There's Potassium Sorbate in My Food — Is That Safe?

Take a look at the ingredient list on some of your favorite packaged foods and you're likely to find "potassium sorbate" wedged in there somewhere. This additive crops up in a variety of foods — from pickles to dried meat to ice cream — but is it safe?

Potassium sorbate is a man-made, chemical preservative that has been used for almost 200 years to protect food, drinks and personal care products from being spoiled by fungi (such as mold), bacteria and other microorganisms, according to theU.S. Department of Agriculture.

Today, most potassium sorbate is made in labs and comes in the form of white crystals or powder, per a paper inApplied and Environmental Microbiology. It also has no odor or taste, which makes it attractive as a food additive.

Given this lengthy track record, it's probably not surprising that theFood and Drug Administration(FDA) has designated potassium sorbate as "GRAS," or Generally Regarded as Safe, "when used in accordance with good manufacturing practice."

TheCenter for Science in the Public Interest, a public watchdog group that issues information and advice on nutrition, health and food safety, also classifies potassium sorbate as safe. TheEnvironmental Working Group(EWG) gives it a low-risk score regarding the potential to cause cancer as well as effects on developmental and reproductive toxicity. The EWG gives it a medium-high score as a skin irritant.

"Potassium sorbate is a food additive and, like other food additives, helps us enjoy a food supply that's safe, nutritious, convenient and affordable,"Isabel Maples, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells LIVESTRONG.com.

Read more:20 Scary-Sounding Food Additives That Are Actually Harmless

There have been a few reported incidents of potassium sorbate side effects over the decades, though most are now from decades ago and from personal care products, not food.

For example, a 1988 study in theJournal of the American College of Toxicology报告了两个可能的(尽管不确定)例of skin irritation (called erythema) in people who had used a facial scrub containing potassium sorbate.

Meanwhile, a September 2005 study published in the journalContact Dermatitisdescribed one case of skin irritation (contact dermatitis) in someone who worked in a milk-processing plant. That employee apparently had had long-term contact with potassium sorbate.

According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), about 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses each year. Without preservatives, this number might be higher.

There have been studies on the specific benefits of potassium sorbate. For example, a November 2016 study in theInternational Journal of Food Microbiologyfound that it helped neutralize salmonella bacteria in ground beef jerky. Salmonella alone causes 1.2 million illnesses each year, per the疾病预防控制中心.

Read more:吃过期的食物值得冒这个风险吗?

Potassium sorbate is found in a wide variety of packaged and treated products, including:

• Processed and cured or smoked meats
• Dairy products like cheeses, dips, yogurt and sour cream
• Baked goods, including bread, cakes, pies and fillings, baking mixes, doughs, icings, fudges, toppings
• Beverages including ciders, juices and sodas
• Condiments including margarine, mayonnaise, dressings and oils
• Smoked and salted fish
• Cereals and snack foods
  

Potassium sorbate is also used to prevent yeast from continuing to ferment in the wine-making process, according toVirginia Tech's Food Science & Technologydepartment. Manydietary supplementsand medications also contain potassium sorbate, as do certain personal care products, specifically face and eye makeup as well as skin care and hair products, according toCosmeticsInfo.org, a site sponsored by the Personal Care Products Council.

In food and cosmetic products, especially, potassium sorbate would be clearly labeled as an ingredient, Maples says.

Read more:The Most Common Food Preservatives