About Sodium Benzoate
Sodium Benzoate has the chemical formula NaC7H5O2. It is a widely used
food preservative as it helps prevent yeast growth and bacteria formation,
with an E Number of E211. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists
in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting
sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid. Benzoic acid occurs naturally at low
levels in cranberries, prunes, greengage plums, cinnamon, ripe cloves and
apples.
Benefits
Sodium Benzoate preserves food by having anti-fungal properties, protecting foods from
invasion by fungi that cause food to spoil and potentially making one sick. Sodium
Benzoate works by entering the individual cells in the food and balancing its pH level,
increasing the overall acidity of the food. By lowering the intracellular pH of certain foods,
Sodium Benzoate creates an environment in which fungi cannot grow and spread.
Sodium benzoate is a preservative, with the E number E211. It is most widely used in acidic foods such as salad dressings (i.e. acetic acid in vinegar), carbonated drinks (carbonic acid), jams and fruit juices (citric acid), pickles (acetic acid), and condiments.Sodium Benzoate is used as a preservative to prevent food from moulding. In this form it is safe,...
Sodium Benzoate & Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C)
... however, scientists have shown that negative side-effects occur when it is mixed with Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C). Their studies indicate that it then turns into Benzene, a known carcinogen and DNA damager.
It is important not to confuse Citric Acid with Ascorbic Acid. They are often confused with one another because of their similar names and similar sources of origin, however, ascorbic acid and citric acid are not the same. Ascorbic acid is vitamin C and citric acid is an acidic antioxidant.
Ascorbic acid is found in citrus fruits as well as citric acid, but citric acid does not contain Vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is natural, citric acid is man-made, hence, synthetic.
source: CANSA https://cansa.org.za/files/2020/11/Fact-Sheet-and-Position-Statement-on-Sodium-Benzoate-and-Vitamin-C-Nov-2020.pdf
more information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_benzoate