Ingredient Index · E211

Is Sodium Benzoate banned in Europe?

Legal in both

No: sodium benzoate (E211) is an authorized preservative in both the EU and the US. It is not banned in Europe. The real caveats are a maximum-dose limit and the benzene question when it meets vitamin C.

E-number: E211CAS: 532-32-1 Also seen as: E211, Benzoate of soda, Sodium salt of benzoic acid

What the EU does

Authorized, not banned. Sodium benzoate is permitted in the EU as preservative E211 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, mainly in acidic foods where it works best: soft drinks, fruit juices, pickles, sauces, and dressings. Maximum levels are set per category, and its specifications are in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. The acceptable daily intake is around 5 mg per kilogram of body weight.

The one genuine wrinkle is a chemistry problem, not a ban. In drinks that contain both benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), small amounts of benzene, a carcinogen, can form under heat or light. EU and US regulators both flagged this in the 2000s, and the beverage industry reformulated to keep benzene at trace levels well below drinking-water limits. So the substance stays legal on both sides of the Atlantic; the vitamin-C pairing is the thing worth knowing, and it has largely been engineered out.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II (E211); Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012; EFSA re-evaluation of benzoic acid and benzoates

What the US does

Equally legal. Sodium benzoate is on the FDA's generally-recognized-as-safe list for use as a preservative (21 CFR 184.1733), capped at 0.1% in food. It is one of the most common preservatives in the American drinks aisle for the same reason it is popular in Europe: it is cheap, effective in acidic products, and well studied.

The benzene-formation issue played out in parallel in the US. The FDA studied benzene levels in soft drinks, worked with manufacturers to reformulate, and the problem was reduced to trace amounts. Bottom line: this is a legal, widely used preservative in both places, with a modest daily-intake ceiling and one well-understood formulation caveat, not a banned chemical.

Citation 21 CFR 184.1733 (sodium benzoate, GRAS, 0.1% limit); FDA data on benzene in soft drinks

Products that commonly contain it

Sodium benzoate is an acid-loving preservative. Look for it in:

Sodas, sports drinks, and fruit juices
Pickles, relishes, and salad dressings
Condiments like ketchup and some sauces
Cosmetics and medicines too, where it also preserves

What to look for on a label

A few things to spot on the label:

"Sodium benzoate" or "E211" in the ingredient list
Its cousin benzoic acid is E210; potassium and calcium benzoate are E212 and E213
If the same drink also lists ascorbic acid or vitamin C, that is the benzene-forming pair regulators watched
Common in low-pH products; you rarely see it in neutral foods, where it does not work well

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Frequently asked questions

Is sodium benzoate banned in Europe?

No. It is authorized as preservative E211 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, mainly in acidic foods, with maximum levels per category and an ADI around 5 mg/kg bw.

Does sodium benzoate cause benzene?

It can form trace benzene when combined with vitamin C under heat or light. Regulators flagged this in the 2000s and manufacturers reformulated to keep levels well below drinking-water limits.

Is sodium benzoate legal in the US?

Yes. It is GRAS under 21 CFR 184.1733, permitted as a preservative up to 0.1% in food.

Where is sodium benzoate used?

Mostly in acidic products: sodas, juices, pickles, dressings, and condiments, where its preservative action is strongest.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed July 6, 2026 · How we assign statuses