You'll find many discussions about using it on the Harvest forum here - the canning and preserving forum. Pickle Crisp is the brand name most of us use although the food grade calcium chloride is is also available in bulk quantities from several sources.

Most recipes call for only 1/4 tsp. of Pickle Crisp so it is used in minimal amounts. Both calcium and chloride are natural elements, present in the body naturally. But both are mined elements so labeled by AMS/USDA as "non-synthetic substances prohibited for use in organic crop production except as a foliar spray to treat a physiological disorder associated with calcium uptake."

As for eating it - your choice.

Dave

Calcium Chloride is used in foods as a preservative, to help foods stay firm. and as flavoring. Like Sodium Chloride too much is not good for you. Is this necessary? Probably not but the food industry has been adding unnecessary stuff to our food for years, and we simply accept it sometimes because we don't know its there or have been convinced it should be.

Why not salt ferment in the traditional way?

Sea salt has more calcium than common table salt. If you want to increase the calcium in your pickles this might help.