Is sodium benzoate bad for you?
Yes, sodium benzoate is one of the additives worth limiting. 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 actually harmful?
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 do 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.
Source: EFSA — re-evaluation of benzoic acid and benzoates (2016) ↗So should you avoid it?
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.
For the full reference on sodium benzoate, including what it is and where it turns up, see the E211 page. Or scan a product and Yuzu tells you if it's inside.