What Is Potassium sorbate?

Potassium sorbate, also known as potassium 2,4-hexadienoate, is a potassium salt of sorbic acid, with a molecular formula of C6H7O2K, white to light yellow scaly crystals, crystal particles or crystal powder, odorless or slightly odorous, long-term exposure to the air It is easy to absorb moisture, discolor by oxidation and decomposition. Easily soluble in water, soluble in propylene glycol and ethanol. It is often used as a preservative, which destroys many enzyme systems by combining with the sulfhydryl group of the microbial enzyme system. Its toxicity is far lower than other preservatives and is currently widely used. Potassium sorbate can fully exert its antiseptic effect in acidic medium, and has little antiseptic effect under neutral conditions
 

Food preservatives

Potassium sorbate is widely used as a food preservative. my country approved and promulgated standards in 1982, stipulating that the allowable concentration in noodle products, pickles, canned food, dried fruit, dairy products and condiments is 0.02% to 0.1%. The addition of 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 alcohol, such as wine, beer and wine, and has an ideal antiseptic effect. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has formulated a series of standards for food, clearly stipulating that the maximum dosage of potassium sorbate is 0.28/kg. Each country refers to this standard and sets strict standards for use according to their own conditions. Using potassium sorbate to treat packaging materials can extend the shelf life of foods such as bread and dry crumbs. In view of the limitations of the application of single food additives and the limitations of physical properties, domestic and foreign is currently vigorously researching and developing compound food additives, so as to exert a synergistic effect to achieve the best effect. 

(1) Application in vegetables and fruits

If fresh vegetables and fruits are not treated in time for preservation and preservation, they will quickly lose their luster, moisture, dry wrinkles on the surface, and are prone to mold and rot, thereby causing unnecessary waste. If potassium sorbate preservative is used on the surface of vegetables and fruits, it can be stored for a month at a temperature of up to 30°C, and the greenness of vegetables and fruits can be kept unchanged. After being stored for 4 months at room temperature, only about 5% of the apples sprayed with potassium sorbate fresh-keeping liquid showed signs of decay. Potassium sorbate can even prevent oxidation and rusting of tinplate on the outer packaging of canned vegetables. 

(2) Application in meat products

Smoked ham, dried sausages, dried meat and similar other dried meat products are briefly soaked in potassium sorbate solution of appropriate concentration to achieve preservation and preservation. Meat enema products such as beef sausage, pork sausage, etc. can be directly added to the appropriate amount of potassium sorbate during the meat chop process in the production process. After the finished product, a 5% potassium sorbate solution is sprayed on the surface to achieve anti-corrosion Keep fresh. It is also possible to directly add an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate to ordinary meat and meat fillings for preservation and preservation. Both fresh chicken and cooked chicken can be soaked in potassium sorbate preservation solutions with different formulas and different concentrations to improve the preservation effect and extend the shelf life. The fresh poultry meat sprayed with potassium sorbate fresh-keeping liquid on the surface significantly prolonged the spoilage and deterioration time compared to similar foods that have not been sprayed with the fresh-keeping liquid, and the fresh-keeping time was twice that of the comparative sample. 

(3) Application in aquatic products

After adding 0.1%~0.2% sorbic acid and potassium sorbate mixed preservatives to fish sausages, the product will not spoil and deteriorate when stored at a temperature of up to 30℃ for two weeks, while a control sample under the same environmental conditions is stored It will be corrupted and deteriorated in a week. When the temperature is maintained at 10~15℃ and the internal pH value of fish sausage is controlled to be less than 6, this sausage can be stored for seven weeks without spoilage. Under normal circumstances, the pH value of fish cake products is between 6.8 and 7.2. Potassium sorbate or its mixture with sorbic acid can be used for preservation and preservation. However, when using the mixture, you must control the proportion of sorbic acid, because sorbic acid is an acidic preservative, and fish cake products at a low pH value will affect their elasticity. Therefore, in order to reasonably solve this contradiction, the content of sorbic acid in the mixture must be reduced. Dried fish products are relatively dry. Under normal circumstances, products with a moisture content of less than 30% will not cause bacterial spoilage, but they are prone to mildew. If an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate is added to dried fish products, this kind of mildew can be effectively prevented. Smoked fish products can be sprayed with 5%~10% potassium sorbate solution before, during or after the smoking process for preservation and preservation. The fish and shrimp cooked in soy sauce can be stored for two months at a temperature of 10~15℃ after adding an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate without spoilage. Thoroughly cleaned fresh fish, shrimp or other fresh aquatic products, immerse them in a potassium sorbate preservation solution of appropriate concentration for 20 seconds and then take them out. Remove the preservation solution and refrigerate, which can effectively extend its shelf life. 

(4) Application in soy sauce and pickled vegetable products

Adding an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate to soy sauce can be stored at high temperatures for 70 days without spoilage and mold. When potassium sorbate is used to keep beetroot, pickled cucumbers and other pickled vegetables fresh, you can add an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate to the vinegar containing salt. Under normal circumstances, in order to avoid the occurrence of salt water turbidity in pickled vegetables, you can first dissolve spices, salt, and potassium sorbate in water before adding vinegar. Kimchi is preserved and kept fresh by adding salt and potassium sorbate directly. 

(5) Application in pastries

When potassium sorbate is used as a preservative for pastries, first dissolve potassium sorbate in water or milk, and then add the potassium sorbate solution directly to flour or dough. When using potassium sorbate to preserve the freshness of starchy foods, it is best to acidify the material with a small amount of vinegar first, because potassium sorbate has the best antibacterial and antiseptic effect when the pH value is lower than 5-6. 

(6) Application in beverages

Potassium sorbate can be added to fruit and vegetable juice drinks, carbonated drinks, protein drinks and other beverages. The addition of potassium sorbate greatly extends the shelf life of the product. 

(7) Application of potassium sorbate in preserves and confectionery products

Peanut candy, marzipan, and general filling candy can be directly added with an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate for preservation. In order to ensure the antiseptic and fresh-keeping effect of some confectionery products with high sugar content, the amount of potassium sorbate added should be appropriately increased.