Potassium+Sorbate

//﻿// l **__Potassium Sorbate__** l **﻿ Uh, that sounds dangerous... Do I eat that? ** **//Created by Jonathan Ho & Zack Brooks //**

//What is it? //

 Potassium Sorbate is one of the safest preservatives that scientists currently know about. It was discovered in the 1850's by the French as a product of the Mountain Ash tree; however, today it is most commonly found as a white or pale yellow crystalline powder that is synthesized and dissolves easily in water (1) .

//Why do people put this in our food? //

Why you ask? As stated above, Potassium Sorbate is one of the safest preservatives around, and it is because of this reason that it is used in almost any spoil-able product. This group includes things like meats, cheeses, and other foods, but it also includes the lotions and beauty products that are kept on the shelf (2) . These products are enhanced with Potassium Sorbate to increase their safe shelf life, or in simple words, to stop mold. In addition, when Potassium Sorbate is added to wines, it stops the fermentation process, preserving the flavor and body of the wine at the time of adding (1) .

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">//What's the science behind this chemical compound?//

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Potassium Sorbate is classified as a salt from the sorbic acid category, and is made by mixing Sorbic Acid and Potassium Hydroxide. It is a very cheap preservative to synthesize, which accounts for it being one of the most common preservatives in the food industry <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; vertical-align: super;">(3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">. When dissolved in water, the Potassium breaks away, and Sorbic Acid is formed. Potassium Sorbate is effective as a preservative only up to a pH of 6.5, and as you add into more acidic substances, (pH levels of less than 6.5), it becomes less and less effective at fighting off the growth of bacteria <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; vertical-align: super;">(1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">.

//<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">What does it mean if I find this in my food or drink? //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> According to the Livestrong group, Potassium Sorbate is a very versatile compound that has many uses as a preservative. One of the great pros of adding Potassium Sorbate to food is that it fights the growth of bacteria. This means that a single packet of Potassium Sorbate is essential for products to have long shelf lives <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">(4) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">. In addition, Potassium Sorbate only causes a slight irritation if it where to come into contact with your eyes. Potassium Sorbate can also cause a slight redness <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">if left in direct contact with skin over a long period of time <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">(5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">.



//<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Does the name give me any hints as to what it is? //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Potassium Sorbate is the salt of Sorbic Acid, a naturally occurring organic compound. Neutralizing Potassium Hydroxide with Sorbic Acid results in Potassium Sorbate, hence the name <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; vertical-align: super;">(3).

//<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">How many atoms of each type are in the structure of this element? //

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// Carbon = 6 // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// Hydrogen = 7 // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// Oxygen = 2 // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">// Potassium = 1 //

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">//Molecular Geometry//






 * //<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Resources: //**

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">(1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"Potassium Sorbate." Chemicals & Health Supplements | Nutritional & Herbal Supplements, Vitamins, <span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">_ __<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Pharmaceuticals, Amino Acids. Web. 06 Nov. 2010 __ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><http://www.greatvistachemicals.com/industrial_and_specialty_chemicals/potassium_sorbate.html>.

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">(2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"Food Additives ~ CSPI’s Food Safety." Center for Science in the Public Interest. Web. 05 Nov. 2010. <span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">_ __<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm>. __

__<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">(3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"What Is Potassium Sorbate? | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Health, Fitness, Lifestyle | ___<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">LIVESTRONG.COM. Web. 06 Nov. 2010. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/31559-potassium-sorbate/>.

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">(4) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"What Is Potassium Sorbate?" WiseGEEK: Clear Answers for Common Questions. Web. 06 Nov. 2010. <span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">_ __<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-potassium-sorbate.htm>. __

__<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">(5) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"What Are The Dangers Of Potassium Sorbate? | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Health, Fitness, Lifestyle ___<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">| LIVESTRONG.COM. Web. 06 Nov. 2010. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/269997-what-are-the- <span style="color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">___ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">dangers-of-potassium-sorbate///>.