Sorbic acid
1204482
209595333
2008-05-02T01:02:35Z
69.218.228.156
:''Sometimes confused with [[ascorbic acid]], [[Vitamin C]].''
{{Chembox new
| Name = Sorbic acid
| ImageFile = Sorbic acid.svg
<!-- | ImageSize = 200px -->
| ImageName = Sorbic acid
| IUPACName = (2E,4E)-hexa-2,4-dienoic acid
| Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers
| CASNo = 110-44-1
| SMILES = CC=CC=CC(O)O
}}
| Section2 = {{Chembox Properties
| Formula = C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>8</sub>O<sub>2</sub>
| MolarMass = 112.12 g/mol
| MeltingPt = 135 °C
| BoilingPt = 228 °C (dec)
}}
}}
'''Sorbic acid''', or 2,4-hexadienoic acid, is a natural [[organic compound]] used as a food [[preservative]]. It has the chemical formula C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>8</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. It was first isolated from the unripe berries of the [[Rowan]] (''Sorbus aucuparia''), hence its name.
Sorbic acid and its mineral salts, such as [[sodium sorbate]], [[potassium sorbate]] and [[calcium sorbate]], are antimicrobial agents often used as preservatives in food and drinks to prevent the growth of mold, yeast and fungi. In general the salts are preferred over the acid form because they are more soluble in water. The optimal pH for the antimicrobial activity is below pH 6.5 and sorbates are generally used at concentrations of 0.025% to 0.10%. Adding sorbate salts to food will however raise the pH of the food slightly so the pH may need to be adjusted to assure safety.
Sorbic acid should not be confused with other chemically unrelated, but similarly named food additives [[sorbitol]], [[polysorbate]], and [[ascorbic acid]] (''Vitamin C'').
The [[E number#E200.26ndash.3BE299|E numbers]] are:
* E200 Sorbic acid
* E201 [[Sodium sorbate]]
* E202 [[Potassium sorbate]]
* E203 [[Calcium sorbate]]
Some [[mold]]s (notably some ''[[Trichoderma]]'' and ''[[Penicillium]]'' [[strain (biology)|strains]]) and [[yeast]]s are able to detoxify sorbates by [[decarboxylation]], producing [[trans]]-[[1,3-pentadiene]]. The pentadiene manifests as a typical odor of [[kerosene]] or [[petroleum]].<!-- The Soft Drinks Companion - A technical handbook for the beverage industry, chapter 10 --> Other detoxification reactions include reduction to [[4-hexenol]] and [[4-hexenoic acid]]. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2253810&dopt=Abstract]
==References==
{{Unreferenced|date =September 2007}}
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2001/ghumra/intro.htm Sorbic acid on chm.bris.ac.uk]
*[http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/40abcj14.htm Sorbic inchem.org]
*[http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/SO/sorbic_acid.html MSDS at University of Oxford]
[[Category:Carboxylic acids]]
[[Category:Food additives]]
[[Category:Preservatives]]
[[cs:Kyselina sorbová]]
[[de:Sorbinsäure]]
[[fr:Acide sorbique]]
[[it:Acido sorbico]]
[[lv:Sorbīnskābe]]
[[hu:Szorbinsav]]
[[nl:Sorbinezuur]]
[[ja:ソルビン酸]]
[[pl:Kwas sorbinowy]]
[[pt:Ácido sórbico]]
[[ru:Сорбиновая кислота]]
[[zh:山梨酸]]