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Potassium Benzoate
Potassium Benzoate
A preservative that keeps bacteria and mold out of a product.
What it does
It’s benzoic acid paired with potassium. Sodium benzoate, a more common preservative, is the same acid paired with sodium.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2017) judged benzyl alcohol, benzoic acid and its salts, potassium benzoate among them, safe as used, replacing their 2001 verdict. A rat study of breathing in benzyl alcohol and benzoic acid closed the gap they had left for sprays. They found that any benzene benzoates could form in light comes in amounts too low to matter. A 2010 survey found potassium benzoate at 0.002% to 0.003%.Johnson 2017 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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