What Is Potassium Sorbate?
First discovered in the mountain ash tree, potassium sorbate is a variation of sorbic acid, a polyunsaturated fat. As a potassium salt, potassium sorbate is used as a food preservative and is now produced synthetically. This preservative breaks down into water and carbon dioxide in your body, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
What It’s Used For
Potassium sorbate is used as a preservative in a number of foods, since its antimicrobial properties stop the growth and spread of harmful bacteria and molds. It is used in cheese, baked goods, syrups and jams. It is also used as a preservative for dehydrated foods like jerky and dried fruit, as it does not leave an aftertaste. The use of potassium sorbate increases the shelf life of foods, so many dietary supplements also include it. It is commonly used in wine production because it stops the yeast from continuing to ferment in the bottles.
Regulation and Levels
The Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Science in the Public Interest consider potassium sorbate to be generally recommended as safe. Defined as a food additive and preservative, potassium sorbate is often used in only very small levels in foods. According to APAC Chemical, the specific amount used varies based on the manufacturer, but cheeses have the highest typical use percentage — between 0.2 and 0.3 — while wine uses the least, between 0.02 percent and 0.04 percent.
Side Effects of Potassium Sorbate
A 2010 study published in “Toxicology in Vitro” found that exposure of human blood cells to potassium sorbate in the laboratory caused damage in DNA. But further study, including a long-term study on people, is still required. In addition to potentially causing harm to DNA, potassium sorbate may cause an allergic reaction when used externally, as it is sometimes used in skin lotions.
Avoiding Potassium Sorbate
Because potassium sorbate is so widely used as a preservative and anti-bacterial agent, it can be almost impossible to avoid, unless all of your food is made fresh at home. The Organics Institute recommends avoiding all processed or prepackaged foods, and when you are not able to, choose foods that contain natural preservatives, such as ascorbic acid, citric acid, vinegar, salt and sugar. Staying away from processed and cured or smoked meats will reduce your potassium sorbate consumption. In many cases, choosing organic products can be a simplified way of avoiding potassium sorbate and other food preservatives.
The main foods that companies focus on are bread, pizza, cookies and cereal. One of the first breads on the market was from Ener-G. This bread, which needed to be heavily toasted, is still found on supermarket shelves across the globe. People who do not know any better choose this bread. Ener-G brand bread is possibly the worst tasting bread on the market today while just a few years ago it was the only option. Today, numerous companies including Rudi’s, Udi’s, The Grainless Baker, Against the Grain and Canyon Bakehouse have started producing bread that is almost as delicious as the real thing. The best part about all of the gluten free foods from these companies is that they do not need to be toasted to be enjoyed. Anyone who has been dealing with gluten related issues for longer than a few years undoubtedly remembers when bread products had to be heavily toasted to even be edible.
Pizza is another popular item that companies are producing. Over the past few years several companies have stepped into the lime-light to offer a tasty alternative for this beloved dish. The best of the best comes from Schar Gluten Free but even major brands like Freschetta have pretty amazing gluten-free products. The personal size pizza shells are sold in a two-pack. As with all foods without gluten, it is primarily how you prepare the dish that counts. When making pizza with this crust it is best if you put a little butter on the bottom of the pizza shell with some garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Top with your favorite toppings and bake on a dark pan or aluminum foil at 325 degrees until the cheese is slightly browned. This will ensure that the bottom of the pizza is nice and crispy while the top is softer from absorbing the sauce during the cook time. Gluten free cereals have been replaced by mainstream manufacturers who changed their recipes and production lines to create products now that do not contain gluten.
Why Detoxify? The human body is created with its own detoxification system, which includes the skin, liver, kidney and the colon. The liver and the kidney filter out the toxins in the body which goes out through the urinary system, the digestive system or as sweat through the skin. The body’s waste management system works well under normal circumstances, but given today’s fast paced lifestyle and extensive exposure to waste and toxins, the body can only deal with so much. This brings us to the need to detoxify, or cleanse the body and get rid of toxins and waste.
Detox Teas To Use Choosing detox teas isn’t really difficult as there are plenty of flavors and varieties in the market. Some types of herbal teas include green tea, ginger tea, chamomile tea, peppermint tea and Hawthorne berry tea. Each of these teas has its own distinct taste and has varying effects on the body, which is great considering the fact that you can try each of them for the purpose of variety.