Calcium benzoate refers to the

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

benzoic acid Benzoic acid is a white (or colorless) solid organic compound with the formula , whose structure consists of a benzene ring () with a carboxyl () substituent. It is the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid. The name is derived from gum benzoin, ...

. When used in the food industry as a

preservative A preservative is a substance or a chemical that is added to products such as food products, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, paints, biological samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by ...

, its E number is E213 (

INS number The International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS) is a European-based naming system for food additives, aimed at providing a short designation of what may be a lengthy actual name."Class Names and the International Numbering System for Fo ...

213); it is approved for use as a food additive in the EU, USA and Australia and New Zealand. The formulas and structures of calcium carboxylate derivatives of calcium and related metals are complex. Generally the coordination number is eight and the carboxylates form Ca-O bonds. Another variable is the degree of hydration.H. Einspahr and C. E. Bugg "The geometry of calcium carboxylate interactions in crystalline complexes" Acta Crystallogr. (1981). B37, pages 1044-1052.

Uses

It is preferentially used more than other benzoic acid salts or its esters in foods due to its better solubility and safety to humans. It is used in soft drinks, fruit juice, concentrates, soy milk, soy sauce and vinegar. It is the most widely used preservative in making bread and other bakery products. It is used as preservative for water based insecticidal composition which can be sprayed as well as in preparation of calcium formate direct sprayable fertilizers. It is used as preservative for mouth wash compositions. It is used in water hardness reducers.

Uses

References

See also