← Back
PreservativeINS 202
E202
Potassium sorbate
What you need to know
Potassium sorbate stops mould and yeast in drinks, dried fruit, cheese and baked goods. Sorbic acid occurs naturally in rowan berries.
It is one of the preservatives regulators consider lowest concern.
EFSA re-checked it in 2019 and set a combined daily limit for sorbic acid and its salts that typical diets stay well inside.
Where it stands, by region
The same additive can be approved in one country and banned in another. This is the divergence that matters most.
| 🇦🇺AU / NZ | Approved Permitted (FSANZ Food Standards Code). |
| 🇪🇺EU | Approved Permitted (EFSA). |
| 🇺🇸US | Approved Permitted (FDA). |
| 🇨🇦CA | Approved Permitted (Health Canada). |
Health evidence
How settled the science is for each area — not how dangerous. “Unknown” means not enough good studies yet.
Hyperactivity & behaviour
Unknown
Allergy & intolerance
Suspected
Gut microbiome
Unknown
Metabolic effects
Unknown
Carcinogenicity
Unknown
Cardiovascular
Unknown
Potassium salt of sorbic acid. EFSA (2019) group ADI 11 mg/kg bw/day for sorbic acid and potassium sorbate.
Synthesis: Synthetic (nature-identical)ADI 11 mg/kg bw/day (group)