Potassium

A. W. Van Hoffman was the first to isolate sorbic acid from the berries of the mountain ash tree in the year 1859. The antimicrobial (preservative) properties of sorbic acid were recognized in the 1940's. In the late 1940's and 1950's it became commercially available. Since then, sorbic acid has been extensively tested and used as a preservative in many foods. In wine, its use was legalized in France in 1959 and in Germany in 1971. Sorbic acid and its potassium salt are now used in many countries in the production of sweet white wines. In the United States, BATF permits the use of sorbic acid and potassium sorbate to preserve wine. The maximum concentration of sorbic acid allowed in finished wine is 300 mg/L, (300 ppm). Sorbic acid (2,4-hexadienoic acid) is a straight chain unsaturated fatty acid with a molecular weight of 112.13 and the formula: CH3- CH = CH- CH = CH- COOH. Sorbic acid is commercially produced as a powder or granules, it has a characteristic acrid odor and acid taste. The carboxyl (COOH) group in sorbic acid is very reactive and can form salts with calcium, sodium, and potassium. The potassium salt of sorbic acid is commercially available as a powder or granules. Its molecular weight is 150.22 and it is very soluble in water. The solubilities of sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are given in Table 1. Table 1. Sorbic acid and potassium sorbate solubilitie