potassium sorbate
Potassium sorbate keeps mold and yeast out of soft-moist pet foods and treats. What it is, and how Bowlmark treats it.
Also appears on labels as: potassium sorbate (a preservative) · e202
What it is
Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, one of the most widely used mold and yeast inhibitors in food — listed as potassium sorbate or E202. It is generally regarded as one of the mildest preservatives in use.
Why it's in pet food
It shows up in semi-moist foods, chewy treats, and some wet toppers — formats with enough moisture for mold and yeast to be a real risk. Its job is microbial safety, not fat preservation.
How Bowlmark scores it
Scores are deterministic math over the printed label — the rules below apply to every product identically, and nothing estimates or fills in a blank.
Potassium sorbate carries no deduction on the additive pillar. The flagged preservatives are the synthetic antioxidants with documented safety questions — BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin; mold inhibitors are not part of that class.
Foods that list potassium sorbate
Ranked by score where scores exist. Placement here is never sold.
Sources
Related ingredients
Further reading
Cite this page
Bowlmark. "Potassium sorbate in pet food — what it is and how it scores." https://www.bowlmark.com/ingredient/potassium-sorbate
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