What is Sodium Benzoate?
Sodium benzoate is an organic substance that appears as white powder or granules, including spherical and cylindrical granules, and some customers call it noodle-like. It is odorless or has a faint scent of benzoin and possesses a slightly sweet taste. It is an important food preservative that can prevent food from spoiling due to microorganisms and extend the shelf life of food. It is extensively employed in beverages, canned goods, juices, chilled foods, soy sauce, vinegar, and other food applications.
Benzoic acid is first produced by oxidizing toluene with air in the presence of cobalt naphthenate catalyst, and then using benzoic acid as a raw material, it is neutralized with sodium bicarbonate, decolorized with activated carbon, and then filtered, dried and crushed to produce sodium benzoate.
Related parameters:
| Items | Standards |
| Assay | 99.0%-100.5% |
| Lonised chlorine | 200 ppm Max |
| Total chlorine | 300 ppm Max |
| Heavy Metals | 10 ppm Max |
| Mercury | 1 ppm Max |
| Lead | 2 ppm Max |
| Arsenic | 3 ppm Max |
| Mercury | 1 ppm Max |
| Loss on drying | 1.5% Max |
Recommended dosage:
| Food name | Maximum usage(g/kg) |
| Carbonated drinks | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Soft drinks | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Cakes and pastries | 0.1 – 0.5 g/kg |
| Jams and jellies | 0.1 – 0.3 g/kg |
| Yogurt | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Sausages | 0.1 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Deli meats | 0.1 – 0.3 g/kg |
| Mayonnaise | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Vegetables | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Fruits | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Canned fish | 0.1 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Pickled seafood | 0.1 – 0.3 g/kg |
| Salad dressings | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
| Marinades | 0.05 – 0.2 g/kg |
Sodium Benzoate has a wide range of uses
1. Preservatives
Sodium benzoate has an antibacterial effect, which can inhibit the growth and reproduction of various Gram-positive bacteria, yeasts, molds and other microorganisms. Therefore, it can effectively prevent food from spoiling and extend its shelf life.
2. Antibacterial agent
Sodium benzoate has a strong antibacterial effect on various Gram-positive bacteria and can effectively reduce the number of bacteria. It can be used to make food additives to reduce bacterial contamination in food and improve food safety. It can be made into a solution for spraying or directly added to the food to be preserved.
3. Food preservation
Sodium benzoate is a widely used food preservative that impedes microbial growth by disrupting their metabolic processes. Adding it to food can significantly reduce the number of Escherichia coli and other pathogenic bacteria, thereby protecting the quality and safety of food.
4. Cosmetic preservatives
Sodium benzoate is a broad-spectrum preservative that can effectively inhibit the growth of various microorganisms when used in cosmetics. Due to its high safety, it is often used as one of the preservative ingredients in cosmetics.
5. Pharmaceutical excipients
Sodium benzoate can be used as an excipient and solvent in drug production to help improve drug stability. For oral administration preparations, a complete skin absorption test is recommended to assess potential risks.
User asked question:
Q: How to store sodium benzoate?
A: 1. Storage environment: Please make sure to store in a dry and well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight.
2. Storage container: It is recommended to use a well-sealed container to prevent leakage.
3. The storage area should be away from fire and heat sources, and smoking and open flames are prohibited.
4. Separate storage: It should be stored separately from oxidants, acids and other chemicals. Mixed storage is prohibited.
Q: Which foods are rich in sodium benzoate?
A: Fruits, processed meats, carbonated drinks, sauces, jams, and other foods naturally contain sodium benzoate, which is also used as a food additive.
Q: Why does sodium benzoate smell pungent?
A: Generally speaking, sodium benzoate has a slight smell, but it is not pungent. Possible reasons are that it decomposes during storage or transportation, releasing the smell of benzoic acid and sodium, or a chemical reaction under certain conditions causes the formation of odor, or the raw material of production is not food-grade benzoic acid, but industrial-grade benzoic acid. Of course, if you need sodium benzoate without any smell, we can also provide it.
