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Preservative

E212 (potassium benzoate): what it is, its sources, vegan or not

E212 is potassium benzoate, a preservative. E212 is made in a lab. Vegan and vegetarian profiles get Fits you.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 4 sourcesHow we check

Fits you

for a vegan profile

E212=made in a lab

What is E212?

E212 (potassium benzoate) is a preservative, an additive that makes a food keep longer by protecting it from microbes.

What is E212 made from?

E212 is made in a lab.

  • Made in a lab

Is E212 vegan?

Fits you. E212 is made in a lab. Nothing from an animal.

What the app says to each profile, and the reason it shows.

VeganFits youE212 is made in a lab. Nothing from an animal.
VegetarianFits youE212 is made in a lab. Nothing from an animal.

What other names does E212 have on a label?

On a label, E212 can also appear as “INS 212”, “Preservative (212)”, “Preservative (E212)” or “Potassium benzoate”.

Any of these on a pack means E212. The checker reads them all.

E212E 212E-212INS 212Preservative (212)Preservative (E212)Potassium benzoate

What would change the answer for E212?

For E212, only the ingredient list itself: a code the camera cannot read gets Needs one more scan, and the app never guesses a code it cannot see.

Sources: EU, US and Codex additive rules

Where additives are listed and approved. Bravoora reads the source and the diet; it does not rate the hazard.

  1. EU Regulation 1333/2008 on food additives (the E-number list)
  2. EU Regulation 1169/2011, Annex II: the allergen sources a label must name
  3. US FDA: Food Additive Status List
  4. FAO/WHO Codex: General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) online

Names and classes cross-checked with Open Food Facts (Open Database License).

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