Food preservative: Sodium Benzoate

Food must be preserved in order for us to use it for as long as feasible.

Numerous food products include sodium benzoate, a common food preservative. It is essentially a kind of salt that is created mostly chemically to protect a variety of food products from the growth of bacteria, yeast, and fungi. Acidic food products frequently have trace quantities of sodium benzoate.

In meals like cold beverages, vinegar, juice, and salad dressings, it works effectively as a preservative. Apples, cranberries, and plums are among the fruits that naturally contain sodium benzoate. Additionally, cinnamon and cloves contain a small amount of sodium benzoate. Even while sodium benzoate occurs naturally in some foods and spices, it does not serve as a preservative for the foods that it is present in.

Also here are some useful research papers to refer:

1. Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate in Selected Fruit Juice and Soft Drink Brands in Nigeria
2. Effects of sodium benzoate, a commonly used food preservative, on learning, memory, and oxidative stress in brain of mice
3. An Overview on the Effects of Sodium Benzoate as a Preservative in Food Products

Uses for Sodium Benzoate

• Alcohol-based mouthwashes commonly contain sodium benzoate as one of its components.

• nettle rash or urticaria.

• It is employed in the creation of silver polish.

• To create the whistling sound made at the moment of ignition, it is employed in fireworks.

• Only up to 0.1 percent of animal food contains sodium benzoate because cats have a lower tolerance for benzoic acid.

• It is applied to stop wine fermentation.

Side Effects of Sodium Benzoate

Salad dressings, cold drinks, jams, fruit juices, and other acidic food products frequently use sodium benzoate as a food preservative. But besides that, it also serves other crucial purposes like:

Consuming sodium benzoate at a set range of 647-825 mg/kg of body weight per day is regarded as safe. The food authorities in several nations also have a cap on its concentration in food additives. Benzene, a recognized carcinogen, is created when sodium benzoate is combined with ascorbic acid and potassium benzoate, despite the fact that sodium benzoate's negative effects are essentially nonexistent. The adverse effects of sodium benzoate are viewed from a variety of studies. 

Benzene, a recognized carcinogen, is created when sodium benzoate is combined with ascorbic acid and potassium benzoate, despite the fact that sodium benzoate's negative effects are essentially nonexistent. The adverse effects of sodium benzoate are viewed from a variety of studies. Additionally, scientists assert that sodium benzoate may harm critical DNA regions. Additionally, sodium benzoate is thought to be one of the main causes of children's hyperactivity. Despite all of these theories, nothing is conclusively known, therefore it is best to limit your intake of foods and beverages that contain sodium benzoate while research is still ongoing.