Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid

Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid carries a safety score of 3/5 and appears in 38 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 — Sodium Benzoate 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 613560Sucralose10490Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid38
Indexed products containing each flagged additive. Source: Open Food Facts ingredient lists × FDA SAFFA × CSPI Chemical Cuisine.
Safety Score
3/5

Safety Assessment

Sodium Benzoate 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

Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid currently appears in 38 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.

Sodium Benzoate 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 Sodium Benzoate 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 Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid
Source Classification Year
FDA SAFFA Not listed 2024
CSPI Chemical Cuisine Not rated 2024
PlainFoodSafe Score 3/5 2026
Product footprint 38 products OpenFoodFacts

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

Products Containing

Showing 38 of 38 products

Apple coffee cake
Bakery Fresh Goodness
95/100
Apple danish coffee cake, apple danish
Unknown
100/100
Archer farms, strawberry cheese danish
Archer Farms, Target Stores
50/100
Caramel nut danish coffee cake, caramel nut danish
Unknown
100/100
Cheese Danish Coffee Cake
Sweet P's Bake Shop
100/100
Chef's Recipe Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Fresh Foods Market
95/100
Chef's recipe clam chowder
Unknown
80/100
Chef's Recipe Seafood Gumbo
Fresh Food Market
70/100
Chocolate Chip
Unknown
100/100
Crunch Danish
James Skinner Baking Company
100/100
Danish
J. Skinner
100/100
Danish
Target Stores
100/100
Danish Cheese
Target Stores
100/100
Danish Ring
James Skinner Baking Co.
100/100
Donut
The Salvation Army
100/100
Franz Bake Shoppe, Cookies, Tuxedo Brownie
United States Bakery
100/100
Franz Bake Shoppe, Salted Caramel
United States Bakery
35/100
French Bread Garlic
Seattle International Baking Company
100/100
Glazed pina colada donut holes
Unknown
100/100
Harvest frosted sugar cookies, frosted sugar
Unknown
0/100
Harvested frosted sugar cookies
Unknown
100/100
Markets of meijer, fresh coffee cake ring, cinnamon pecan
Markets Of Meijer
100/100
Our deluxe white sausage, cheese, mushrooms, pepperoni, peppers, savory garlic sauce on crust pizza, our deluxe white
Unknown
55/100
Pastries
James Skinner Baking Co.
45/100
Pepperoni Pizza
Nestle
55/100
Raspberry danish coffee cake
Unknown
100/100
Really Raspberry Danish
J. Skinner
100/100
Rolls
Weis
100/100
Sausage, cheese, onion, savory garlic sauce on crust white pizza, white
Unknown
100/100
Sausage, cheese, onion, savory white garlic sauce on crust pizza, white
Unknown
100/100
Sausage, cheese, onion, savory white garlic sauce on super thin crust pizza, white garlic
Unknown
100/100
Sensational Strawberry Cheese Danish
J. Skinner
50/100
Strawberry cheese danish coffee cake
Unknown
50/100
Weis, danish ring, raspberry
Weis
45/100
Weis, danish strip, apple
Weis
95/100
Weis, rolls, cinnamon
Weis
100/100
Weis, strip danish, raspberry
Weis, Weis Markets Inc.
100/100
Wild Mushroom Bisque
Fresh Foods Market
95/100

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid safe to eat?

Sodium Benzoate 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 Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid?

Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid is found in 38 products in our database, spanning various food categories and brands.

What does Sodium Benzoate And Citric Acid do in food?

Sodium Benzoate 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.