Described is the production of water-absorbing polymeric particles by polymerizing a monomer solution or suspension comprising a) at least one ethylenically unsaturated acid-functional monomer which is optionally at least partly present as salt, b) at least one crosslinker and c) at least one initiator, wherein the process further comprises drying the resulting polymer and also optionally grinding the dried polymer and sieving the ground polymer and also optionally surface-postcrosslinking the dried and possibly ground and sieved polymer, and wherein the polymerization is carried out in the presence of aminopolycarboxylic acids and/or salts thereof, in particular in the presence of ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid and/or a salt thereof.