Potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate levels in Iranian foods
What it found
In 103 food samples from Kashan, Iran, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate were mostly below set limits, but one cake sample had potassium sorbate above the limit.
The authors calculated that some products may pose a health concern based on estimated intakes.
What they found
Preservative levels in foods
Sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate were not found in tomato paste. All samples had levels below regulatory limits except for potassium sorbate in one cake sample, which was 3.57%.
Risk from potassium sorbate
For mayonnaise sauce, Olovieh salad and cake, the chronic daily intake and target hazard quotient of potassium sorbate were below acceptable daily intakes and one, except for toast bread. But the hazard index for potassium sorbate across the selected products was above one, suggesting a non-cancer health risk for consumers.
Risk from sodium benzoate
For mayonnaise sauce and carbonated soft drink, the target hazard quotient and hazard index for sodium benzoate were above one, indicating a considerable non-cancer health risk from eating these products.
What the authors conclude
- They highlight the importance of more attentive monitoring of these preservatives by the public and food health authorities in Iran.
How it was done
The authors wanted to check the levels of these preservatives in common foods and estimate whether they could pose a health risk to the Iranian population.
They tested 103 samples of cake, toast bread, tomato paste, mayonnaise sauce, carbonated soft drink and Olovieh salad from Kashan, Iran, using spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography. They then calculated chronic daily intake, target hazard quotient and hazard index for sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate for the Iranian population.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study measured preservative levels in foods and estimated risk based on those levels. It did not measure actual health effects in people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Assessment of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate preservatives in some products in Kashan, Iran with estimation of human health risk
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Chaleshtori FS, Arian A, Chaleshtori RS (2018). Assessment of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate preservatives in some products in Kashan, Iran with estimation of human health risk. Food and chemical toxicology. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2018.08.010PubMed 30099054DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error