The Only Organic Baking Soda in the World Comes From Colorado

Certain foods, such as Rocky Mountain Oysters, green chili, and Palisade peaches, have obvious associations with Colorado, but there's another item in the grocery store that has an extremely close connection to the Centennial State.

Many might be surprised to learn that the world's only organic baking soda comes from Colorado. Actually, baking soda itself is produced in large quantities here as well.

Located in western Colorado, Natural Soda is a major producer of sodium bicarbonate (commonly known as baking soda) products to the food, pharmaceutical, industrial, pool, and animal feed markets both domestically and worldwide.

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Sodium bicarbonate is a widely used and versatile chemical. For one, it acts as a naturally occurring deodorizer, which is why it's used in so many personal care products. The release of carbon dioxide when heated makes sodium bicarbonate an excellent source of CO2 for baking. The chemical is a natural digestive aid for both humans and animals too.

Natural Soda produces pure, natural sodium bicarbonate from its extensive nahcolite leases which cover more than 9,400 acres in the Piceance Creek Basin. According to the company's website, the Piceance Creek Basin contains North America’s only known significant deposit of nahcolite and Natural Soda is currently the only corporation taking advantage of this world-class resource.

The company uses a technique called solution mining, which pumps warm water into the earth and pushes the baking soda to the surface. NBC11News explains the mine wouldn't be possible without the area's natural gas deposits.

Recently, political candidate, Adam Frisch gave an inside look at the facility in Rifle, Colorado, and the impressive amount of baking soda that comes from this location.

Natural Soda is the second largest producer of sodium bicarbonate in North America. More than 200,000 tons of baking soda is extracted from the site in Colorado each year.

So, maybe the next time you're in the kitchen baking, treating the backyard pool, feeding the cows, or even curing bad breath, you'll know where that sodium bicarbonate likely came from in that helpful product you're using.