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The Safety of Sodium Benzoate

by Joanne Carr, RHN, BA

It is interesting how in the natural health field just one published report can produce a panic and a host of
misinformation and misunderstanding. Last year, a report on a UK website about the preservative sodium
benzoate created a firestorm of fear here in Canada which continues today. What was not stated in this
UK report was the fact that many plants naturally produce benzoic acid as an intermediate in the
formation of other compounds (Goodwin, 1976) and that most of us are ingesting sodium benzoate daily
in our foods. It is naturally present in common foods (review in Sieber et al., 1989, 1990) as outlined in
the chart below:

Type of Food Amount Present
Milk Traces – 6 mg/kg
Cheese Traces – 40 mg/kg
Fruits Traces – 14 mg/kg
Potatoes, beans, cereals Traces – 0.2 mg/kg
Soya flour, nuts 1.2-11 mg/kg

Sodium benzoate, occurring naturally as benzoic acid, is found in cranberries, blueberries, prunes and
plums, cinnamon, ripe cloves, and apples, just to name a few. In fact, the amounts present in healthy
fruits may actually exceed the maximum limit allowed to be added to products as a preservative (0.1%, by
weight), with no known toxicity up to 647-825 mg/kg of body weight per day (1,2). Benzoic acid and
Vitamin C are both found commonly together in nature. While it is possible to form benzene as a result of
a chemical reaction between benzoic acid and vitamin C, we should really be concerned with the quantity
of benzene being consumed and not on its mere presence. In other words we should be more concerned
with how much is present as minute quantities are not harmful and occur naturally in fruits and vegetables
as nature intended; to preserve freshness.

For over 100 years, sodium benzoate has been used largely as a preservative in the soft drink industry
and is widely used as a preservative in pickles, sauces, and fruit juices, as well as for liquid herbal
preparations. (Srour, 1998).

Alcohol free liquid health products require preservatives in order to prevent bacteria, mold and other
forms of contamination. Omega Alpha is committed to using only safe preservatives that will keep our
products free from undesirable microbiological activity. Natural preservatives do not completely preserve
liquids, therefore we use preservatives like potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate (often a blend of the
two at 0.01%, far below the daily limit for each) to safely preserve our liquid products.

Omega Alpha has manufactured liquid nutraceuticals to GMP standards since our inception in 1992, long
before all companies were required to do so by the Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) of Health
Canada. Additionally, we test all of our raw ingredients before, during and after manufacturing to ensure
the health and safety of our consumers.

References
1. Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 26: BENZOIC ACID AND SODIUM BENZOATE
2. Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel Bindu Nair (2001). "Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Benzyl
Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, and Sodium Benzoate". Int J Tox (20 (Suppl. 3)): 23-50.

With over 10 years experience in the holistic health field, Joanne Carr R.H.N., B.A., is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who has
lectured at natural health product seminars for retailers and consumers across Canada. She also contributes to various natural
health publications.

OASIS is an acronym for Omega Alpha Scientific Institute of Supplements

A division of Omega Alpha Pharmaceuticals Inc., Toronto, Canada