E211Preservative
Sodium benzoate
What the research shows
PrototypeConcerning
in animal and lab studies only
3 of 3 health findings on this page · See the findings
What research says
Animal and lab studies only
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Concern
Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas3
In animal studies, sodium benzoate changed insulin release and caused inflammation in the cells that make insulin.
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Concern
Bone loss over time4
In animal studies, sodium benzoate lowered bone mass and lengthy exposure sped up bone loss.
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Concern
blood cell DNA damage5
In lab studies, sodium benzoate increased DNA damage in human blood cells.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 184.1733
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European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
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United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
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Canada Permitted Health Canada · Preservatives
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 18,215 products on Open Food Facts that list sodium benzoate.
- Mayonnaise recette originale Star · 280 ml 17 dh 5 additives
- fanta tops lemon 1.5l 2 additives
- Mexican hot sauce Valentina · 370 ml 1 additive
- Big Mac McDonald's · 232 g 18 additives
- Mogu lychee Sappe Public Company Limited · 320 ml 5 additives
- GINGER ALE CANADA DRY · 355 ml 3 additives
References
- 1Sodium benzoate: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
- 2Sodium benzoate. Wikipedia. Accessed September 25, 2026.
- 3Li D, Zhang L, Yang P, et al. Sodium benzoate induces pancreatic inflammation and β cell apoptosis partially via benzoylation. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2024;270:115877. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115877
- 4Wang Z, Wang Y, Tang Y, et al. Sodium Benzoate Inhibits Osteoblast Differentiation and Accelerates Bone Loss by Regulating the FGF2/p38/RUNX2 Pathway. J Agric Food Chem. 2025;73(22):13891-13901. doi:10.1021/acs.jafc.5c01124
- 5Zengin N, Yüzbaşıoğlu D, Unal F, Yılmaz S, Aksoy H. The evaluation of the genotoxicity of two food preservatives: sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate. Food Chem Toxicol. 2011;49(4):763-9. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2010.11.040