Comparing E200 - Sorbic acid vs E260 - Acetic acid

Overview

E200 - Sorbic acid

Sorbic acid (E200) is a common food preservative that helps stop molds and yeasts from growing. It works best in slightly acidic foods and has been used safely for decades in many everyday products. It often appears on ingredient lists as sorbic acid or simply E200.

READ MORE >>

E260 - Acetic acid

Acetic acid (E260) is the sharp-tasting organic acid that gives vinegar its sour flavor and smell. In food, it is used mainly to acidify and preserve products like pickles and sauces, and it appears on labels as acetic acid, E260, or vinegar. Regulators in the U.S. and EU consider it safe when used as intended.

READ MORE >>
Synonyms
E200
Sorbic acid
E260
Acetic acid
ethanoic acid
Functions
preservative
acidity regulatorpreservative
Origins
Plant
Synthetic
Microbiological
Synthetic
Products

Found in 6,918 products

Found in 3,047 products

Search rank & volume
#2173.2K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#2987.5K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.07
under-aware

×4.19
over-aware

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.

Read more about E200Read more
Read more about E260Read more
Popular questions

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

READ MORE ABOUT E200READ MORE >>

  1. Is acetic acid a strong acid?

    No—acetic acid (E260) is a weak acid in water (pKa ≈ 4.76), though concentrated (glacial) acetic acid is corrosive.

  2. Is vinegar acetic acid?

    Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid in water (typically about 4–8% acetic acid by volume), not pure acetic acid.

  3. What is acetic acid used for?

    In foods, E260 is used as an acidity regulator, preservative, and flavoring (e.g., pickling, sauces); industrially it’s a precursor to vinyl acetate and cellulose acetate and is used in descaling/cleaning.

  4. Which statement describes the acid found in vinegar acetic acid?

    It is a weak organic acid (ethanoic acid, CH3COOH) that gives vinegar its sour taste and antimicrobial effect; food-grade vinegar contains at least about 4% acetic acid by volume.

  5. Is acetic acid polar?

    Yes—acetic acid is a polar, hydrogen-bonding (protic) molecule due to its carboxyl group, and it mixes well with water and many polar solvents.

READ MORE ABOUT E260READ MORE >>