E212 - Potassium benzoate

Functions: Preservative

Potassium benzoate -E212-, the potassium salt of benzoic acid, is a food preservative that inhibits the growth of mold, yeast and some bacteria. It works best in low-pH products, below 4.5, where it exists as benzoic acid. Acidic foods and beverages such as fruit juice -citric acid-, sparkling drinks -carbonic acid-, soft drinks -phosphoric acid-, pickles -vinegar-, and frogurt toppings may be preserved with potassium benzoate. It is approved for use in most countries including Canada, the U.S., and the EU, where it is designated by the E number E212. Potassium benzoate is also used in the whistle in many fireworks. - Wikipedia

EFSA evaluation: Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of benzoic acid -E 210-, sodium benzoate -E 211-, potassium benzoate -E 212- and calcium benzoate -E 213- as food additives (2016-03-31)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has determined that some population groups have a high risk of consuming too much E212 - Potassium benzoate.

To evaluate your exposure to the E212 - Potassium benzoate food additive, you can browse our list of products that contain it. See the list of products with E212 - Potassium benzoate below.

	Infants	Toddlers	Children	Adolescents	Adults	Elderly
	< 1	1 to 2	3 to 9	10 to 17	18 to 64	65+
High risk (50% of people or more)
Moderate risk (5% of people or more)

: Risk of reaching or exceeding the acceptable daily intake (ADI)