Sorbic acid intake in Austrian children and adults
What it found
In an Austrian survey, average sorbic acid intake was well below the acceptable daily intake for preschool children and adults.
Even in a high-intake scenario, it stayed below that level.
What they found
Studies in people
Average sorbic acid intake
In the average-intake scenario, sorbic acid intake was 7% of the acceptable daily intake in preschool children and 6% in adults. This was well below the acceptable daily intake for all groups.
High sorbic acid intake
In the high-intake scenario, sorbic acid intake reached a maximum of 30% of the acceptable daily intake in preschool children. For adults it was 21% in females and 22% in males, still below the acceptable daily intake.
Other findings
Main food sources
The biggest contributors to sorbic acid intake were fish and fish products, including mayonnaise-containing fish salads. Other important sources were bread, buns, toast bread, and fruit and vegetable juices.
Sorbic acid in food
Fish products had an average sorbic acid concentration of 700.8 mg per kg. Bread, buns and toast bread were also notable sources in the diet.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that mean estimated daily intakes for average consumers are within the respective acceptable daily intakes.
- They state that estimated dietary exposures of sorbic acid were well below the acceptable daily intake.
- They say that the risk of exceeding the acceptable daily intake for consumers who randomly consume foods that contain preservatives or not is low.
How it was done
The authors wanted to estimate how much of three preservatives, including sorbic acid, people in Austria actually take in from food, and to compare those amounts with the acceptable daily intakes.
They used food consumption data from 151 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years and 2581 adults aged 19 to 65 years. They combined this with preservative levels measured in food samples collected from January 2007 to August 2010, then estimated daily intakes under two scenarios.
What it can’t tell you
- This study estimated intake from food consumption data and measured preservative levels. It did not measure health effects in people.
- The consumption data came from a single 24-hour recall for adults, which may not reflect usual long-term eating habits.
- Preservative levels were not measured in every food category where they are used, so some sources may be missing.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Austria
The paper
- Title
- Exposure assessment of food preservatives (sulphites, benzoic and sorbic acid) in Austria
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Mischek D, Krapfenbauer-Cermak C (2012). Exposure assessment of food preservatives (sulphites, benzoic and sorbic acid) in Austria. Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment. doi:10.1080/19440049.2011.643415Free full textPubMed 22264192DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error