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Introduction to the properties of potassium sorbate

2024-10-09

1.The structure of potassium sorbate Potassium sorbate is obtained by the reaction of sorbate with potassium carbonate or potassium hydroxide, and the structure of sorbate is similar to that of small molecule conjugated fatty acids.
The conjugated structure of the fatty acids is -ch = ch-ch =CH-, and this continuous carbon-carbon double bond structure (-C=C-) is very unstable and easily metabolized into carbon dioxide and water in the human body, which lays the foundation for the safety of potassium sorbate.
The chemical formula of potassium sorbate is: CH3-CH=CH-CH=CH-COOK

 

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2.Characteristics of potassium sorbate and potassium sorbate have the same anti-corrosion properties, but the structure of sorbate is similar to fatty acids, solubility in water is general, made of potassium sorbate, can be better dissolved in water.
Potassium sorbate is white or white particles or powder, odorless or slightly smelly, stable to light and heat.
Because potassium sorbate contains two unsaturated conjugated double bonds, it is easy to oxidize, especially the double bonds far away from the carboxyl group (-COOH) are easy to oxidize, and the oxidized potassium sorbate will become darker.

3.From the structure of potassium sorbate, its main structure is a small-molecule conjugated fatty acid structure, which is easily metabolized into carbon dioxide and water in the human body, so it is relatively safe.
The Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), jointly established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has conducted several safety assessments of potassium sorbate, and the results show that potassium sorbate is safe to use at standard doses. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also consider potassium sorbate to be a safe food additive.
According to current scientific research data, potassium sorbate is not listed as a primary carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classiifies potassium sorbate as level 3, meaning the available evidence is insufficient to consider it carcinogenic to humans.