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The Application of Sodium benzoate

Sodium benzoate is a sodium salt that is commonly used as a chemical preservative, but can also occur naturally in some foods. This chemical is often found in processed foods such as sodas, fruit juices, vinegar, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, dyes or industrial settings. It is often added to items like salad dressing to extend shelf life. It may also be used to cease the fermentation process in items like wine. Understanding where and how you are exposed to sodium benzoate can help you better determine how to prevent overexposure to this chemical or inadvertently creating benzene in your diet. Sodium benzoate has the chemical formula NaC7H5O2; with E number E211. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid. Benzoic acid occurs naturally at low levels in cranberries, prunes, greengage plums, cinnamon, ripe cloves, and apples. Sodium benzoate is a sodium salt that occurring naturally in some foods, but is also widely used as a chemical preservative. It is used mainly as a food preservative, but is also found in cosmetics, dyes, pharmaceuticals, industrial settings. Sodium benzoate is a common ingredient in highly processed foods such as carbonated sodas, vinegar, fruit juices; in mixed ingredients like salad dressings; and to stop the fermentation process in wines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Health Protection Branch in Canada (HPB) report that in low doses it is safe for consumption, although when combined with ascorbic acid it forms the chemical benzene, a suspected carcinogen. Sodium benzoate combines with water to produce benzoic acid, which is the active form of the preservative. Sodium benzoate naturally occurs in low levels in fruits such as apples, plums, berries and cranberries, and in a few sweet spices, including cloves and cinnamon. When added to foods as a chemical preservative, about 75% of people can taste it. Since it is a sodium salt, it tastes salty, bitter, or sour for most people; but to others it may taste sweet. The FDA currently permits a maximum of 0.1% benzoate in foods. Soft drinks are the number one source of sodium benzoate in the diet. On its own, it is not considered toxic, and studies show no adverse health effects in humans under normal conditions. 1. Preservative Sodium benzoate is a preservative. As a food additive, sodium benzoate has the E number E211. It is bacteriostatic and fungistatic under acidic conditions. It is most widely used in acidic foods such as salad dressings (vinegar), carbonated drinks (carbonic acid), jams and fruit juices (citric acid), pickles (vinegar), and condiments. It is also used as a preservative in medicines and cosmetics.

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Concentration as a preservative is limited by the FDA in the U.S. to 0.1% by weight. Sodium benzoate is also allowed as an animal food additive at up to 0.1%, according to AFCO's official publication. 2. Pharmaceutical applications Sodium benzoate is used as a treatment for urea cycle disorders. Recent research shows that sodium benzoate may be beneficial as an add-on therapy (1 gram/day) in schizophrenia. Total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores dropped by 21% compared to placebo. 3. Other uses Sodium benzoate is also used in fireworks as a fuel in whistle mix, a powder that emits a whistling noise when compressed into a tube and ignited. The fuel is also one of the fastest burning rocket fuels and provides a lot of thrust and smoke. It does have its downsides: there is a high danger of explosion when the fuel is sharply compressed because of the fuel's sensitivity to impact.