Method for formulating food grade sodium bicarbonate

A method for formulating food grade sodium bicarbonate from a saturated feedstock of sodium bicarbonate, containing sodium sulfate, calcium, magnesium and chloride ions as impurities, comprising the steps of:

• a) decontaminating said feedstock by filtering said saturated feedstock to remove said impurities to form a first filtrate liquor;
• b passing said filtrate liquor through an ion exchanger containing a chelating cationic resin to reduce calcium and magnesium ion concentration present in said filtrate liquor to less than 10 parts per million;
• c) reducing sulfate occlusions in said filtrate by treating said filtrate liquor with a source of ammonia or ammonium ions to shift the solubility of the compounds present to retain sodium sulfate in solution while precipitating sodium bicarbonate;
• and
• d) filtering precipitated sodium bicarbonate whereby said sodium bicarbonate has an impurity level sufficiently low to comprise food grade.