Sodium+Benzoate

Sodium benzoate is a [|preservative]. It is [|bacteriostatic] and [|fungistatic] under acidic conditions. It is most widely used in acidic foods such as salad dressings ([|vinegar]), carbonated drinks ([|carbonic acid]), jams and fruit juices ([|citric acid]), [|pickles] ([|vinegar]), and [|condiments]. It is also used as a preservative in medicines and cosmetics.As a food additive, sodium benzoate has the [|E number] E211. It is also used in [|fireworks] as a fuel in [|whistle mix], a powder that emits a whistling noise when compressed into a tube and ignited. The fuel is also one of the fastest burning rocket fuels and provides a lot of thrust and smoke. It does have its downsides: there is a high danger of explosion when the fuel is sharply compressed because of the fuel's sensitivity to impact. Sodium benzoate is produced by the neutralization of [|benzoic acid] with sodium hydroxide. Benzoic acid is detectable at low levels in [|cranberries], [|prunes], [|greengage plums], [|cinnamon], ripe [|cloves], and [|apples]. Though benzoic acid is a more effective preservative, sodium benzoate is more commonly used as a food additive because benzoic acid does not dissolve well in water. Concentration as a preservative is limited by the FDA in the U.S. to 0.1% by weight. The International Programme on Chemical Safety found no adverse effects in humans at doses of 647–825 mg/kg of body weight per day. [|Cats] have a significantly lower tolerance against benzoic acid and its [|salts] than [|rats] and [|mice] Sodium benzoate is, however, allowed as an animal food additive at up to 0.1%, according to [|AFCO]'s[//[|specify]//] official publication