Comparing E330 - Citric acid vs E200 - Sorbic acid
Overview
Synonyms
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Found in 95,503 products
Found in 6,918 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 2 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.
Popular questions
Is citric acid bad for you?
At typical food levels, citric acid (E330) is considered safe by major regulators (GRAS; EFSA/JECFA). Concentrated or frequent acidic exposure can irritate the mouth/stomach or contribute to tooth enamel erosion.
Where does the citric acid cycle occur?
In eukaryotic cells it occurs in the mitochondrial matrix; in bacteria it occurs in the cytosol.
What does citric acid do to your body?
It is a normal intermediate in energy metabolism and is readily metabolized to carbon dioxide and water. Citrate can bind minerals, which may enhance absorption of some and help prevent certain kidney stones by increasing urinary citrate.
Where does citric acid come from?
It occurs naturally in citrus fruits, but most food-grade citric acid is produced by fermenting sugars (e.g., from corn, beet, or cane) with Aspergillus niger.
How is citric acid made?
Industrially, sugars are fermented with Aspergillus niger to produce citric acid, then it is recovered and purified—often by precipitating calcium citrate and converting it back with sulfuric acid or via ion-exchange/crystallization.
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.