Potassium sorbate is a chemical additive. It’s widely used as a preservative in foods, drinks, and personal care products. It is an odorless and tasteless salt synthetically produced from sorbic acid and potassium hydroxide.

Potassium sorbate prolongs the shelf life of foods by stopping the growth of mold, yeast, and fungi. It was discovered in the 1850s by the French, who derived it from berries of the mountain ash tree. Its safety and uses as a preservative have been researched for the last fifty years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes it as generally safe when used appropriately.