Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid

Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 172 indexed US food products.

Safety score 60.0%

3/5 from FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine

How common is vs other flagged additives?

Number of indexed products containing each of the most common flagged additives — Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid highlighted.

Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.

Caramel Coloring22612Red 4021595Yellow 518987Carrageenan17853Blue 116643Yellow 613560Sucralose10490Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid172
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid has a moderate safety profile (3/5). While approved for use, some studies or consumer advocacy groups have raised questions about certain aspects of this ingredient. Consumers who prefer caution may wish to limit intake.

What the Data Says About

Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid currently appears in 172 products across the OpenFoodFacts catalog we index, which gives a concrete measure of its footprint on US grocery shelves. Our internal safety score of 3/5 synthesizes FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) regulatory status with the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Chemical Cuisine classification. These two frameworks capture different questions: regulators ask whether exposure at typical intake is acceptable, while consumer-advocacy groups examine cumulative dietary load and vulnerable-population risk.

Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid serves one or more technical functions in food manufacturing — stabilization, flavor, preservation, or structural role — which explains its presence across multiple product categories in our database. Inspection and outbreak records frequently trace back to control failures around functional additives, whether through batch contamination, undisclosed substitutions, or labeling mismatches that trigger recall classifications by the FDA.

No specific concern flags are attached to Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid in our current data snapshot beyond the regulatory and CSPI classifications above. That does not rule out individual sensitivity reactions, and anyone managing allergies, elimination diets, or chronic conditions should verify with a qualified healthcare professional before relying on population-level ratings.

Safety Profile at a Glance

Regulatory and safety classifications for Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 172 products OpenFoodFacts

FDA SAFFA database, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings, OpenFoodFacts product index. See methodology.

Products Containing

Showing 50 of 172 products

2 oz brd stfd shrimp
Unknown
100/100
2oz.deluxe deviled crabs
Unknown
100/100
3 oz sfd crab cakes
Unknown
100/100
3oz. deluxe crab cakes
Unknown
100/100
3oz. deluxe deviled crabs
Unknown
100/100
3oz. deviled crabs
Unknown
100/100
3oz.deluxe deviled crabs
Unknown
100/100
4oz. deluxe deviled crabs
Unknown
100/100
58% vegetable oil spread
Bunge Oils
100/100
6oz crabmeat stuffed swai
Unknown
100/100
Ahold biscuits buttermilk
Unknown
100/100
Apple cinnamon filling in a cinnamon crust sweet treats sandwiches, apple cinnamon
Unknown
100/100
Apple decadent danish
37th Street Bakery
80/100
Applewood Bacon Egg & Cheese Sandwiches
Unknown
80/100
Applewood bacon egg & cheese with low fat mozzarella cheese & sauce in a whole grain crust sandwiches
Unknown
80/100
Applewood bacon, egg & cheese sandwiches, applewood bacon egg & cheese
Unknown
80/100
Applewood bacon, egg & cheese with reduced fat cheddar cheese & sauce in a croissant crust sandwiches, applewood bacon, egg & cheese
Unknown
80/100
Bacon, egg, & cheese croissant
Unknown
85/100
Baked garlic & herb seasoned crust sandwiches, garlic chicken white pizza
Unknown
100/100
Barista's Choice, Golden Cheese Ring Cake, Cream Cheese
Ami Wholesale Distributors Inc
100/100
Barista's Choice, Ring Cake, Apple
Ami Wholesale Distributors Inc
100/100
Barista's Choice, Ring Cake, Coffee
Ami Wholesale Distributors Inc
100/100
Barista's Choice, Ring Cake, Pineapple
Ami Wholesale Distributors Inc
100/100
Beef Stew
Harvest Creek
95/100
Big & Flaky Crescent Rolls
Hy-Vee Inc.
45/100
Big and bold chicken bacon ranch hot pockets
Nestle
85/100
Biscuits
Brookshire's
100/100
Buffalo style chicken sandwiches, spicy
Unknown
95/100
Butter flaky hearty layers biscuits
Unknown
50/100
Butter!
Bunge Edible Oil Corporation
100/100
Buttermilk biscuits
Kroger
100/100
Buttermilk flaky hearty layers biscuits
Unknown
100/100
Buttery spread quarters
Unknown
100/100
Buttery spread sticks
Unknown
100/100
Caprese with mozzarella, tomatoes sauce & basil in a baked garlic & herb seasoned crust sandwiches, caprese
Unknown
100/100
Carrot pound cake, carrot
Unknown
100/100
Cheddar Cheeseburger Sandwiches
Unknown
100/100
Cheese cake
Unknown
50/100
Chicken Parmesan With Reduced Fat Mozzarella, Parmesan And Asiago & Tomato Sauce In A Baked Garlic & Herb Seasoned Crust Sandwiches, Chicken Parmesan
Lean pockets
100/100
Chicken pot pie sandwiches
Unknown
100/100
Chicken Salad Croissant
Papa John's Salads & Produce
95/100
Chicken, broccoli & cheddar sandwiches
Unknown
95/100
Chipotle beef flaky empanada crust sandwiches
Unknown
95/100
Chocolate pound cake, chocolate
Unknown
95/100
Chocolate Whoopie Pie
Daisy's
95/100
Chorizo, egg & cheese with cheddar cheese & sauce in a crispy buttery crust sandwiches, chorizo, egg & cheese
Unknown
100/100
Cinnamon Roll Flavor Sweet Cream Cheese Filling In A Cinnamon Crust Sandwiches, Cinnamon Roll
Hot pockets
100/100
Cinnamon rolls
archer farms
100/100
Classic Pound Cake
Lady Linda
100/100
Cocktail Croissants
The Bakery Baked With Pride
85/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid safe to eat?

Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid has a safety score of 3/5. Always check with a healthcare provider if you have specific dietary concerns.

What products contain Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid?

Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid is found in 172 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid do in food?

Potassium Sorbate And Citric Acid serves various technical functions in food manufacturing and processing.

Where does this ingredient safety data come from?

Safety data comes from the FDA's SAFFA (Substances Added to Food) database, CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) ratings, and the OpenFoodFacts product database. Product counts reflect items cataloged in OpenFoodFacts.