Acetic acid, CH3COOH, yog cov kua tsis muaj xim, tsis muaj kuab lom ntawm qhov kub thiab txias. Cov ntshiab compound, glacial acetic acid, tshuav nws lub npe rau nws cov dej khov zoo li crystalline tsos ntawm 15.6 ° C. Raws li feem ntau muab, acetic acid yog 6 N aqueous tov (kwv yees 36%) lossis 1 N tov (kwv yees 6%). Cov no los yog lwm yam dilutions yog siv los ntxiv qhov tsim nyog ntawm acetic acid rau cov khoom noj. Acetic acid yog cov yam ntxwv acid ntawm vinegar, nws cov concentration ntawm 3.5 mus rau 5.6%. Acetic acid thiab acetates muaj nyob rau hauv feem ntau cov nroj tsuag thiab tsiaj cov ntaub so ntswg nyob rau hauv me me tab sis nrhiav tau tus nqi. Lawv yog cov metabolic intermediates ib txwm, yog tsim los ntawm cov kab mob xws li Acetobacteria thiab tuaj yeem tsim los ntawm carbon dioxide los ntawm cov kab mob xws li Clostridium thermoaceticum. Cov nas ua acetate ntawm tus nqi ntawm 1% ntawm nws lub cev hnyav ib hnub.

Raws li cov kua tsis muaj xim nrog lub zog, pungent, yam ntxwv vinegar tsw, nws yog ib qho tseem ceeb nyob rau hauv butter, cheese, txiv hmab txiv ntoo thiab txiv hmab txiv ntoo flavors. Cov ntshiab acetic acid tsawg heev yog siv rau hauv cov khoom noj, txawm hais tias nws raug cais los ntawm FDA ua GRAS khoom. Yog li ntawd, nws tuaj yeem siv rau hauv cov khoom lag luam uas tsis suav nrog Cov Lus Txhais thiab Cov Qauv ntawm Tus Kheej. Acetic acid yog cov khoom tseem ceeb ntawm vinegars thiab pyroigneous acid. Nyob rau hauv daim ntawv ntawm vinegar, ntau tshaj 27 lab lbs tau ntxiv rau cov zaub mov nyob rau hauv 1986, nrog kwv yees li sib npaug zos npaum li cas siv raws li acidulants thiab flavoring agents. Qhov tseeb, acetic acid (raws li vinegar) yog ib qho ntawm cov tshuaj tsw qab tshaj plaws. Vinegars tau siv dav hauv kev npaj zaub xam lav hnav khaub ncaws thiab mayonnaise, qaub thiab qab zib pickles thiab ntau cov kua ntses thiab catsups. Lawv kuj tau siv rau hauv kev kho cov nqaij thiab hauv cov kaus poom ntawm qee yam zaub. Hauv kev tsim cov mayonnaise, qhov sib ntxiv ntawm ib feem ntawm acetic acid (vinegar) rau ntsev - lossis qab zib-yolk txo cov cua sov ntawm Salmonella. Cov dej sib xyaw ua ke ntawm cov hnyuv ntxwm feem ntau suav nrog acetic acid lossis nws cov ntsev ntsev, thaum calcium acetate yog siv los khaws cov kev ntxhib los mos ntawm cov zaub qhwv, cov kaus poom.