded that Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is safe in cosmetics in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment, and that the available data are insufficient to make a determination that Beta-Alanine Diacetic Acid is safe
cir
Verdict: safe
NOAEL: 5000 ppm (oral)
ata to determine the safety of these ingredients. The Panel concluded that Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is safe in cosmetics in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment, and that the available data are insufficient to make a determination that Beta-Alanine Diacetic Acid is safe
cir
Verdict: safe
NOAEL: 15000 ppm (oral)
ata to determine the safety of these ingredients. The Panel concluded that Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is safe in cosmetics in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment, and that the available data are insufficient to make a determination that Beta-Alanine Diacetic Acid is safe
cir
Verdict: safe
NOAEL: 1000 mg/kg bw/d (oral)
ata to determine the safety of these ingredients. The Panel concluded that Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is safe in cosmetics in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment, and that the available data are insufficient to make a determination that Beta-Alanine Diacetic Acid is safe
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10,000 - 100,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Additional Ingredient Properties
2 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
deodorant
{"cas_number": "51981-21-6", "ingredient_class": "other", "mechanism_of_action": "metal_ion_chelation", "antiperspirant_efficacy_sweat_reduction_pct": "0", "deodorant_efficacy_hours": "0", "odor_reduction_pct": "0", "bacteriostatic": "no", "bactericidal": "no", "microbiome_impact": "neutral", "axillary_microbiome_effect": "varies by ingredient", "MIC_value_if_antimicrobial": "varies", "astringency…
microbiome_impact
{"microbiome_effect": "neutral", "prebiotic": "no", "probiotic_compatible": "yes", "preservative_effect_on_microbiome": "Chelating agent; enhances preservative efficacy; no direct antimicrobial effect", "gut_microbiome_risk": "low", "microbiome_recovery_time": "<2 days", "selective_antimicrobial": "no", "beneficial_bacteria_support": "S. epidermidis, Lactobacillus spp", "biofilm_disruption": "low"…
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Chelating agent
Cleaning agent
Solvent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate.
Regulatory Flags
nta-impurity-risk
check-coa
no-dermal-absorption-data
preservative-booster
chelating-agent
biodegradable
edta-alternative
epa_safer_alternative
Known Synonyms
L-Glutamic acid, N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)-, sodium salt (1:4)
Tetrasodium N,N-Bis(carboxymethyl)-L-glutamate
EINECS 257-573-7
UNII-5EHL50I4MY
Chemical Function
Chelating agent
Cleaning agent
Regulatory Lists
SCIL (9/2019)
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed_with_terms
Specific information requirements: Obligations to provide information apply. You must tell us within 28 days if the circumstances of your importation or manufacture (introduction) are different to those in our assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate allowed in the EU?
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.05–0.30%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate do in cosmetics?
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate functions as: Chelating Agent, Preservative Booster, Antimicrobial Potentiator. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 51981-21-6.
Is Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate used outside cosmetics?
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate also appears in industrial chemical safety data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
Related Ingredients
1-Methylhydantoin-2-imide (Creatinine)
Excellent
Similar safety
Skin conditioning (skin brightening/l...
2,6-Dimethyl-7-octen-2-ol (Dihydromyrcenol)
Excellent
Similar safety
Fragrance (perfuming), masking
2-Ethoxy-2,6,6-Trimethyl-9-Methylenebicyclo[3.3.1]Nonane (Boisiris™)
Excellent
Similar safety
Fragrance (rich woody, orris/iris roo...
2-Hydroxypropylcarbamato Amodimethicone
Excellent
Similar safety
Hair conditioning; modified aminosili...
2-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Excellent
Similar safety
Softener and conditioner
3 O Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Excellent
Similar safety
Antioxidant; tyrosinase inhibitor; me...
TETRACARBOXYMETHYL NARINGENINCHALCONE
Good
Browse nearby
Skin Conditioning
TETRADECYLPROPIONATES
Good
Browse nearby
Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning ...
TETRAHYDRO-6-PENT-2-ENYL-PYRAN-2-ONE
Good
Browse nearby
Perfuming
TETRAHYDRO-6-PENT-3-ENYL-PYRAN-2-ONE
Good
Browse nearby
Perfuming
(20S)-Protopanaxadiol
Moderate
Same EU status
(AGARICUS BLAZEI FERMENT + GANODERMA LUCIDUM FERMENT + GANODERMA MULTIPILEUM FERMENT) EXTRACT
Good
Same EU status
Anti-sebum, Antioxidant, Skin Protecting
(ANGELICA ACUTILOBA/PAEONIA LACTIFLORA/REHMANNIA GLUTINOSA) ROOT/CNIDIUM OFFICINALE RHIZOME EXTRACT
Good
Same EU status
Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning ...
(ANGELICA ACUTILOBA/PAEONIA LACTIFLORA/REHMANNIA GLUTINOSA/SCUTELLARIA BAICALENSIS) ROOT/(CNIDIUM OFFICINALE/COPTIS CHINENSIS) RHIZOME/GARDENIA JASMINOIDES FRUIT/PHELLODENDRON CHINENSE BARK EXTRACT
Good
Same EU status
Is Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate in Your Products?
Scan any product label with Piro — our free ingredient scanner. Point your camera at the ingredients list and get instant safety scores for every ingredient.
Try Piro Free →Analyze Your Full Ingredient List
Paste any INCI list into the Decoder for instant safety analysis, or calculate the Margin of Safety for Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate in your formulation.