Is Potassium Sorbate Gluten Free?
Potassium sorbate is gluten free.
Potassium sorbate is a gluten free preservative that is used in many foods and skincare products. Keep reading to find out more.
What is Potassium Sorbate?
Potassium sorbate is a preservative; it’s the potassium salt of sorbic acid.
It’s a white substance that’s water soluble.
It is derived from some berries or can be made synthetically. To produce potassium sorbate, you will need to neutralize sorbic acid with potassium hydroxide.
What Are Its Uses?
It is used for the preservation of food and skincare products, preventing growth of fungi, mold and yeast, and to prolong their shelf life. It’s been used in yogurt, cheese, baked goods, soft drinks and fast foods.
It should be combined with other preservatives such as rosemary or sodium benzoate to protect against bacteria.
It can be used in herbal supplements.
It’s also used as a replacement for parabens in some personal care products.
It is a stabilizer for wine and produces sorbic acid when added to it.
This means when fermentation has stopped, it makes any remaining yeast unable to multiply.
Is It Safe To Use?
It is safe to use.
It has been recognized as safe and has been in use for decades.
In large amounts, it can be a skin and eye irritant and could irritate the respiratory system, But the amounts used are small and should not cause any irritation except in extreme cases.
Are All Preservatives or Additives Gluten Free?
Not all of them are gluten free.
You always want to check the ingredients carefully especially if you suffer from celiac disease or you may eat something that will make you sick. Some potentially harmful additives are:
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Natural flavor or flavoring: could be made from barley
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Vegetable protein or hydrolyzed vegetable protein: could be made with wheat, corn or soy
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Modified starch or modified food starch: could come from many different sources including wheat
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Dextrin or maltodextrin: both of these could be made with wheat
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Artificial flavor or flavoring: can be made from barley
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Vegetable starch: could contain wheat fillers
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Seasonings: could contain wheat fillers
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Flavorings: could contain wheat fillers
What Are Some Other Gluten Free Preservatives?
Some other common gluten free preservatives include:
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BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
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BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)
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Xanthan gum
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Carrageenan
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Soy lecithin
Are These Healthy?
Some would argue that although these preservatives are gluten free, that doesn’t necessarily make them healthy.
Below are some of the concerns linked to these preservatives:
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BHT and BHA: these are used to maintain freshness in foods such as cereal and in some personal hygiene products.
They have been said to be possible carcinogens and hormone disruptors.
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Xanthan gum: this is used to improve the texture of baked goods in gluten free products and is said to cause GI distress in some who consume it.
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Carrageenan: this is used to thicken, emulsify or stabilize things like non-dairy milks and it could cause inflammation to the digestive system.
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Soy lecithin: soy lecithin is a fatty substance used as an emulsifier and some concerns with it involve choline toxicity but you would have to consume huge amounts for that to happen.
It is up to you if you want to eat foods containing these additives but, potassium sorbate is suitable to consume on a gluten free diet.