Potassium sorbate

Structural formula
General
Surname	Potassium sorbate
other names	POTASSIUM SORBATE ( INCI ) ; E 202;
Molecular formula	C 6 H 7 KO 2
Brief description	white odorless powder
External identifiers / databases
EC number	246-376-1
ECHA InfoCard	100.042.145
PubChem	23676745
ChemSpider	4445644
Wikidata	Q410744
properties
Molar mass	150.22 g mol −1
Physical state	firmly
density	1.36 g cm −3
Melting point	270 ° C (decomposition)
solubility	very light in water (1400 g l −1 at 20 ° C)
safety instructions
GHS hazard labeling from Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 (CLP) , expanded if necessary Caution
H and P phrases	H: 315-319
	P: 302 + 352-305 + 351 + 338
	As far as possible and customary, SI units are used. Unless otherwise noted, the data given apply to standard conditions .

Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid . It is approved in the EU as a food additive with the number E 202.

Occurrence, extraction

Potassium sorbate occurs naturally in the unripe fruits of the mountain ash . It is synthesized industrially in several steps.

properties

Potassium sorbate is a white, odorless, flammable, but difficult to ignite solid that is very easily soluble in water. It decomposes when heated above 270 ° C. Its aqueous solution has an alkaline reaction.

use

Potassium sorbate is used as a preservative for foods such as margarine , spread , tartar sauce , ketchup , mayonnaise , soy sauce , jam , olives , dates , wine , syrup , iced tea or juice spritzer , but it can affect their taste. It is also used to preserve cosmetic products, medicines and tobacco.

safety instructions

In healthy people, it is metabolized like a fatty acid . It has been known since 2009 that potassium sorbate can have genotoxic effects on human lymphocytes in laboratory tests . If the substance is in very finely divided form (powder, dust) in air, there is a risk of a dust explosion.

Web links

Additives online: potassium sorbate

Individual evidence

↑ Entry on POTASSIUM SORBATE in the CosIng database of the EU Commission, accessed on December 28, 2019.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Entry on potassium sorbate in the GESTIS substance database of the IFA , accessed on January 8, 2018(JavaScript required) .
↑ Entry on Potassium (E, E) -hexa-2,4-dienoate in the Classification and Labeling Inventory of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), accessed on August 1, 2016. Manufacturers or distributors can expand the harmonized classification and labeling .
↑ Data sheet Potassium sorbate, purum p. a., ≥99.0% (NT) from Sigma-Aldrich , accessed on April 24, 2016 ( PDF ).
↑ S. Mamur, D. Yüzbaşioğlu, F. Unal, S. Yilmaz: Does potassium sorbate induce genotoxic or mutagenic effects in lymphocytes? In: Toxicology in vitro: an international journal published in association with BIBRA. Volume 24, Number 3, April 2010, pp. 790-794. doi : 10.1016 / j.tiv.2009.12.021 . PMID 20036729 .

[CosIng-1] Entry on POTASSIUM SORBATE in the CosIng database of the EU Commission, accessed on December 28, 2019.

[GESTIS-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Entry on potassium sorbate in the GESTIS substance database of the IFA , accessed on January 8, 2018(JavaScript required) .

[CLP_100.042.145-3] Entry on Potassium (E, E) -hexa-2,4-dienoate in the Classification and Labeling Inventory of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), accessed on August 1, 2016. Manufacturers or distributors can expand the harmonized classification and labeling .

[Sigma-4] Data sheet Potassium sorbate, purum p. a., ≥99.0% (NT) from Sigma-Aldrich , accessed on April 24, 2016 ( PDF ).

[5] S. Mamur, D. Yüzbaşioğlu, F. Unal, S. Yilmaz: Does potassium sorbate induce genotoxic or mutagenic effects in lymphocytes? In: Toxicology in vitro: an international journal published in association with BIBRA. Volume 24, Number 3, April 2010, pp. 790-794. doi : 10.1016 / j.tiv.2009.12.021 . PMID 20036729 .