Potassium sorbate

Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, used to inhibit molds and yeasts in foods and other products. Its preservative action depends on acidity, which favors the antimicrobial sorbic acid form.

Sorbic acid: An unsaturated fatty acid used as a preservative against molds and yeasts. Potassium sorbate releases this active preservative form, especially in acidic products.
Food preservation: Methods used to slow food spoilage and extend the period during which food remains safe or acceptable. Potassium sorbate is a chemical preservative within this broader set of methods.
Potassium: A chemical element with symbol K and atomic number 19, whose ions carry a single positive charge. Potassium ions pair with sorbate ions to form the water-soluble salt.
Sodium benzoate: A sodium salt of benzoic acid used as a preservative in acidic foods and beverages. It is another acid-dependent preservative, with different strengths and product uses.
pH: A measure of the hydrogen-ion activity of a solution, indicating its acidity or alkalinity. Lower pH shifts sorbate toward sorbic acid, which more readily enters microbial cells.
Wine: An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting grape juice or other fruit juice. Winemakers use sorbate to inhibit yeast reproduction when residual sweetness remains.
Carboxylate: An ion or functional group formed when a carboxylic acid loses a proton. The sorbate ion is the carboxylate form of sorbic acid.
Calcium propionate: A calcium salt of propionic acid used to inhibit mold in foods, especially baked goods. It is more associated with mold control in bread, while sorbate also targets yeasts.
Weak acid: An acid that only partially ionizes in water at a given concentration. Sorbic acid’s partial ionization explains why preservative activity varies with pH.
Cheese: A food made by coagulating milk proteins and separating curds from whey. Surface treatments can use sorbate to reduce mold growth on some cheeses.

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