What is Potassium Sorbate

Food additives are very widely used to preserve many edible products. One of the most commonly used product in them is potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. It is a polyunsaturated, fatty acid salt. It is one of the most common food additives because of its ability to inhibit the growth of many molds, yeasts and fungi. 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. Let's find out some more important properties and functions about potassium sorbate.

Potassium Sorbate Production and Properties

Potassium sorbate can be easily produced. It can be obtained by bringing about a chemical reaction between sorbic acid with potassium hydroxide. This will yield a molecule of potassium sorbate and water. Potassium sorbate formula is C₆H₇O₂K but it can also be written as (CH₃)(CH)₄COOK. The following equation will help you to understand the reaction better.

C₆H₈O₂ + KOH ---> C₆H₇O₂K + H₂O

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 potassium sorbate as a 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.

Potassium Sorbate Uses

After going through potassium sorbate, let's find out what is it used for. Potassium sorbate possesses antimicrobial properties which makes it useful in many components. Following are some of the uses of potassium sorbate.

• 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 now 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 the further fermentation of the wine, potassium sorbate is used which inhibits the growth of yeast. Potassium sorbate wine usually has a high level of 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 in certain coatings.

Potassium Sorbate Dangers and Side Effects

Are there any side effects of potassium sorbate? This is a very commonly asked question. Potassium sorbate is considered safe and non toxic. It has some synthetic characters which are considered to be harmful by some scientists. Anything in excess is harmful, similar is the case with potassium sorbate. 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 potassium sorbate. Hence if you want to avoid potassium sorbate, stop the intake of canned food.

Though potassium sorbate is safe to use, it's always better to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. The side effects of potassium sorbate are very rarely found 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 of products containing potassium sorbate. So, take care of your health and try to concentrate on fresh fruits and vegetables.