Home › Ingredients › Sodium benzoate (E211)
Is sodium benzoate (E211) safe?
- EU (2016): permitted — daily limit set at 5 mg per kg of body weight
- WHO (2021): raised its limit to 20 mg per kg — four times higher, same compound
- The real flag: E211 + vitamin C on the same label can form small amounts of benzene
- LabelCop: flags E211 and escalates when vitamin C is also present
What is sodium benzoate?
- The sodium salt of benzoic acid — a synthetic preservative that stops mould, yeast and some bacteria
- Only works in acidic foods, which is why it lives in fizzy drinks, juices and pickles
- Label names: sodium benzoate, E211, INS 211, preservative (211)
- Close relatives: benzoic acid (E210), potassium benzoate (E212), calcium benzoate (E213) — regulators assess them as one group
Which foods contain it?
- Fizzy drinks, colas, squashes and cordials
- Fruit juices and fruit-flavoured drinks
- Pickles, chutneys and vinegar-based sauces
- Salad dressings, ketchup and condiments
- Jams, syrups and some fruit-flavoured dairy
- In India: the workhorse preservative of soft drinks, packaged juices and pickles — look for INS 211 or "preservative (211)" on the label
What the regulators actually say
| Regulator | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA / European Union | Permitted — ADI 5 mg/kg/day | EFSA's 2016 re-evaluation found low toxicity, no genotoxicity concern and no evidence of carcinogenic potential, and kept the group acceptable daily intake at 5 mg per kg of body weight (as benzoic acid), using a 100-fold uncertainty factor. But it warned the ADI could be exceeded by toddlers and children who regularly drink flavoured drinks. |
| FDA (United States) | GRAS — capped at 0.1% | Generally Recognised As Safe under 21 CFR 184.1733, limited to 0.1% of a food's weight. No US ADI is set. After the mid-2000s benzene findings in soft drinks, the FDA worked with manufacturers to reformulate rather than issue a new limit. |
| FSSAI (India) | Permitted — Class II preservative | Allowed as INS 211 in specified food categories within prescribed limits. Classed as a Class II (synthetic) preservative. Where benzoates and sorbates are used together, the sum of their ratios to the permitted maximum must not exceed 1. |
| WHO / JECFA | Permitted — ADI raised to 20 mg/kg/day (2021) | The joint FAO/WHO expert committee had held a group ADI of 0–5 mg/kg since 1983. At its 92nd meeting in 2021 it withdrew that and set 0–20 mg/kg, after pharmacokinetic data justified a smaller adjustment factor for differences between species. |
| IARC (on benzene) | Benzene: Group 1 carcinogen | This applies to benzene, not to sodium benzoate. It matters because benzoate plus vitamin C can produce trace benzene under heat and light — which is why the pairing, not the preservative alone, is the thing to watch. |
Why do regulators disagree?
- The dispute is about the margin of safety, not the hazard. Nobody claims E211 is toxic at label levels
- EFSA (2016): applied the default 100-fold uncertainty factor → 5 mg/kg/day
- JECFA (2021): used human pharmacokinetic data to shrink the species-difference factor → 20 mg/kg/day
- Four times apart, from the same compound — a reminder that an "acceptable daily intake" is a judgement about caution, not a measured cliff edge
- EFSA's own caveat is the sharper point: even at 5 mg/kg, it found toddlers and children who regularly drink flavoured drinks can exceed the limit
- One precision on hyperactivity: the 2007 Southampton study gave children colours and benzoate together, so benzoate's own contribution was never isolated. EFSA judged the evidence limited. The EU warning label applies to six colours — not to E211
The vitamin C problem
- Benzoate and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the same drink can react to form small amounts of benzene
- Heat and light speed it up — a bottle on a sunlit shelf is the worst case
- The FDA tested roughly 200 beverages (2005–2007); ten exceeded the 5 ppb benchmark borrowed from drinking-water standards, and those were reformulated
- There is still no federal US limit for benzene in soft drinks — the reformulation was voluntary
- What to look for: "preservative (211)" plus "vitamin C", "ascorbic acid" or "E300" on the same ingredients list — common in fruit-flavoured fizzy drinks and juices
- Sodium benzoate (E211) is a medium-risk flag in LabelCop
- Escalated to high risk when the same label also lists vitamin C / ascorbic acid — the benzene-forming pairing
- Benzoic acid (E210) carries a high-risk flag in its own right
- Rule: strictest regulator wins — we hold to EFSA's 5 mg/kg limit, not the WHO's higher 20 mg/kg
- You see the flag, the reason and the sources. No black box
Frequently asked questions
Is sodium benzoate banned anywhere?
No. It is permitted in the EU (E211), the US (GRAS, capped at 0.1% by weight) and India (INS 211, Class II preservative), within prescribed limits. The regulators disagree on how much per day is acceptable — not on whether to allow it.
Does sodium benzoate turn into benzene?
It can, when vitamin C is also present, and heat and light accelerate it. The FDA found ten of about 200 beverages above the 5 ppb drinking-water benchmark in 2005–2007; those were reformulated. The pairing of E211 with vitamin C on one label is what's worth noticing.
Why do the EU and the WHO disagree on the limit?
EFSA kept the ADI at 5 mg per kg of body weight in 2016 using a standard 100-fold uncertainty factor. JECFA raised its group ADI to 20 mg per kg in 2021 after pharmacokinetic data justified a smaller species-difference adjustment. Same compound, different judgement on caution.
Does it cause hyperactivity in children?
Unsettled. The 2007 Southampton study (McCann et al., The Lancet) tested colours and benzoate as a mixture, so benzoate's individual contribution was never separated out. EFSA's 2008 assessment called the evidence limited and the effects inconsistent across age groups. The EU warning label that followed covers six colours, not E211.
Which label names should I look for?
Sodium benzoate, E211, INS 211, or "preservative (211)" — most common in fizzy drinks, juices, squashes, pickles and dressings. Scan the label with LabelCop and it's flagged automatically, with the regulator reasoning shown.
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EFSA (2016): re-evaluation of benzoic acid (E 210), sodium benzoate (E 211), potassium benzoate (E 212) and calcium benzoate (E 213) · EFSA (2008): assessment of McCann et al. (2007) on colours and sodium benzoate and children's behaviour · FDA: 21 CFR 184.1733 — sodium benzoate (GRAS) · FDA: benzene in soft drinks and other beverages · WHO/JECFA (2021): 92nd meeting — group ADI for benzoates revised to 0–20 mg/kg bw · FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations
Related ingredients: Sodium nitrite (E250) · Carrageenan (E407) · BHA & BHT (E320/E321)
This article explains regulatory status and published scientific assessments in plain English. It is not medical advice.