Potassium Sorbate is a food preservative.
Contents
Uses
- Potassium sorbate’s use as an antimicrobial preservative prevents the growth of mold, bacteria and fungi in cheese, dried meats, baked goods, jellies and syrups. As a preservative in dried fruit, potassium sorbate often replaces sulfur dioxide, which has an aftertaste. The addition of potassium sorbate to dietary supplements inhibits microbes and increases shelf life. Many personal care products use potassium sorbate to prolong shelf stability and prevent bacteria contamination. Acting as a wine stabilizer, potassium sorbate prevents yeast from fermentation past the wine’s bottling stage. By inhibiting the fermentation process, it ceases production of yeast.
Benefits
1. Food Preserving
It is widely used as a chemical preservative. This property is attributed to its slightly acidic nature that prevents the growth of microorganisms and thus prolongs the shelf life. It is widely used in the packaging of canned fruits, vegetables, dairy products (cheese and yogurt), and meat products (beef ad fish).
2. Wine Making
Potassium sorbate is used as a finalizing preservative to retain the flavor and taste of the wine after the completion of final distillation and fermentation processes. This is because, wine is produced by fermentation of fruits (that are high in sugars) by yeast; however, even when the final taste is achieved, there is still yeast and some sugar left. Without potassium sorbate, the fermentation process may continue; thereby changing the taster of wine. Potassium sorbate is added to control and limit the excessive growth of yeast in the wine.
3. Personal Care Items
Enriched hair care and skin care products are always at risk of getting contaminated by the growth of fungi and molds; however, if chemical agents like potassium sorbate are added to the mixture, the fermentation process can be easily controlled and personal care products can be used for a longer period of time.
4. Other Commercial Uses
Potassium sorbate is also used for a variety of industrial processes like in pain industry, rubber and plastic industry and other commercial and synthetic manufacturing units.
Cautions
The possible side effects of trace minerals are:
- In most cases, potassium sorbate is considered non-toxic and safe for use in commercial and culinary applications. However, some scientists believe that the addition of synthetic ingredients to foods, especially foods which are consumed quite regularly, can cause long term side effects which can be harmful.
- Those who consume large amounts of food containing potassium sorbate may suffer from diarrhea which can cause them to deplete the nutrient value in their system. In lesser cases, the patient may suffer from nausea as your body becomes overwhelmed with the amount of potassium in your system.
- Those who frequently use cosmetic products that have potassium sorbate as a preservative can experience rashes or irritation if their body becomes overexposed to the drug. It can also cause irritation to the eyes if it comes in contact with them.
- Those who are allergic to potassium are even more likely to develop a negative reaction to potassium sorbate. These individuals will need to avoid products that have potassium sorbate listed as an ingredient to avoid a potentially serious reaction. In extreme cases this can lead to renal or kidney problems which can cause serious damage over time.
Interactions
- Please speak to your doctor!
Other names
E202
Sorbistat-K
Sorbistat potassium
References
Source: New Health Guide, http://www.newhealthguide.org/Potassium-Sorbate.html
MD Health, http://www.md-health.com/Potassium-Sorbate.html
Live Strong, http://www.livestrong.com/article/31559-potassium-sorbate/
Live Well, http://livewell.jillianmichaels.com/dangers-potassium-sorbate-5048.html
Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_sorbate