Comparing E200 - Sorbic acid vs E261 - Potassium acetate

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.

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E261 - Potassium acetate

Potassium acetate (E261) is a food additive used to control acidity and help preserve foods. It is the potassium salt of acetic acid, the acid that gives vinegar its sharp taste. You’ll mostly see it in pickled or seasoned foods where a stable, mild acidity is needed.

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Synonyms
E200
Sorbic acid
E261
Potassium acetate
Functions
preservative
acidity regulatorpreservative
Origins
Plant
Synthetic
Microbiological
Synthetic
Products

Found in 6,918 products

Found in 293 products

Search rank & volume
#2173.2K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#1647.1K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.07
under-aware

×3.50
over-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

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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.

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  1. Is potassium acetate soluble?

    Yes—potassium acetate is highly soluble; it dissolves readily in water and is also soluble in alcohols.

  2. Is potassium acetate soluble in water?

    Yes; it is very soluble in water at room temperature.

  3. What does potassium acetate do in dna extraction?

    In DNA extraction (e.g., alkaline lysis), potassium acetate with acetic acid neutralizes the lysate and precipitates SDS–protein–lipid complexes and denatured chromosomal DNA, leaving plasmid DNA in solution.

  4. What is potassium acetate used for?

    As a food additive (E261), it’s used as a preservative and acidity regulator/buffering agent to inhibit microbial growth and help control pH. It is also used outside foods for runway de-icing and as a lab reagent.

  5. What is the formula for potassium acetate?

    CH3COOK (also written as KC2H3O2 or KCH3COO).

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