No concern Preservative · INS 200

Sorbic Acid

A preservative against mould and yeast, the parent of potassium sorbate. Judged together with it; no concern at normal intakes.

No concern
CleanPlate concern rating
Nutrition facts
Also listed asINS 200
TypePreservative
Used forStops mould and yeast
Daily limit (EFSA)11 mg per kg a day, group limit for sorbic acid and potassium sorbate
In EUPermitted
Rated products with it48
No credible evidence of harm at the levels used in food. How we rate

What is Sorbic Acid?

Sorbic acid is a preservative that stops mould and yeast growing in food. It is the acid form of the sorbate family: potassium sorbate (INS 202) is its potassium salt, and the two are assessed as one group by regulators.

Sorbic acid itself is used where the food is not very watery or is made with oil, such as cheese, baked goods, dips and spreads. On a label it is written as "preservative (INS 200)", "sorbic acid" or "E200". Potassium sorbate is far more common on Indian packs.

Why it's addedStops mould and yeast

What the research says

  • No evidence of DNA damageReassuring

    In 2015 EFSA found no evidence of genotoxic activity for sorbic acid or potassium sorbate. It set only a temporary group limit then and asked for a proper reproductive-toxicity study before fixing a permanent one.[2]

  • A limit was fixed in 2019 from the study EFSA asked forReassuring

    From an extended one-generation reproductive study, EFSA identified a reference dose (a BMDL) of 1,110 mg of sorbic acid per kg of body weight a day, where the main effect was lower weight gain in rat pups. With a safety factor of 100 it set a group limit of 11 mg per kg a day for sorbic acid and its potassium salt.[1]

  • Even children's highest intakes stay under the limitReassuring

    In EFSA's most realistic scenario, children aged 3 to 9, the group with the highest estimates, ate on average 1.7 mg per kg a day and 3.7 mg at the 95th percentile. The new limit of 11 mg would not be exceeded in that scenario.[1]

  • The EU limit is lower than the international oneMixed evidence

    The FAO/WHO committee (JECFA) has had a group limit of 0 to 25 mg per kg of body weight since 1973, so EFSA's figure is less than half of it. Both are well above what people eat.[1][3]

How much is safe?

The acceptable daily intake: what expert panels say you can eat every day for life without appreciable risk.

  • EFSA (EU, 2019)11 mg per kg body weight a day, group limit for sorbic acid and potassium sorbate[1]
  • JECFA (FAO/WHO)0–25 mg per kg body weight a day, group limit as sorbic acid[3]

The limit is shared across sorbic acid and its salts, so intake from INS 200 and INS 202 counts together. On the stricter EU figure, a 20 kg child's limit is 220 mg a day and a 60 kg adult's is 660 mg.

Rules around the world

How regulators treat it in food.

  • EUPermittedAllowed as E200 in listed foods; group limit set in 2019[1]

How to spot it on a label

Look for any of these in the ingredient list:

  • INS 200
  • Sorbic acid
  • Preservative (200)
  • E200
  • Preservatives (200, 202)

Sorbic acid often appears next to potassium sorbate in one class name, as in "preservatives (INS 200, INS 202)". A "preservative (200 series)" without a name needs the number checked.

Better alternatives

What better-made products use instead. Look for these names on the label.

CleanPlate verdict

Questions people ask

Is INS 200 the same as E200?

Yes. INS 200 is the international number and E200 is the EU form of the same additive, sorbic acid.

What is the difference between sorbic acid and potassium sorbate?

Potassium sorbate (INS 202) is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. Regulators judge them together, and they share one daily limit.

Is sorbic acid safe for children?

Yes at normal intakes. In EFSA's realistic scenario, children aged 3 to 9 ate on average 1.7 mg per kg a day and 3.7 mg at the 95th percentile, against a limit of 11 mg.

Does sorbic acid cause cancer?

Not as far as the evidence shows. EFSA found no evidence of genotoxic activity for sorbic acid or potassium sorbate.

Sources

Regulator opinions and the original research behind this page.

  1. Opinion on the follow-up of the re-evaluation of sorbic acid (E 200) and potassium sorbate (E 202) as food additivesEFSA Journal · 2019
  2. Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of sorbic acid (E 200), potassium sorbate (E 202) and calcium sorbate (E 203) as food additivesEFSA Journal · 2015
  3. JECFA evaluation: Potassium sorbate (INS 202), group ADI covering sorbic acid and its saltsFAO/WHO JECFA database · 1973

Facts last checked 2026-10-31

Where you'll find it

  • cheese and butter spreads
  • cakes and bread
  • dips and mayonnaise
  • jams and sauces
  • flavoured drinks

48 products we've rated list Sorbic Acid, best first.

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