Food-grade sodium bicarbonate must meet FDA purity standards and is subject to admissibility review as a food additive or GRAS substance. Technical-grade material used in industrial applications such as flue-gas treatment or fire suppression is not subject to FDA food-additive requirements, though it must still be correctly classified. The HTS line is the same for both grades, so the intended use and grade designation on the commercial invoice and certificate of analysis are critical for determining the applicable regulatory pathway at entry.

European producers, particularly in Germany and France, have established reputations for pharmaceutical-grade and ultra-high-purity sodium bicarbonate that meets stringent pharmacopoeial standards (USP, EP). US importers in the pharmaceutical and specialty food sectors often source from these origins to meet specification requirements that domestic commodity-grade production may not consistently satisfy.