E211 · CAS 532-32-1

Sodium Benzoate

Sodium Benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and the most widely used antimicrobial preservative in acidic foods and beverages worldwide.

The compound has the molecular formula C₇H₅NaO₂ and a molar mass of 144.11 g/mol. It dissolves readily in water (about 63 g per 100 mL at 20 °C), which gives it a strong handling advantage over the parent acid.

Activity depends on conversion to undissociated benzoic acid inside the cell, so its useful range is restricted to products below roughly pH 4.5.

We source bulk Sodium Benzoate from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are in Shandong, Jiangsu and Hubei. For this ingredient the minimum order is 1,000 kg and a 20-foot container takes 16 MT, and 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

Minimum order: 1,000 kg
Qty in 20' FCL: 16 MT
Packaging: 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner

ISO 9001
HACCP
Halal
Kosher

Specifications

Item	Specification
Appearance	White crystalline powder or granules
Assay (dry basis)	99.0% to 100.5%
Loss on drying	≤ 1.5%
Heavy metals (as Pb)	≤ 10 mg/kg
Arsenic	≤ 3 mg/kg
Chloride	≤ 200 mg/kg
Acidity or alkalinity	Passes test
Readily oxidizable substances	Passes test
Particle size	Per customer specification

Common Markets Grades

Two physical formats of Sodium Benzoate share the same chemistry.

Granular grade is a free-flowing white crystalline powder used in dry blends, premix powders, and bulk dosing systems where dust generation must be limited.

Fine powder grade has a smaller particle size for fast dissolution in cold-fill beverages, sauces, and brines.

Both formats meet FCC, USP, and Ph. Eur. monograph specifications and are routinely certified Kosher and Halal.

Applications

Carbonated soft drinks, fruit-flavoured still drinks, and ready-to-drink teas at low pH
Fruit juices, juice concentrates, and fruit-juice cordials
Pickles, relishes, and acidified vegetable products
Salad dressings, mayonnaise, and emulsified sauces
Tomato ketchup, barbecue sauce, and condiment lines
Jams, jellies, and fruit preparations destined for dairy or bakery
Margarine and low-fat spreads
Fish marinades, caviar, and lightly acidified seafood
Oral pharmaceutical syrups, suspensions, and elixirs
Mouthwash, toothpaste, and other personal-care rinses
Industrial applications including coolant additives and intermediate synthesis

Brands Using Sodium Benzoate

Widely-distributed consumer products that list Sodium Benzoate 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 Sodium Benzoate

Top Sodium Benzoate 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 Sodium Benzoate

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 Sodium Benzoate 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 Sodium Benzoate 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

Sodium Benzoate carries the European food additive number E211 and is listed in Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 for use in defined food categories at maximum levels generally between 150 and 2000 mg/kg.

In the United States it is affirmed GRAS at up to 0.1 percent in food under 21 CFR 184.1733. JECFA has reviewed the substance multiple times and placed it on its list of evaluated food additives.

Use in low-pH beverages containing ascorbic or erythorbic acid is constrained by the potential formation of trace benzene under heat or light exposure. The FDA flagged this in 2006 surveys, and EFSA and the beverage industry have since revised formulation practices to suppress the reaction.

USP, Ph. Eur., JP, and BP all publish pharmaceutical monographs for the substance. Pharmaceutical-grade material is widely used in oral liquid dose forms.

Manufacturing Process

Sodium Benzoate Manufacturing Process

Loading process diagram…

Industrial sodium benzoate is made by neutralising benzoic acid with sodium hydroxide or sodium bicarbonate in aqueous solution.

The benzoic acid feedstock itself is produced almost entirely by liquid-phase oxidation of toluene with air over a cobalt or manganese naphthenate catalyst at 140 to 160 °C. Crude benzoic acid is purified by distillation or recrystallisation before salt formation.

The neutralisation slurry is filtered, decolorised with activated carbon, and concentrated. The product is then recovered by spray drying or by crystallisation followed by centrifugation and fluid-bed drying.

Final particle size is set by sieving or by adjusting spray-dryer atomisation, yielding either granular or fine-powder grade.