Potassium Cinnamate
Potassium Cinnamate is the potassium salt of trans-cinnamic acid, a naturally occurring aromatic carboxylic acid found in cinnamon bark, balsam resins, and many essential oils. It is a white to off-white crystalline powder with a faint balsamic odour.
The compound (CAS 16089-48-8, molar mass 186.25 g/mol) is freely soluble in water, giving a near-neutral solution, and dissociates to release cinnamate ion, the active antimicrobial species. It is the main member of a small but growing class of clean-label aromatic preservatives.
We source bulk Potassium Cinnamate from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are in Shandong, Hubei and Henan. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Packaging
- 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white crystalline powder |
| Odour | Faint, balsamic |
| Assay (HPLC, dried basis) | ≥ 99.0% |
| trans-Isomer Content | ≥ 98.0% |
| Free Cinnamic Acid | ≤ 0.5% |
| Loss on Drying (105°C, 3 h) | ≤ 1.0% |
| pH (1% solution, 25°C) | 7.0–8.5 |
| Residue on Ignition | ≤ 0.5% |
| Chloride (as Cl) | ≤ 0.2% |
| Sulfate (as SO₄) | ≤ 0.1% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead (as Pb) | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Arsenic (as As) | ≤ 1 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1,000 CFU/g |
| E. coli | Negative/25g |
Common Markets Grades
Potassium Cinnamate is graded primarily by purity and particle size.
The standard commercial grade is 99 percent assay (by HPLC) as a fine crystalline powder for direct addition to aqueous food and cosmetic systems. Trans-isomer content is typically specified at minimum 98 percent because the cis-isomer carries less antimicrobial activity.
A micronized grade with a D90 below 30 microns is used in personal care emulsions and lotions where rapid dispersion and clear-solution finish are required.
A pre-blended grade carrying potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate at fixed ratios is sold to formulators looking for broad-spectrum coverage in a single addition.
An aqueous 20 percent solution (self preserving, or in a glycol carrier) is produced for spray-on shelf-life extension of fresh-cut produce and bakery surface treatment.
Applications
- Preservative in soft drinks, fruit juices, and ready-to-drink teas, often replacing benzoate-sorbate blends
- Surface treatment for bakery, tortillas, and prepared dough to control mould and rope-forming Bacillus
- Cosmetic preservative in shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and facial cream
- Component of natural-positioning preservative blends with potassium sorbate and natural acids
- Antimicrobial in fresh-cut fruit and vegetable wash and spray systems
- Sauce, dressing, and condiment preservation in clean-label and reduced-benzoate formulations
- Wet-wipe and toilet-paper moisturizer preservation
- Cooling-tower water and metalworking-fluid biocide in industrial applications
- Pet-food and treat surface antimicrobial in semi-moist formats
- Primary preservative in low-pH dairy and plant-based beverage formats
- Sold in some markets as a skin-lightening cosmetic active for melanin modulation
Brands Using Potassium Cinnamate
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Potassium Cinnamate on the ingredient label.
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Potassium Cinnamate
Top Potassium Cinnamate manufacturers in China.
Henan Weichuang Bio-tech Co., Ltd.12 ingredients in the directory
Qingdao Dawei Biological Engineering Co., Ltd.8 ingredients in the directory- Shandong Guangshengyuan Biotechnology Development Co., Ltd.4 ingredients in the directory
Wuhan Landmark Aromatic Co., Ltd.10 ingredients in the directory- Zaoyang Cixiang Pharmtech Co., Ltd.10 ingredients in the directory
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Potassium Cinnamate
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Potassium Cinnamate out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Potassium Cinnamate together with other ingredients such as Sodium Acetate, Calcium Citrate and Sodium Lactate into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Potassium Cinnamate occupies a more specialized regulatory position than the older benzoate and sorbate preservatives.
In the European Union, cinnamic acid and its potassium and calcium salts are listed in the food flavouring inventory (FL 09.732). Cosmetic use is covered by the general INCI listing as potassium cinnamate. The substance is not currently authorised in the EU as a stand-alone food preservative under Annex II of Regulation 1333/2008.
In the United States the cinnamic acid moiety is GRAS for flavour use under 21 CFR 172.515 and FEMA GRAS 2288, and the potassium salt is used under self-affirmed GRAS status for preservative function in several beverage and bakery categories.
In China, Japan, and several ASEAN markets it is approved as a food preservative with category-specific maximum use levels typically in the 0.1 to 0.5 percent range.
Cosmetic use is broadly accepted worldwide, and the substance is listed in major cosmetic ingredient inventories. Halal and Kosher certifications are routine for both synthetic and fermentation source material.
Manufacturing Process
Potassium Cinnamate is produced by neutralisation of trans-cinnamic acid with a potassium base.
The acid feedstock is itself made by one of three routes. The Perkin condensation of benzaldehyde with acetic anhydride in the presence of potassium acetate is the classical synthesis and is still used by smaller producers. The Knoevenagel condensation of benzaldehyde with malonic acid is the standard modern route at large plants because it gives higher yields and a cleaner trans-isomer.
A growing share of supply, particularly for natural-claim cosmetics, comes from microbial fermentation of glucose by engineered Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains expressing phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, which converts L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid in a single enzymatic step.
Neutralisation is run in aqueous or aqueous-ethanol solution with potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate, taken to a stoichiometric end point, and crystallised by cooling or anti-solvent addition. The crystals are centrifuged, washed, and vacuum-dried below 80 degrees Celsius to preserve the trans configuration.
