Sodium Metabisulfite

Sodium Meta Bisulphite is used as a preservative in the starch and food industry to control melanosis (black spot) in shrimp; for fermentation in the industry; as an antichlor in the chemical industry and as a redox catalyst in the acrylic fiber industry. The product is also used as a reducing agent in the purification of aldehydes and ketones; in the manufacture of sulphonated oil and resin; for detoxification of cyanide in gold ore processing plants and in the manufacture of photographic chemicals. Sodium Metabisulphite''s acidic and preservative properties also make it an effective substitute for sodium bisulfite, a chemical which is used in traditional darkroom photography. Also, Sodium Metabisulphite is used as a bleaching agent in pulp and textile manufacture, as well as a reducing agent in pharmaceuticals. It is also a known preservative in cosmetics. The chemical, in concentrated form, has also been used in landscape gardening as a tree stump remover, as it disintegrates the lignin -- chemicals in plant cell walls -- in the tree stumps, making them easier to remove.