Potassium Sorbate: What Is It and What Are the Side Effects?
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Potassium Sorbate: What Is It and What Are Its Side Effects?

Potassium Sorbate: What Is It and What Are Its Side Effects?
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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Potassium sorbate is a preservative used in different packaged foods to help prevent spoilage by microorganisms — namely fungi, such as yeast or mold — and certain bacteria.

“Potassium sorbate is used to help make food safe by curbing microbial growth,” says Isabel Maples, MEd, RDN, a dietitian in Haymarket, Virginia. “It’s there to help extend shelf life.”

It comes from sorbic acid, naturally found in the berries of the mountain ash tree and first used by the French in the 1850s to prevent mold growth in various foods. Now humans primarily produce potassium sorbate in a lab, and experts consider it safe for consumption.

 You can typically find the preservative in the following foods.

What Foods Is Potassium Sorbate Found In?

Because it’s a colorless white salt with a neutral taste, potassium sorbate is used to help a wide range of foods stay fresh.

Sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are found in foods like: 

  • Alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages
  • Baked goods
  • Cheese
  • Condiments and relishes
  • Dried fruits
  • Fish products
  • Frozen foods, like frozen pizza
  • Fruit juices and ices
  • Jams and jellies
  • Milk and other dairy products
  • Snack foods
  • Soft candy
  • Syrup

Is Potassium Sorbate Safe to Eat?

The general consensus is yes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the watchdog organization Center for Science in the Public Interest both agree that potassium sorbate is generally safe to consume.

The additive doesn’t build up in the body. Instead, it breaks down into carbon dioxide and then water.

In 2015, the European Food Safety Authority established that 3 milligrams (mg) of potassium sorbate per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day is an acceptable daily intake level.

 For reference, 1 kg equals 2.2 pounds (lb). So for someone who weighs 150 lb, an acceptable daily intake of potassium sorbate would be 204 mg.
Because potassium sorbate is typically used in small quantities and federal regulations have set limits for its use in foods, it’s unlikely that you’ll reach this upper limit.

Typically, foods may contain around 1,000 to 2,000 mg of potassium sorbate per kg of weight.

 So if you eat 6 ounces (equal to 0.17 kg) of flavored yogurt that contains 1,000 mg/kg of potassium sorbate, you’d consume 170 mg of potassium sorbate.
Plus, recent research in mice suggests that even long-term exposure to potassium sorbate is safe as long as there’s a “washout” period (when you stop ingesting the substance), implying that the preservative is acceptable as part of a balanced diet.

“It’s very safe,” says Maples. “It’s been in use for a long time.”

In fact, potassium sorbate may be one of the most widely used food preservatives in the world.

Not only is it considered safe, it also helps protect consumers from some potentially very nasty bacteria. In one in vitro study, potassium sorbate helped prevent the growth of salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus in apple jam and improved its shelf life.

Side Effects of Potassium Sorbate

Some research suggests that potassium sorbate can potentially trigger an allergic reaction, though these reactions are rare.

The ingredient also has the potential to irritate the skin when it’s used in personal care products.

If you experience symptoms of a possible allergic reaction — including mouth tingling, swelling, itching, or hives — stop eating or using the product that triggered it. And always seek medical attention for severe allergic reactions, like facial swelling or trouble breathing.

Avoiding Potassium Sorbate

Because potassium sorbate is so widely used in packaged and processed foods, it can be difficult to avoid if you’d like to remove it from your diet.

You can reduce your exposure as much as possible by reading ingredients lists and, whenever possible, choosing foods that don’t contain the preservative.

Eating more whole foods and homemade food can help, too. When you prepare food yourself, you’re more likely to know exactly what’s in it.

The Takeaway

  • Potassium sorbate is a widely used preservative in packaged and processed foods, such as baked goods, beverages, and dairy products. It helps inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria.
  • Experts consider potassium sorbate to be generally safe and acceptable for consumption.
  • Producing or cooking more meals at home with fresh, whole foods can reduce exposure to food preservatives, including potassium sorbate, if you’re concerned about possible exposure or allergic reactions.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Potassium Sorbate. PubChem. July 21, 2025.
  2. Potassium Sorbate. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2002.
  3. Potassium Sorbate. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
  4. Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate. Center for Science in the Public Interest. January 31, 2022.
  5. Aung PZ et al. Food Additives and E Numbers. DermNet. January 2023.
  6. 182.3640 Potassium Sorbate. Code of Federal Regulations. July 21, 2025.
  7. Jorge K. Soft Drinks: Chemical Composition. Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition). 2003.
  8. Scientific Opinion on the Re-Evaluation of Sorbic Acid (E 200), Potassium Sorbate (E 202) and Calcium Sorbate (E 203) as Food Additives. European Food Safety Authority. June 30, 2015.
  9. Sorbates. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
  10. Xiao N et al. Effects of Potassium Sorbate on Systemic Inflammation and Gut Microbiota in Normal Mice: A Comparison of Continuous Intake and Washout Period. Food and Chemical Toxicology. February 2024.
  11. Awaad SS et al. A Comparative Study on the Antifungal Effect of Potassium Sorbate, Chitosan, and Nano-Chitosan Against Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Candida albicans in Skim Milk Acid-Coagulated (Karish) Cheese. Veterinary World. September 2023.
  12. Batista AFP et al. Synergistic Inhibition of Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus in Apple Jam by Cinnamaldehyde and Potassium Sorbate. Food Science and Technology International. June 2024.
  13. Andreozzi L et. Hypersensitivity Reactions to Food and Drug Additives: Problem or Myth? Acta Biomedica. 2019.
  14. Potassium Sorbate. Environmental Working Group.
  15. Allergies. Mayo Clinic. August 24, 2024.
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Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES

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Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988. 

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