Calcium Sorbate

What Is It?

Calcium Sorbate, Sodium Sorbate and TEA-Sorbate are salts of sorbic acid. In cosmetics and personal care products, TEA-Sorbate, Calcium Sorbate and Sodium Sorbate are used in the formulation of bath and other products.

Why Is It Used?

Calcium Sorbate, Sodium Sorbate and TEA-Sorbate prevent or retard bacterial growth, and thus protect cosmetics and personal care products from spoilage.

Follow this link for more information about how preservatives protect cosmetics and personal care products.

Scientific Facts

Calcium Sorbate, Sodium Sorbate and TEA-Sorbate are salts of sorbic Acid. Sorbic acid and its salts are often used as preservatives in food and drinks to prevent the growth of mold, yeast and fungi. Sorbic acid was first isolated from the unripe berries of the rowan, Sorbus aucuparia.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes Calcium Sorbate and Sodium Sorbate on its list of direct food additives considered Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.). These ingredients may be used as preservatives in food. The European Commission permits the use of sorbic acid and its salts including Calcium Sorbate, Sodium Sorbate and TEA-Sorbate as preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products at a maximum concentration of 0.6%.

The safety of related ingredients, sorbic acid and potassium sorbate has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that these ingredients were safe for use in cosmetics and personal care products. Please search this website for sorbic acid or potassium sorbate for more information about this review.

Link to the FDA Code of Federal Regulations for Calcium Sorbate and Sodium Sorbate

Sorbic acid and its salts including Calcium Sorbate, Sodium Sorbate and TEA-Sorbate are listed in the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union and may be used as preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products at a maximum concentration of 0.6% as the acid (see Annex VI).

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…

The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has established an Acceptable Daily Intake of 0-25 mg/kg body weight for the sum of Sorbic Acid and Calcium, Potassium and Sodium Sorbates.
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jeceval/jec_2181.htm

More Scientific Information

Calcium Sorbate, Sodium Sorbate and TEA-Sorbate are salts of Sorbic Acid, an organic carboxylic acid compound. In cosmetics and personal care products, Calcium Sorbate, Sodium Sorbate and TEA-Sorbate function as preservatives.

Resources

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/