Sodium Benzoate
Buy Food Grade and Lab Grade Sodium Benzoate Beads, Plus a 33% Solution, Kosher and Halal Certified.
Buy sodium benzoate online in the form your formulation needs, with the price right on the page. Food Grade Beads are Kosher and Halal certified, the ones to reach for in food, beverage or cosmetic preservation. Lab Grade Beads cover general research and industrial use where food certification isn't required. If you'd rather skip dissolving solid beads yourself, there's also a ready mixed 33% w/w Solution, also Kosher, Halal and Food Grade certified.
Every product ships with its SDS and COA posted online, and sizes run from 500 mL bottles up to 55 gallon drums on select grades. Sodium benzoate is one of the mildest, most studied preservatives in our catalog, GRAS approved by the FDA for decades, but it still ships to business, lab and school addresses rather than residential ones, in line with the rest of our chemical catalog.
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Sodium Benzoate - 3 products All Filters
Sodium Benzoate - 3 products About Sodium Benzoate
Sodium Benzoate, the sodium salt of benzoic acid, made by neutralizing benzoic acid with sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide. At room temperature it's a white, odorless or nearly odorless crystalline powder or bead, and it's considerably more water soluble than benzoic acid on its own, which is exactly why manufacturers use the salt form rather than the parent acid in most formulations. It works as a preservative by lowering the internal pH of microbial cells once it's absorbed, which interferes with their ability to produce energy, so it's most effective in naturally acidic products rather than neutral or alkaline ones. One thing worth knowing if you're formulating with it: sodium benzoate can react with ascorbic acid, vitamin C, under heat or light exposure to form small amounts of benzene, a finding the FDA has reviewed without changing the compound's GRAS status, but it's a real consideration for any product that combines the two.
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Preservative in acidic foods and beverages, including soft drinks, fruit juices, jams, jellies, pickles and salad dressings, where it inhibits mold, yeast and bacterial growth. Preservative in cosmetics and personal care products like shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste and baby wipes. Preservative in liquid pharmaceutical formulations, including some cough syrups and oral medications. Research reagent and buffer component in laboratory work. And, in clinical settings under medical supervision, a treatment component for certain urea cycle disorders, using pharmaceutical grade material rather than the food or lab grade products sold here.
GRADES EXPLAINED
Food Grade meets food chemical standards and carries Kosher and Halal certification, the one to buy for food, beverage or cosmetic preservation. Lab Grade is solid, everyday purity without that certified standard, suitable for general research and industrial use where food certification isn't needed. The 33% solution is premixed at Food Grade, Kosher and Halal certification, for applications where a liquid, ready to use concentration is more practical than dissolving beads.
TYPES & GRADES AT A GLANCE
Beads or powder form, certified for food, beverage and cosmetic preservation.
General purpose purity for research and industrial use.
A premixed, ready to use concentration for liquid formulation work.
WHY BUY FROM LAB ALLEY
256,000+ customers already order their chemicals and reagents from Lab Alley. 99.5% of orders ship within 1 to 2 business days, and 98.9% inventory accuracy means the grade you see in stock is the grade that ships. SDS and COA are available online for every sodium benzoate product, and our Food Grade beads and 33% Solution both carry Kosher and Halal certification; check each product page for which applies.
Related: See our Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid collections, or browse all Salts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy sodium benzoate online?
Right here. We carry sodium benzoate in Food Grade beads, Lab Grade beads, and a premixed 33% solution. Pick the grade and size, check the price, and order with no quote needed for standard sizes. Most in stock orders ship within 1 to 2 business days.
Is sodium benzoate actually safe?
At approved levels, yes, it's one of the most studied preservatives around and has carried GRAS status with the FDA for decades. One genuine caveat: it can react with ascorbic acid, vitamin C, under heat or light to form trace amounts of benzene, which is why some beverage formulators choose a different preservative when vitamin C is also present. The FDA reviewed this finding and did not change sodium benzoate's approved status.
Food Grade vs Lab Grade, what's the actual difference?
Certification and intended use. Food Grade meets food chemical standards and carries Kosher and Halal certification, the one to buy for anything going into food, beverages or cosmetic formulations. Lab Grade is solid everyday purity without that certified standard, a lower cost option for general research and industrial use where food certification isn't required.
Which sodium benzoate products are Kosher or Halal certified?
Two of our three products: the Food Grade beads and the 33% w/w Solution. Both carry Kosher and Halal certification. The Lab Grade beads carry no such certification, so check the specific product title if certification matters for your order.
Do I need a permit, and can sodium benzoate ship to a home address?
No purchase permit is required. Sodium benzoate is a very mild, low hazard chemical, but like the rest of our catalog it ships to business, lab and school addresses rather than residential ones. Each product page lists its specific shipping details, and Customer Care at 512-668-9918 can confirm before you order if you're unsure your address qualifies.
Which grade should I buy?
Match it to the application. Food, beverage, supplement or cosmetic formulation: Food Grade beads, which carry Kosher and Halal certification. General lab or industrial use where food certification isn't needed: Lab Grade beads. Need a liquid, ready to use concentration rather than dissolving beads yourself: the 33% Solution, also Food Grade and certified.
What is sodium benzoate actually used for?
Mostly as a preservative. It's added to acidic foods and drinks, soft drinks, juices, jams, pickles and salad dressings especially, to stop mold, yeast and bacteria from spoiling the product. It shows up in cosmetics and personal care products like shampoo, mouthwash and baby wipes for the same reason, and in some liquid pharmaceutical formulations. It also has a smaller but genuine clinical use, under medical supervision, in treating certain urea cycle disorders.
Can I buy sodium benzoate in bulk?
Yes, both the Food Grade and Lab Grade beads scale up to 25 kg and 50 lb containers right on the product page, and the 33% solution is available up to 55 gallon drums. For volumes beyond what's listed, or a recurring delivery schedule, request pricing through Bulk & Custom Chemicals. Autoship takes 10% off eligible repeat orders.
How should sodium benzoate be stored?
Keep it tightly sealed in its original container, in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight, since both heat and light can affect its stability, especially in solution. It's a low reactivity, low hazard chemical compared to most of our stock, so standard dry storage conditions are enough for most applications.
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