Comparing E200 - Sorbic acid vs E236 - Formic acid
Overview
Synonyms
Products
Found in 6,918 products
Found in 11 products
Search rank & volume
Awareness score
Search volume over time
Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Interest over time for 3 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Popular questions
Is sorbic acid bad for you?
Not for most people—it's a widely approved food preservative with low toxicity at permitted levels; rare individuals may experience mild irritation or digestive upset with high exposure.
Is sorbic acid safe for dogs?
Yes, when used at regulated amounts as a preservative in dog foods it’s considered safe; excessive intake may cause stomach upset in sensitive dogs.
Is sorbic acid safe?
Yes—it's approved in the EU (E200) and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in the U.S. at typical food-use levels, with adverse effects uncommon at those amounts.
What is sorbic acid made from?
Commercially it’s synthesized from crotonaldehyde and ketene; it also occurs naturally in small amounts in rowan (mountain ash) berries.
Is sorbic acid natural?
It occurs naturally in some fruits, but the sorbic acid used in foods is almost always synthetically produced and is chemically identical to the natural compound.
Is formic acid a strong acid?
No—formic acid is a weak acid in water (pKa ≈ 3.75), though concentrated solutions are corrosive.
What is formic acid used for?
As E236, it’s used mainly as an antimicrobial preservative and acidity regulator (especially in animal feed and silage), and outside food in leather/textile processing, rubber coagulation, beekeeping, and as a chemical intermediate.
What does formic acid smell like?
It has a sharp, pungent, vinegar-like odor that’s acrid and stingy (reminiscent of ant stings).
What does formic acid do to the body?
At low food-use levels it’s metabolized to formate and then to carbon dioxide, but concentrated exposure irritates and can burn skin, eyes, and airways; large ingestions may cause metabolic acidosis and systemic toxicity.
Does formic acid have hydrogen bonding?
Yes—its carboxyl group donates and accepts hydrogen bonds, often forming dimers, which contributes to its relatively high boiling point.