Potassium Propionate
Potassium Propionate is the potassium salt of propionic acid, used as an antimicrobial preservative in bakery and dairy products where sodium intake must be limited.
The compound has the molecular formula C₃H₅KO₂ and a molar mass of 112.17 g/mol. Solubility in water is very high (around 150 g per 100 mL at 20 °C), comparable to the sodium salt and well above calcium propionate.
The substance acts by the same mechanism as the other propionates, against moulds and rope-forming bacilli, by acidifying the cell cytoplasm.
We source bulk Potassium Propionate from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Shandong. 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 crystalline granules or powder |
| Assay (dried basis) | 99.0–100.5% |
| Loss on Drying | ≤ 1.0% |
| pH (10% solution) | 8.5–10.5 |
| Potassium Content | 32.0–34.0% |
| Alkalinity (as K₂CO₃) | ≤ 0.15% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead (as Pb) | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Arsenic (as As) | ≤ 1 mg/kg |
| Iron (as Fe) | ≤ 30 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1,000 CFU/g |
| Yeast & Mold | ≤ 100 CFU/g |
| E. coli | Negative/g |
| F$ | 327628 |
| P | ,/13. :,. |
| 0 | :, . |
| i | : P1 |
| H | : M7A. |
| B | : |
| PE | : |
Common Markets Grades
Potassium Propionate is a fine white crystalline powder with low dust generation.
Food grade complies with FCC specifications and is the dominant commercial form for bakery and dairy use.
The salt is hygroscopic and is typically packaged in moisture-barrier laminate sacks. Material caked from humidity exposure can be redissolved without loss of activity, but it is preferable to keep the product dry from the start.
Applications
- Reduced-sodium and no-sodium-added bread, buns, and rolls
- Low-sodium tortillas and flatbreads
- Cake, muffin, and pastry mixes targeted at sodium-conscious consumers
- Dough conditioner premixes for low-sodium bakery production
- Pre-packaged baked snacks and bars in clean-label or reduced-sodium ranges
- Processed cheese in reduced-sodium product lines
- Cottage cheese and selected fresh dairy in low-sodium ranges
- Animal feed and silage as a mould inhibitor where potassium is the preferred mineral
- Pet food in formulations targeting controlled sodium content
- Industrial coatings and intermediate chemistry requiring a soluble propionate source
Brands Using Potassium Propionate
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Potassium Propionate 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 Propionate
Top Potassium Propionate manufacturers in China.
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 Propionate
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 Propionate 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 Propionate together with other ingredients such as Calcium Propionate, Sodium Diacetate and Sodium Propionate into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Potassium Propionate carries the European food additive number E283 and is authorised in Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 for use in bread, energy-reduced bread, partially baked pre-packed bread, and certain fine bakery wares. Use in non-bakery food categories is generally not authorised in the EU.
In the United States it is affirmed GRAS for direct food use under 21 CFR 184.1875, with no specific upper limit beyond good manufacturing practice. As with the other propionates, use in fermented foods is generally avoided because of potential interference with yeast and lactic-acid starter cultures.
JECFA evaluates the propionate family as a single toxicological group, recognising their common conversion to free propionic acid and the natural production of the same acid in the human colon.
The substance does not have a major pharmacopoeial monograph and pharmaceutical use is minor.
Manufacturing Process
Potassium propionate is made by neutralising propionic acid with potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate in aqueous solution.
The propionic acid feedstock is produced industrially by hydroformylation of ethylene to propanal and subsequent oxidation, with smaller volumes coming from propanol oxidation or from fermentation by Propionibacterium species.
The neutralisation is run close to the equivalence point so the finished salt has a near-neutral pH in solution. The clarified liquor is decolorised with activated carbon and filtered before concentration.
The product is recovered by spray drying or by crystallisation followed by centrifugation and fluid-bed drying. Because the salt is hygroscopic, drying and packaging are carried out under dry-air conditions.
