Question

Does sodium on tropicana juice. Means sodium benzoate

Answer 1

Sodium benzoate is the ubiquitous preservative also known as E211. Sodium benzoate is an “almost natural” preservative made by neutralizing benzoic acid, a naturally occurring preservative that is found in apples, cranberries, plums, and prunes, with sodium hydroxide, which is also known as lye.

Sodium benzoate enhances the flavor and preserves fruit juices by having anti-fungal properties, protecting it from invasion by fungi that cause juice to spoil and potentially make you sick. Sodium benzoate works by entering the individual cells in the juice and balancing its pH level, increasing its overall acidity. By lowering the intracellular pH of certain liquids, sodium benzoate creates an environment in which fungi cannot grow and spread. Of course, they can spring to life when you consume them, but your stomach acid and your immune system can fight them off.

According to the International Program on Chemical Safety, sodium benzoate is heavily used by the soft drink industry due to the demand of high-fructose corn syrup in carbonated drinks. Sodium benzoate increases the acidity of soft drinks, which also increases the intensity of flavor you get from the high-fructose corn syrup. On the back of a soda can, you can find sodium benzoate in the ingredients list as E211, which is the number assigned to it as a food additive.