Sodium benzoate is a preservative added to sodas, packaged foods, and personal care products to extend shelf life.
Some claim this additive is harmless, while others link it to cancer and other health problems.
This article provides a detailed overview of sodium benzoate, including its uses and possible safety concerns.
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What is sodium benzoate?
Sodium benzoate is best known as a preservative used in processed foods and beverages to extend shelf life.
It’s an odorless, crystalline powder made by combining benzoic acid with sodium hydroxide. Benzoic acid works well as a preservative, and adding sodium hydroxide helps it dissolve in products.
Sodium benzoate doesn’t occur naturally, but benzoic acid is found in many plants, including cinnamon, cloves, tomatoes, berries, plums, apples, and cranberries.
Certain bacteria also produce benzoic acid when fermenting dairy products like yogurt.
Summary: Sodium benzoate is a man-made compound best known as a food preservative.
Various uses of sodium benzoate
Beyond processed foods and beverages, sodium benzoate is added to some medicines, cosmetics, personal care products, and industrial products.
Foods and beverages
Sodium benzoate was the first preservative the FDA allowed in foods and remains widely used. It’s classified as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), meaning experts consider it safe when used as intended.1
It’s approved internationally as a food additive with identifying number 211 (listed as E211 in European products).
Sodium benzoate inhibits growth of potentially harmful bacteria, mold, and other microbes, preventing spoilage. It’s particularly effective in acidic foods like soda, bottled lemon juice, pickles, jelly, salad dressing, soy sauce, and other condiments.
Medications
Sodium benzoate is used as a preservative in some over-the-counter and prescription medications, particularly liquid medicines like cough syrup.
It also serves as a lubricant in pill manufacturing, making tablets transparent and smooth so they break down quickly after swallowing.
In larger amounts, sodium benzoate may be prescribed to treat elevated blood ammonia levels — a serious condition that can occur with liver disease or inherited urea cycle disorders.
Other uses
Sodium benzoate is commonly found in cosmetics and personal care items like hair products, baby wipes, toothpaste, and mouthwash.
It also has industrial applications, including preventing corrosion in car engine coolants and improving the strength of certain plastics.
Summary: Sodium benzoate has preservative, medicinal, and industrial functions. It’s used in packaged foods, beverages, medicines, cosmetics, and industrial products.
Possible health concerns
Some people are cautious about chemical additives including sodium benzoate. Preliminary studies raise questions about its safety, though more research is needed.
Potential conversion to benzene
A significant concern is sodium benzoate’s ability to convert to benzene, a known carcinogen.
Benzene can form in sodas and other drinks containing both sodium benzoate and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).2
Diet beverages are more prone to benzene formation, as sugar in regular sodas and fruit drinks may reduce its formation. Heat, light exposure, and long storage periods can also increase benzene levels.
In 2005, FDA testing found 10 out of 200 sodas and fruit drinks exceeded the EPA’s 5 parts per billion (ppb) limit for safe drinking water. These were mostly fruit-flavored diet sodas and juice drinks.1
Since then, these products have either been reformulated to acceptable levels or had sodium benzoate removed entirely.
The FDA states that the low benzene levels found in beverages don’t pose a health risk, though long-term studies on regularly consuming low benzene levels are lacking.1
Suggested read: Is MSG Unhealthy? Everything You Need to Know About Monosodium Glutamate
Other potential concerns
Preliminary research has evaluated other possible risks:2
- Inflammation: Animal studies suggest sodium benzoate may activate inflammatory pathways in proportion to the amount consumed.
- ADHD: Some studies have linked sodium benzoate intake to ADHD symptoms in both college students and children.
- Appetite regulation: A test-tube study on mouse fat cells showed sodium benzoate decreased release of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone.
- Oxidative stress: Test-tube studies suggest higher concentrations create more free radicals, which can damage cells.
- Allergies: A small percentage of people may experience allergic reactions like itching and swelling.
More research is needed to confirm these findings in humans.
Summary: Studies suggest sodium benzoate may increase inflammation, oxidative stress, and ADHD symptoms in some people. It can convert to benzene when combined with vitamin C, but levels in beverages are considered safe by the FDA.
Potential medicinal benefits
In larger doses, sodium benzoate may help treat certain medical conditions.
It reduces high blood ammonia levels in people with liver disease or inherited urea cycle disorders that limit ammonia excretion through urine.
Other potential medicinal uses being researched include:2
- Schizophrenia: A six-week study found 1,000 mg daily alongside standard treatment reduced symptoms by 21% compared to placebo.
- Multiple sclerosis: Animal and test-tube studies suggest it may slow MS progression, possibly by stimulating myelin production.
- Depression: One case study showed 500 mg daily led to 64% symptom improvement over six weeks.
- Maple syrup urine disease: This inherited condition affects amino acid breakdown; IV sodium benzoate may help during crisis phases.
- Panic disorder: One case found 500 mg daily reduced panic symptoms by 61% over six weeks.
Despite potential benefits, medicinal sodium benzoate can cause side effects including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. It may also deplete carnitine, an amino acid important for energy production, sometimes requiring supplementation.
Suggested read: The 8 Most Common Food Intolerances and Symptoms
For these reasons, it’s only prescribed in carefully controlled doses with ongoing monitoring.
Summary: Sodium benzoate medication can treat high blood ammonia levels. It’s also being studied for conditions including schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis.
Overall safety
The FDA allows sodium benzoate concentrations up to 0.1% by weight in foods and beverages. If used, it must appear on the ingredient list.1
Your body doesn’t accumulate sodium benzoate. You metabolize and excrete it in urine within 24 hours, contributing to its safety.
The WHO set the acceptable daily intake at 0–5 mg per kg of body weight. Most people don’t exceed this through normal diet.
Still, some individuals may be more sensitive to this additive. If you suspect an allergy, consult a doctor for testing.
For personal care products, the Environmental Working Group rates sodium benzoate at a hazard level of 3 out of 10, indicating relatively low risk.
Summary: The FDA limits sodium benzoate in food and beverages. You’re unlikely to experience toxicity from typical exposure.
Summary
Sodium benzoate is generally considered safe, and most people don’t exceed the acceptable daily intake of 0–5 mg per kg of body weight.
This additive has been linked to potential concerns including inflammation and ADHD, but more research is needed.
Keep in mind that additives can lose their Generally Recognized As Safe status as new studies emerge. It’s important to continue evaluating safety and recognize that individuals may respond differently.
Regardless, minimizing processed food intake and choosing personal care products with fewer synthetic additives remains a reasonable approach.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers on the Occurrence of Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages. FDA ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Piper JD, Piper PW. Benzoate and Sorbate Salts: A Systematic Review of the Potential Hazards of These Invaluable Preservatives and the Expanding Spectrum of Clinical Uses for Sodium Benzoate. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2017;16(5):868-880. PubMed ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
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