What is Potassium Sorbate

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Potassium sorbate is one of the most common preservatives used in cheese, wine, meat, etc. Though it is considered safe to use, excess and prolonged usage may cause some side effects. Find out more about this preservative in this article.

One of the most commonly used product in food additives is potassium sorbate. It is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. Potassium sorbate is a polyunsaturated, fatty acid salt.

Its ability to inhibit the growth of molds, yeasts and fungi makes it one of the best additive. It has very few side effects which makes it more apt for edible products. It is in the form of a crystalline powder at normal room temperature.

Production and Properties Potassium sorbate can be obtained by bringing about a chemical reaction between sorbic acid and potassium hydroxide. This will yield a molecule of potassium sorbate and water.

Potassium sorbate formula is C 6 H 7 O 2 K but it can also be written as (CH 3 )(CH) 4 COOK. The following equation will help you to understand the reaction better. C 6 H 8 O 2 + KOH ---> C 6 H 7 O 2 K + H 2 O

Potassium sorbate if dissolved in water converts back to sorbic acid. It is in the form of white to yellowish crystalline powder and is soluble in water, ethanol and propylene glycol. The effectiveness of this preservative depends upon the pH level. It is highly effective at 6.5 pH. Its molecular weight is 150.22 grams/mole and it decomposes at 270ºC.

Uses Potassium sorbate possesses antimicrobial properties which makes it useful in many components. Following are some of the uses.

The most important and common use of this formula is as a food preservative. It has microbial inhibitory factors which inhibits the growth of mold, yeast, fungi, etc. This decreases the possibility of diseases caused due to such microorganisms. Potassium sorbate is very commonly used in dairy products, beverages, vegetables, fruits, baked products etc.

It is very commonly used in wines. As we all know wine is made by a fermentation process which is carried out by the microorganism, yeast. Once the wine reaches its proper flavor, in order to stop further fermentation, potassium sorbate is used, which inhibits the growth of yeast. With this preservative, wine usually has a high sugar content.

It is also used in different cosmetics and personal care products. They are very commonly used in shampoos, conditioners, lotions, etc. It is also used for industrial purposes. For instance, it is used as gloss on certain materials.

Dangers and Side Effects Potassium sorbate is considered safe and non toxic. It has some synthetic characters which are considered to be harmful by some scientists. However, prolonged or excess use of this formula may lead to diarrhea, loss of the nutrient value in food and nausea.

The cosmetic and personal products containing potassium sorbate can cause allergic reactions, eye or skin irritation, etc. If you are allergic to potassium in any form, do not use products containing potassium sorbate. Out of 10 at least 8 canned food items contain this preservative, hence stop the intake of canned food.

Though potassium sorbate is safe to use, it's always better to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Its side effects are very rare, but in some extreme cases it can take you to kidney and renal problems. If you observe any type of side effects, discontinue the usage such products.