sodium benzoate

American  

noun

Chemistry, Pharmacology.

1. a white, crystalline or granular, water-soluble powder, C 7 H 5 NaO 2 , used chiefly as a food preservative and antifungal agent, and in diagnostic tests of liver function.

---

sodium benzoate British  

noun

1. Also called: benzoate of soda.  a white crystalline soluble compound used as an antibacterial and antifungal agent in preserving food ( E211 ), as an antiseptic, and in making dyes and pharmaceuticals. Formula: (C 6 H 5 COO)Na

---

Etymology

Origin of sodium benzoate

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Common additives like sugar, salt, vinegar and alcohol have been used as preservatives for centuries, but modern-day food labels now reveal more unfamiliar ingredients such as sodium benzoate, calcium propionate, and potassium sorbate.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2024

In the realm of additives, substances like tartrazine and sodium benzoate emerge as potential instigators of urticaria and asthma.

From Salon • Jan. 8, 2024

Here’s the prettiest blue brew of carbonated water, sugar and sodium benzoate that you’ll ever see.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023

The FDA also said an antifungal preservative called sodium benzoate may form benzene under certain circumstances.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2021

Simultaneously, the sodium benzylate is converted into sodium benzoate, which is of no value for inducing the desired reaction, and consequently very little benzyl benzoate is obtained.

From Organic Syntheses by Conant, James Bryant