sorbic acid

American  

[sawr-bik] / ˈsɔr bɪk /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline compound, C 6 H 8 O 2 , slightly soluble in water, soluble in many organic solvents: used as a preservative in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food.

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sorbic acid British  

/ ˈsɔːbɪk /

noun

1. a white crystalline unsaturated carboxylic acid found in berries of the mountain ash and used to inhibit the growth of moulds and as an additive for certain synthetic coatings, as of cheese ( E200 ); 2,4-hexadienoic acid. It exists as cis- and trans- isomers, the latter being the one usually obtained. Formula: CH 3 CH:CHCH:CHCOOH

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sorbic acid Scientific  

/ sôr′bĭk /

1. A white crystalline solid that is found in the berries of the rowan or prepared synthetically and is used as a food preservative and a fungicide. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₈ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of sorbic acid

First recorded in 1805–15; sorb ¹ + -ic

Example Sentences

It also removed the preservative sorbic acid from the cheese, reducing the time it can remain on restaurant prep tables to four hours from seven.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 26, 2018

In February the Associated Press revealed that Kraft was transitioning away from the preservative sorbic acid and replacing it with natamycin in its Kraft Singles products.

From Slate • Dec. 12, 2014