2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Often on the labels of various food products - sausages, pickles, mayonnaise, wine, cheese, yogurt and many others we find the designation E202. It marks potassium sorbate, which is a food additive from the group of preservatives.
In addition to food, it can be found in cosmetics, and its widespread use is explained by its harmless nature. What is potassium sorbate with code E202 and what do we need to know about it when we use it or find it on the packaging of the goods we consume?
Nature and production of potassium sorbate
E202 is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. This acid in nature is found in the sap, which is extracted from the fruits of the rowan tree. It was discovered in 1859 by Hoffmann, and its antimicrobial effect was discovered in 1939 by the German scientist Müller. Production of sorbic acid in industrial quantities began in the 50s of last century. It is a preservative preferred over others because of its harmlessness and neutrality.
Potassium sorbate is obtained of sorbic acid in the neutralization of potassium hydroxide. The acid decomposes into salts of calcium, sodium and potassium, and from them are obtained sorbates, which are preservatives.
Sorbates are the result of a process called sorption. In practice, this is the process of absorbing one substance from another, with the absorbing being called a sorbent and the absorbed being called a sorbate. It is widely used in industry and everyday life.
This is the synthetic way to obtaining E202. Its chemical formula is C6H7CO2.
The other way to obtain the preservative is by extracting it from the seeds of the fruit of some plants.
In appearance potassium sorbate represents powder or granular with white color and neutral taste.
Another distinctive feature is its high solubility, it is the most soluble of all other sorbates. Room temperature provides a solubility of 138 grams per liter. Dissolution releases sorbic acid, which has the characteristics of the active substances. The activity of the substance is expressed in inhibiting the development of yeasts and molds, as well as some types of bacteria.
Now potassium sorbate, along with sorbic acid and its other salts, is the most popular preservative because it does not cause any harm to the human body. It is accepted that the maximum dose is from 0.1 to 0.2 percent by weight of the finished product in which it is applied.
Potassium sorbate is a permitted additive in the EU, as in most countries around the world. Asian, European countries, as well as the United States and Canada use the product widely. Australia is the country where it is banned.
What are the properties of potassium sorbate?
Except as an inhibitor of molds and yeasts in foods potassium sorbate it also has the quality to increase the suitability of food. It is also used in many personal care products to prevent the growth of microorganisms in them and to extend their shelf life.
Because it is harmless, many environmentally friendly manufacturers use it as a substitute for dangerous parabens.
Potassium sorbate shows low toxicity. It is considered harmless from the point of view of toxicology.
However, it has the ability to cause genetic mutations under certain conditions. It also irritates the skin, eyes and respiratory system and is the reason it has been banned from use in some countries.
The daily amount of the substance should not exceed 25 milligrams per 1 kilogram of body weight in order to be harmless when used by humans.
Areas of application of potassium sorbate
Like preservative potassium sorbate is used primarily in the food industry. It is used in the preservation of fruits and vegetables, fish and meat. It is added to the products of the confectionery industry, in egg products. As it prevents the development of mold, it is actively used in sausages and cheeses. We can find it in the dough of rye bread, which protects against mold and mildew.
The neutral taste of potassium sorbate makes it the ideal candidate for a preservative in confectionery not only for sweets, cakes, but also for chocolate products. The lack of characteristic taste makes it a sought-after additive for fruit juices and carbonated drinks.
E202 is very common in Asian cuisine as a preservative for acidic and spicy sauces and spices, which they use because of the effective antimicrobial properties it exhibits in a highly acidic environment. Good protection is against fungi and yeast in these raw materials.
It is widely used in winemaking. Potassium sorbate performs active biological stabilization of the wine. In it, after the fermentation process, the following problem is created: the yeast that ferments the sugar of the grape juice can eat the sugars added to sweeten the wine. The yeast needs to be neutralized and therefore potassium sorbate is added.
We can also get potassium sorbate in the canning of pickled vegetables, because it does not reduce lactic acid fermentation, without which canning will not be successful.
Where should we most often expect to find the code E202?
We can certainly find it on the labels of margarines, mayonnaise, smoked meats, jams, juices, sweet drinks, flour products, sausages, wine, brandy, tomato paste, ketchup, various cheeses. Potassium sorbate is practically always present in semi-finished meat and frozen foods.
In cosmetics, potassium sorbate is used in the manufacture of shampoos, creams and lotions to protect products from destruction. It is often combined with other preservatives, but in smaller doses.
Harm from potassium sorbate
Although potassium sorbate is used as a preservative for more than a century, there is still no complete clarity and agreement on how harmful it is.
The downside of the product is that it sometimes causes allergic reactions. Hypersensitivity to it, expressed in reactions and allergies in the oral cavity, throat and digestive tract, as well as migraines and headaches.
The preservative is harmless and permitted everywhere, but only in low doses. This permissible dose for each food is not more than 0.2 percent of it.
Overdose adversely affects the oral cavity and stomach. Exceeding the permitted norms can lead to premature birth in pregnant women, gastric bleeding, damage to the kidneys and liver.
E202 is not allowed in diets for health problems. In them, food is consumed fresh and the addition of any preservatives fails the diet. It is recommended to avoid any supplements with code E, as this has been found to have an adverse effect in any chronic disease. Although it has been declared harmless preservative E202, has not yet been well studied in its use by the chronically ill.
Significance of potassium sorbate
Undoubtedly, E202 can be added to the list of useful supplements because of the possibilities for long-term preservation of food and beverages, as well as cosmetic products for personal hygiene.
Find out more about the most dangerous preservatives and why you should eat your canned food on time.
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Potassium Sorbate - Nature And Harm
To find out whether or not potassium sorbate is harmful, we need to start with where we can find it, what we use it for, and what are the most common foods that contain it. On the product labels you can find potassium sorbate under the name E 202 - it is a food additive which is classified as a preservative.
