Potassium Sorbate
Food additives and preservatives are a part of almost everything you eat, unless it’s a fresh produce. Preservatives are substances which are added to food items to make them last longer before natural decomposition sets in due to microbial action. Potassium sorbate is a common food preservative which is basically a potassium salt of sorbic acid. Read on to know how this substance is used as a food preservative and most importantly, whether it is safe for you.
The main function of this compound is to curb the growth of yeast and mold in food items, particularly packaged stuff. You can find this substance in cheese, yogurt, dried meat and apple cider. Even herbal dietary supplements have this compound as a preservative. Because it is a preservative it is consumed along with the food you eat. It is fully digestible being a polyunsaturated fat. Moreover it does not affect the taste of food because it is tasteless by nature. This makes it more popular as a preservative as compared to sulfur dioxide which has an aftertaste.
Potassium sorbate is used in wines too, in order to prevent the re-growth of yeast once the wine has been bottled. It acts here by inhibiting the process of fermentation and prevents yeast from growing back. However, despite the popularity of this compound as a preservative, you should also be aware that just like other chemical substances, it has some side effects too. Thankfully they are not too serious, but at the same time you should be aware of them, to prevent any accidents due to ignorance.
Generally it is considered safe because it is non-toxic in nature. However because it is synthetic, you need to be careful about how much of it you are consuming. Continuous consumption of products contain this preservative can lead to nausea, diarrhea and allergic reactions. Potassium sorbate present in personal care products can lead to eye and skin irritation and so you need to use these products carefully.
So, the question is how to protect you from the side effects of this preservative.
Here are some ideas:- To avoid this preservative in wines, sterile filtering is an option. You can also rack the wine carefully and use a fine filter to purify the wine.
- If you are buying fruit juice, buy organic juices from farmers markets and not the packaged juices from supermarkets.
- Limit the use of canned food in your daily diet and consume fresh fruits, vegetables and meat.
Potassium sorbate is not a lethal chemical, but all the same, its better to consume as less of it as possible.