E211 — Sodium benzoate
E211 (Sodium benzoate), a preservative, is rated "avoid": worth avoiding. The sodium salt of benzoic acid. The standard preservative in soft drinks, sauces, and pickles. Can form benzene when combined with vitamin C in the same product.
Is sodium benzoate bad for you? →
What is Sodium benzoate?
The water-soluble sodium salt of benzoic acid. Found in fizzy drinks, fruit juices, sauces, salad dressings, jams, and pickled foods.
What does it do to the body?
When it sits in a drink with vitamin C and gets warm or sunny, small amounts of benzene (a known human carcinogen) can form. Heavy consumers of vitamin C-fortified soft drinks during the 2000s had the most exposure; most major brands have since reformulated. Some studies also link it to hyperactivity in sensitive children.
What regulators say
EFSA set a group acceptable daily intake of 5 mg per kg of body weight per day (as benzoic acid) in 2016 and warned that toddlers and children can exceed it in brand-loyal drinking patterns. FDA-approved.
Risk rating: Avoid
Known or suspected to cause harm: a substance EFSA or another regulator has flagged, or one restricted in some jurisdictions. Best kept out of a regular diet.
Source: EFSA — re-evaluation of benzoic acid and benzoates (2016) ↗