Potassium Propionate

What Is It?

Propionic Acid is a naturally occuring organic acid. Ammonium Propionate, Calcium Propionate, Magnesium Propionate, Potassium Propionate and Sodium Propionate are salts of Propionic Acid.

Why Is It Used?

Propionic Acid, Ammonium Propionate, Calcium Propionate, Magnesium Propionate, Potassium Propionate and Sodium Propionate prevent or retard bacterial growth, and thus protect cosmetic products from spoilage. Propionic Acid is also used to control the pHA measurement of the acidity or basicity of a substance. pH is the negative logarithm (base 10) of the concentration of hydrogen ions in solution. Water has a concentration of hydrogen ions of 1.0 x 10-7, and thus has a pH of 7. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, a pH lower than 7 is considered acidic, and a pH higher than 7 is considered basic. of cosmetics and personal care products.

Follow this link for more information about how preservatives protect cosmetics and personal care products.

Scientific Facts

Ammonium Propionate, Calcium Propionate, Magnesium Propionate, Potassium Propionate and Sodium Propionate are salts of Propionic Acid. Propionic Acid is produced biologically from the metabolic breakdown of fatty acids and some amino acids.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes Propionic Acid, Calcium Propionate and Sodium Propionate as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive.) as direct food substances. The European Commission permits the use of Propionic Acid and its salts including Ammonium Propionate, Calcium Propionate, Magnesium Propionate, Potassium Propionate and Sodium Propionate as preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products at a maximum concentration of 2%.

Link to FDA Code of Federal Regulations for Calcium and Sodium Propionate and Propionic Acid

Propionic Acid and its salts including Ammonium Propionate, Calcium Propionate, Magnesium Propionate, Potassium Propionate and Sodium Propionate are listed in the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union and may be used as preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products at a maximum concentration of 2% as the acid (see Annex VI).

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…

The Joint FAO/WHO Committee on Food Additives had no safety concerns for Propionic Acid and its Calcium, Potassiu and Sodium salts as they are used in food. They did not recomend an Acceptable Daily Intake.
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jeceval/jec_2015.htm

More Scientific Information

Ammonium Propionate, Calcium Propionate, Magnesium Propionate, Potassium Propionate and Sodium Propionate are salts of Propionic Acid, a carboxylic acid. In cosmetics and personal care products, these ingredients function as preservatives. Propionic Acid also functions as a pH adjusterIngredients that are used to control the pH of cosmetic products..

Resources

WHO Food Additve Series: Propionic acid and its Calcium, Potassium and Sodium Salts http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v05je16.htm

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/