Sodium Benzoate · Highly Soluble Preservative for Beverages, Sauces & Pickles

Key characteristics

• Chemical name: Sodium benzoate (sodium salt of benzoic acid).
• Chemical formula: C₇H₅NaO₂.
• Form: typically white, free-flowing granules, pellets or crystalline powder with a faint odour at high concentrations.
• Solubility: freely soluble in water, enabling preparation of high-strength aqueous solutions and easy dosing into beverage syrups and liquid premixes.
• pH dependence: most effective in acidic foods and drinks (commonly pH < 4.5), where benzoic acid is present in its undissociated, antimicrobial form.
• Function: used as a preservative (E211) to control yeasts and moulds and help extend shelf life in acidic beverages, sauces, pickles and condiments.
• Compatibility: can be used with sorbates, pH control, mild heat treatment and hygienic packaging as part of a multi-hurdle preservation system.
• Regulatory status: authorised uses, maximum levels, combined benzoate/sorbate limits and labelling vary by region and product category; customers must confirm local requirements.

Atlas supports beverage and food technologists in designing benzoate-based preservative systems, ensuring microbiological robustness, sensory performance and regulatory compliance.

Indicative specification points

Specifications are tailored to each project, but typical food-grade sodium benzoate parameters include:

• Assay: generally 99.0–100.5% sodium benzoate (on dried basis).
• Appearance: white, free-flowing granules or powder, free from visible foreign matter.
• Identification tests: confirm sodium and benzoate ions according to food-grade methods.
• pH of solution: within specified limits for a defined % solution in water.
• Loss on drying: controlled to ensure consistent potency and handling.
• Chlorides, sulphates and other inorganic impurities: limited in line with specification.
• Heavy metals and specific contaminants: controlled to meet international food safety standards.
• Colour and clarity of solution: within agreed limits to avoid impact on clear beverages and syrups.
• Particle size and bulk density: optimised for rapid dissolution and smooth handling during processing.

Each batch is supplied with a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and a detailed technical data sheet. Additional documentation (GMO status, allergen declarations, dietary suitability, contaminants, origin, Halal/Kosher certificates) can be provided from approved producers as required.

Beverages & beverage bases

• Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) – widely used in cola, lemon-lime and fruit-flavoured sodas at low pH as part of the preservative system.
• Still drinks & nectars – application in fruit drinks, nectars and flavoured waters where benzoates are permitted and pH is sufficiently low.
• Juice concentrates & syrups – preservation of concentrated beverage bases filled into bulk or retail packs for later dilution.
• Flavoured teas and RTDs – sodium benzoate used in acidified tea and juice-based RTD beverages combined with pasteurisation or other hurdles.
• Energy & vitamin drinks – inclusion in fortified drinks and vitamin beverages where benzoates are allowed and process conditions are validated.

Sauces, pickles & condiments

• Tomato-based sauces and ketchups – sodium benzoate supports yeast and mould control together with acidity and heat treatment.
• Chilli sauces and dressings – used in acidic chilli sauces, mayonnaise-type dressings and pourable condiments within regulatory limits.
• Pickled vegetables – applied in vinegar-acidified cucumbers, peppers and mixed pickles as part of the preservative system.

Other food & intermediate uses

• Jams, jellies and fruit preps – use in high-sugar, acidic systems where yeasts and moulds can be an issue.
• Flavour emulsions – preservation of citrus and other flavour emulsions destined for beverage production.

Formulation & process guidance

• Preservative performance depends on:
  • Product pH (lower pH improves efficacy),
  • Target microflora (yeasts, moulds, bacteria),
  • Product composition (sugar, salt, oxygen, aroma oils, etc.),
  • Processing and packaging (heat treatment, CO₂, closed systems, cold chain).
• In beverages:
  • Prepare concentrated sodium benzoate solutions for accurate dosing into syrups,
  • Control pH (usually < 4.0–4.2) to maximise preservative efficiency,
  • Validate the system through challenge tests and shelf-life studies.
• In sauces and pickles:
  • Combine with organic acids (e.g. acetic, citric) to maintain low pH,
  • Complement with pasteurisation and hygienic filling for robust protection.
• Combination systems:
  • Often used together with potassium sorbate or other hurdles when permitted,
  • Overall preservative levels must respect combined legal limits for benzoates and sorbates in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Regulatory responsibilities:
  • Confirm authorised uses and maximum inclusion levels for each product type,
  • Ensure compliant ingredient declarations and any required advisory statements,
  • Monitor evolving national and regional regulations around benzoate usage, especially in sensitive categories such as children’s drinks.