sodium propionate

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a transparent, crystalline, water-soluble powder, C 3 H 5 NaO 2 , used in foodstuffs to prevent mold growth, and in medicine as a fungicide.

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sodium propionate British  

noun

1. a transparent crystalline soluble substance used as a medical fungicide and to prevent the growth of moulds, esp to retard spoilage in packed foods. Formula: Na(C 2 H 5 COO)

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Example Sentences

Once a chemist asked for sodium propionate; after long research Heeren discovered that this rarity was made in hundreds of tons as an insecticide under the trade name "Mycoban."

From Time Magazine Archive