POTASSIUM SORBATE
Fragrance Ingredient; Preservative
Also listed as
2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID, POTASSIUM SALT; POTASSIUM SALT 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID; 2,4HEXADIENOIC ACID, POTASSIUM SALT; 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID POTASSIUM SALT; POTASSIUM 2,4-HEXADIENOATE; SORBISTAT-POTASSIUM
Given the incomplete information made available by companies and the government, EWG provides additional information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature. The chart below indicates that research studies have found that exposure to this ingredient -- not the products containing it -- caused the indicated health effect(s) in the studies reviewed by Skin Deep researchers. Actual health risks, if any, will vary based on the level of exposure to the ingredient and individual susceptibility -- information not available in Skin Deep.
| This ingredient: | |
 | Cancer |
 | Developmental/reproductive toxicity |
| Violations, restrictions & warnings |
| Allergies/immunotoxicity |
| Contamination concerns |
| Lesser or emerging concerns for this ingredient: Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Data gaps |
|
See products containing POTASSIUM SORBATE | |
About POTASSIUM SORBATE: Potassium Sorbate is the organic salt that conforms generally to the formula:
POTASSIUM SORBATE has reported used in the following product types: facial moisturizer/treatment (350); moisturizer (249); anti-aging (180); body wash/cleanser (163); facial cleanser (145); shampoo (142); conditioner (141); styling gel/lotion (76); around-eye cream (71); exfoliant/scrub (63)
Cancer
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results | RTECS®- Archives of Toxicology, Supplement 1980 | |
| show more | ||
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show kidney or renal system effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient) | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002 | |
| show more | ||
Neurotoxicity
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| One or more animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at high doses | RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1967 |
Data gaps
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | |
| 69 studies on toxicity in PubMed see search results -> | PubMed |
Ecotoxicology
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List |
Multiple, additive exposure sources
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Everything Added to Food | |
| Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food | FDA Food Additive Status |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
| type of concern | product conditions | reference |
| Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | |
| show more | ||
Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
| government/industry list/academic study | appears on list as | classification(s) |
| FDA Food Additive Status | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • Food additive: chemical preservative • Substances generally recognized as safe in foods but limited in standardized foods where the standard provides for its use - CFR182.3640 • less than 0.3% as sorbic acid - refers to part number under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations 133 (133.123; 133.173; 133.179; 133.180; 133.188) Cheeses • Food additive: permitted as optional ingredient in a standardized food • less than 0.1% by weight - refers to part number under Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations 150 (150.141; 150.161) • Fruit Butter and Art Sw Jelly and Preserves • less than 0.1% or 0.2% total in combination w/other pres • Ma |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | POTASSIUM SORBATE | •Safe as used in cosmetics according to industry panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) •Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product • |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • Fully up-to-date toxicology information has been sought. |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | 2,4-HEXADIENOIC ACID, POTASSIUM SALT | •This chemical was NOT flagged by CEPA for further attention. |
| RTECS®- Archives of Toxicology, Supplement 1980 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Archives of Toxicology, Supplement 1980 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1967 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • kidney or renal system - Changes in bladder weight (rat TDLo) • brain and nervous system - Food intake (animal) (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1974 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sister Chromatid Exchange (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Sister Chromatid Exchange (hamster lng) |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • kidney or renal system - Other changes in urine composition (rat TDLo) |
| RTECS®- Kenkyu Nenpo--Tokyo-toritsu Eisei Kenkyusho 1976 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster fbr) |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | POTASSIUM SORBATE | • mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster fbr) |
references
| government/industry list/academic study | reference |
| FDA Food Additive Status | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006. |
| Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments | CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC. |
| FDA Everything Added to Food | FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. |
| Environmental Canada Domestic Substance List | EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry. |
| RTECS®- Archives of Toxicology, Supplement 1980 | RTECS®- Archives of Toxicology, Supplement. (Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., Service Center, 44 Hartz Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094) No.1- 1978- 4,41,1980 |
| RTECS®- Archives of Toxicology, Supplement 1980 | RTECS®- Archives of Toxicology, Supplement. (Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., Service Center, 44 Hartz Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094) No.1- 4,41,1980 |
| RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1967 | RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series. (Rome, Italy) No.?-57, 1948-77. Discontinued. 40,1,1967 |
| RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1974 | RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series. (Rome, Italy) No.?-57, 1948-77. Discontinued. 53A,121,1974 |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 22,501,1984 |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 1984 | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 1982- 22,501,1984 |
| RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology 2002 | RTECS®- Food and Chemical Toxicology. (Pergamon Press Inc., Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, NY 10523) V.20- 1982- 40,1799,2002 |
| RTECS®- Kenkyu Nenpo--Tokyo-toritsu Eisei Kenkyusho 1976 | RTECS®- Kenkyu Nenpo--Tokyo-toritsu Eisei Kenkyusho. Annual Report of Tokyo Metropolitan Research Laboratory of Public Health. (Tokyo-toritsu Eisei Kenkyusho, 24-1, 3-chome, Hyakunin-cho, Shin-juku-ku, Tokyo 160, Japan) V.1- 1949/50- 27,159,1976 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 48,337,1977 |
| RTECS®- Mutation Research 1977 | RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 48,337,1977 |
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