What is it?
The potassium salt of sorbic acid, a preservative that helps keep products from spoiling. It is used in many foods, where it is listed as E202, and in cosmetics and personal care products at up to 1 percent. Products made with potassium sorbate always contain some sorbic acid as well.
Key information
- Potassium sorbate is the food preservative E202 and is used at up to 1 percent in cosmetics.
- The CIR Expert Panel found it safe as used in 1988 and confirmed that conclusion in 2006.
- In 2019 EFSA set a group acceptable daily intake of 11 mg per kg of body weight for sorbic acid and potassium sorbate.
- Skin allergy is rare, and people allergic to sorbic acid can also react to potassium sorbate.
More information
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel concluded in 1988 that sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are safe in the present practices of use and concentration, and confirmed that conclusion in 2006. The panel’s summary table lists potassium sorbate use at up to 1 percent.
Food regulators have studied it closely. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) set a group acceptable daily intake (ADI) of up to 25 mg per kilogram of body weight in 1973. In 2015 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set a lower, temporary group ADI of 3 mg/kg because of questions about the reproductive toxicity data. After reviewing a new reproductive study, EFSA set a group ADI of 11 mg/kg in 2019 and found that realistic intakes, including children’s, would not exceed it. EFSA considered the data robust and found no evidence of genotoxic activity for sorbic acid or potassium sorbate.
Skin allergy to sorbates is considered rare. A 2021 study by Belgian dermatologists suggested it is probably underestimated because standard patch tests can miss it, and advised that people allergic to sorbic acid avoid products containing potassium sorbate.
On labels, look for potassium sorbate or sorbic acid. If you have had a skin reaction to one, check for both.
Sources: Cosmetic Ingredient Review: Quick reference table of safety conclusions (2014); EFSA Journal (2019): Follow-up of the re-evaluation of sorbic acid (E200) and potassium sorbate (E202) as food additives; WHO JECFA database: Potassium sorbate; Contact Dermatitis (2021): Allergic contact dermatitis from potassium sorbate and sorbic acid in topical pharmaceuticals and medical devices
