Sodium propionate

Sodium propionate is a colorless transparent crystalline or granular crystalline powder with a slight special smell. Sodium propionate is almost non-toxic to humans. The amount in food is the same as that of calcium propionate (in terms of propionic acid). It has a strong inhibitory effect on all kinds of molds, Gram-negative bacilli or aerobic bacilli in an acidic medium. It has a special effect on preventing the production of aflatoxin but has almost no effect on yeast.

In the food industry, it can be used for the preservation of cakes and as an anti-mildew agent for feed. In cosmetics, it has a wide range of antibacterial effects on molds, yeasts, and so on. The antibacterial effect is especially obvious in the acid hydrolysate. The amount added to cosmetics is usually no more than 2%. It was prepared from propionic acid by neutralization with sodium hydroxide.