Potassium sorbate

Chemical properties

White powder. Soluble in water (25C).

Chemical properties

Potassium sorbate was first discovered by the French in the 1850s, having been derived from the mountain ash tree. It is widely used in the food industry and few substances have had the kind of extensive, rigorous, long-term testing that sorbic acid and its salts have had. It decomposes at about 270°C. For a detailed description of this compound, refer to Burdock (1997).

Occurrence

Reported found in blueberries.

The Uses of Potassium sorbate

Potassium sorbate, the potassium salt of sorbic acid, is a naturally-occurring organic acid. Potassium sorbate is the most widely used food grade preservative and is not a broad spectrum preservative for cosmetic use. It is used as a mold, bacterial and yeast inhibitor and as a fungistatic agent in foods. It is also used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, tobacco and flavoring products.

The Uses of Potassium sorbate

potassium sorbate is a preservative primarily against mold and yeast, and used in concentrations of 0.025 to 0.2 percent. It is non-toxic but may cause mild skin irritation.

The Uses of Potassium sorbate

Pharmaceutic aid (antimicrobial agent).

The Uses of Potassium sorbate

Potassium Sorbate is a preservative that is the potassium salt of sor- bic acid. it is a white crystalline powder which is very soluble in water, with a solubility of 139 g in 100 ml at 20°c. this solubility allows for solutions of high concentration which can be used for dipping and spraying. it is effective up to ph 6.5. it has approxi- mately 74% of the activity of sorbic acid, therefore requiring higher concentrations to obtain comparable results as sorbic acid. it is effec- tive against yeasts and molds and is used in cheese, bread, beverages, margarine, and dry sausage. typical usage levels are 0.025–0.10%.

Definition

ChEBI: Potassium sorbate is a potassium salt having sorbate as the counterion. It has a role as an antimicrobial food preservative. It contains an (E,E)-sorbate.

Production Methods

Potassium sorbate is produced industrially by neutralizing sorbic acid with potassium hydroxide. The precursor sorbic acid is produced in a two-step process via the condensation of crotonaldehyde and ketene.

Toxicology

In pure form, potassium sorbate is a skin, eye, and respiratory irritant.Concentrations up to 0.5% are not significant skin irritants.
As a food additive, potassium sorbate is used as a preservative in concentrations of 0.025–0.100%, which in a 100 g serving yields an intake of 25–100 mg. In the United States, no more than 0.1% is allowed in fruit butters, jellies, preserves, and related products.[18] Up to 0.4% has been studied in low-salt, naturally-fermented pickles, and when combined with calcium chloride, 0.2% made "good quality pickles." Potassium sorbate has about 74% of sorbic acid's anti-microbial activity. When calculated as sorbic acid, 0.3% is allowed in "cold pack cheese food." The upper pH limit for effectiveness is 6.5.
The maximal acceptable daily intake for human consumption is 25 mg/kg, or 1750 mg daily for an average adult (70 kg). Under some conditions, particularly at high concentrations or when combined with nitrites, potassium sorbate has shown genotoxic activity in vitro.

Safety Profile

Moderately toxic by intraperitoneal route. Mildly toxic by ingestion. Mutation data reported. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of K2O.

Synthesis

Manufactured by organic synthesis