As a food preservative with the lowest toxicity, Potassium sorbate is widely used in food and feed processing industries, as well as in cosmetics, cigarettes, resins, spices, rubber and other industries. However, it is most widely used in food preservation and feed.

Animal feed industry

Both the United States and the European Union use Potassium sorbate as a legal feed additive in animal feed. Potassium sorbate can inhibit the growth of mold in the feed, especially the formation of Aspergillus flavus, which has a very significant effect. Therefore, the addition of Potassium sorbate can effectively avoid the deterioration of the feed, and can still resist the growth of microorganisms in the animal intestine. In addition, the neutral taste of Potassium sorbate is suitable for use in feed because animals are more sensitive to food taste changes than humans. In addition, as an unsaturated fatty acid, Potassium sorbate can be easily digested as a feed ingredient, and has no adverse effects on animals. Feed is prone to corruption during storage, transportation and sales, so Potassium sorbate has a huge market in feed industry.

Food contact materials and packaging materials

The purpose of food packaging is to protect the contents. At present, active substances are used in food packaging to improve material functionality. In addition to extending the shelf life of packaged food, they can also maintain the nutritional and safety of the food. In 2009, China issued and implemented the GB 9685-2008 health standard, which clearly stipulated the allowable use amount of Potassium sorbate in Food contact materials and packaging materials and the maximum residue limit of Potassium sorbate. In terms of plastic production, it can be used moderately according to production needs, the amount of rubber is 0.1%, and the amount of paper is used according to production needs. At the same time, there is no requirement for Sorbic acid residue.

To sum up, Potassium sorbate can be directly added, dipped, sprayed or dried powder spray when used. At the same time, there are many flexible ways to deal with packaging materials. In terms of development trend, because Potassium sorbate has the same characteristics as natural products, its application scope and usage will gradually expand.

Food preservatives

Potassium sorbate is widely used as a food preservative. In 1982, China approved its use and issued a standard, which stipulated that the allowable concentration in flour products, Pickled vegetables, cans, dried fruits, dairy products and condiments was 0.02%~0.1%. Adding 1% Potassium sorbate to meat products can significantly inhibit the production of Clostridium botulinum toxin. At the same time, Sorbic acid is widely used in low alcohol liquor, beer and wine, and its antiseptic effect is ideal. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has formulated a series of standards for food, clearly stipulating that the maximum amount of Potassium sorbate is 0.28/kg. Each country has made strict use of the standard according to this standard and its own situation. The use of Potassium sorbate to treat packaging materials can extend the shelf life of Food preservation such as bread and dry cheese. Given the limitations of single food additives in terms of application and physical properties, both domestic and international efforts are being made to develop composite food additives to achieve the best results through synergistic effects.