Potassium sorbate comes from wood ashes and naturally occurs in berries. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms claim potassium sorbate is safe for public consumption as a food additive. Potassium sorbate became available as a commercial preservative in the late 1940s in the U.S and has been legally used as a preservative in France since 1959 and in Germany since 1971. Potassium sorbate is considered safe, with toxicity about equal to table salt, according to information from Iowa State University Extension.
Edible Coatings
The FDA considers potassium sorbate a safe ingredient in edible coatings that retard mold growth on foods like apples, cucumbers and tomatoes. According to a study from the University of Jordan in Amman published in the April 2011 issue of the “Journal of Food Science,” guar gum coating with potassium sorbate provided the greatest amount of safety for consumers by inhibiting molds better than pea starch coating with potassium sorbate.
Apple Cider and E. Coli
Potassium sorbate and pasteurization make apple cider safer for consumers, according to a food safety bulletin published in 1997 from the University of Wisconsin-Extension. The bulletin addresses a label warning required by the FDA in 1997 on unpasteurized apple cider. The warning was a response to more than 60 cases of food poisoning, including one fatality, attributed to unpasteurized apple cider in October 1996. An investigation revealed that in almost every case the juice was contaminated with E. coli bacteria. Potassium sorbate causes most if not all E. coli present in the juice to die.
Wine Preservative
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms deems potassium sorbate safe enough for wine producers to use it as a preservative. It’s most commonly found in sweet white table wines. The established safe amount for potassium sorbate in wine is 300 parts per million. However, this amount of potassium sorbate endangers the taste of the wine. Experienced wine tasters report potassium sorbate up to levels of about 130 ppm preserves the taste of the wine, according to information from an article in “Vineyard & Vintage View” posted on the Iowa State University Extension website.
Vaginal Cleansing
The FDA also approves of using potassium sorbate in topical medications including disposable vaginal cleansing cloths used to clean the external vaginal area. Drugs.com does not list any adverse reactions or side effects for potassium sorbate in vaginal cleansing cloths.
References
- Drugs.com: Potassium Sorbate
- Iowa State University Extension; Sorbic Acid; Murli Dharmadhikari
- "Journal of Food Science"; Antifungal Effectiveness of Potassium Sorbate Incorporated in Edible Coatings Against Spoilage Molds of Apples, Cucumbers, and Tomatoes During Refrigerated Storage; G.F. Mehyar, et al.; April 2011
- University of Wisconsin-Extension; Safe Consumption of Apple Juice and Apple Cider; B.H. Ingham, et al,; 1997
- University of Minnesota Enology Blog; Potassium Sorbate as a Wine Preservative; February 2011
- Center for Science in the Public Interest; Chemical Cuisine: Learn About Food Additives
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