Information › Ingredients › Benzoic acid and benzoates
Sodium benzoate (E211) and benzoic acid: what they are and where they are
Updated on 4 November 2026
At a glance
- Kind
- Ingredient, not an allergen
- Also as
- benzoëzuur, benzoezuur, natriumbenzoaat, kaliumbenzoaat, calciumbenzoaat…
- Without benzoic acid and benzoates
- 40,081 products
- Contain it
- 1,843 products
- Supermarkets
- AH, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet
What are benzoic acid and benzoates?
Benzoic acid and the benzoates (E210 to E213), mostly sodium benzoate (E211), slow down moulds and bacteria in acidic products: soft drinks, sauces, pickles and fish salads.
Recognise
On a Dutch label as
- benzoëzuur
- benzoezuur
- natriumbenzoaat
- kaliumbenzoaat
- calciumbenzoaat
- benzoaat
- E210
- E211
- E212
- E213
May also be it
- ‘preservative’ (conserveermiddel) without a name
Not benzoic acid and benzoates
- benzyl benzoate in personal care (a fragrance)
We look for these Dutch words in the ingredient list itself, also between brackets. If in doubt, read the pack.
Shopping
Per shelf where benzoic acid and benzoates are common (the shops’ own Dutch shelf names)
Examples without benzoic acid and benzoates
- Lipton Ice tea peachLipton · 500 mlDirk € 1,89Hoogvliet € 1,89Albert Heijn € 1,99 1+1Jumbo € 1,99PLUS € 1,99No allergens listed
- Lipton Ice tea sparklingLipton · 500 mlDirk € 1,79Hoogvliet € 1,85Albert Heijn € 1,99 1+1Jumbo € 1,99PLUS € 1,99No allergens listed
- Aquarius LemonAquarius · 500 mlDirk € 1,69Hoogvliet € 1,74Albert Heijn € 1,75Jumbo € 1,75PLUS € 1,75No allergens listed
- Lipton Ice tea greenLipton · 500 mlDirk € 1,89Hoogvliet € 1,89Jumbo € 1,95Albert Heijn € 1,99 1+1PLUS € 1,99No allergens listed
- Celsius Peach vibeCelsius · 250 mlPLUS € 1,00Albert Heijn € 1,65 1+1Jumbo € 1,65Hoogvliet € 1,65No allergens listed
- Zonnatura Spicy tomaat spread 72% groenteZonnatura · 135 gAlbert Heijn € 3,09Jumbo € 3,09Hoogvliet € 3,09PLUS € 3,09No allergens listed
All 40,081 products without benzoic acid and benzoates (in Dutch)
Which supermarket has the most without?
On the shelves where benzoic acid and benzoates are common: the share of products without it.
- Dirk70%51 of 73
- Jumbo64%300 of 468
- Hoogvliet64%21 of 33
- Albert Heijn63%100 of 159
- PLUS62%415 of 667
Brands without benzoic acid and benzoates
On the shelves where benzoic acid and benzoates are common, none of their products names it.
- Red Bull 35
- Raak 26
- Axe 20
- Royal Club 18
- Maza 12
- Lipton 12
- Teisseire 11
- Fairtrade Original 10
- Remia 8
- Patak's 8
- Koh Thai 8
- Belvoir 8
What to look for in the shop
- Read the ingredient list: it is there by its Dutch name or its E number, the same in every language.
- Watch compound ingredients between brackets: it is sometimes in there.
Good to know
Recently without benzoic acid and benzoates (8)These products named benzoic acid and benzoates on an earlier label, and no longer do.
What are benzoic acid and benzoates mostly in?Most often in the shelves ‘Brood-, toastsalades’ (77% contains it), ‘Limonadesiroop’ (60% contains it) and ‘Boemboe’ (52% contains it).
Most often in the shelves ‘Brood-, toastsalades’ (77% contains it), ‘Limonadesiroop’ (60% contains it) and ‘Boemboe’ (52% contains it). There is choice without it there too: 25 products on ‘Brood-, toastsalades’, for example.
How do benzoic acid and benzoates read on a Dutch label?As benzoëzuur, benzoezuur, natriumbenzoaat, kaliumbenzoaat, calciumbenzoaat, benzoaat, E210 and E211.
As benzoëzuur, benzoezuur, natriumbenzoaat, kaliumbenzoaat, calciumbenzoaat, benzoaat, E210 and E211. We look for those words in the ingredient list itself, also in compound ingredients between brackets.
How many products contain benzoic acid and benzoates?1,843 of the 41,924 products with an ingredient list, about 4%.
1,843 of the 41,924 products with an ingredient list, about 4%. The other 40,081 do not name it.
Which supermarket has the most products without benzoic acid and benzoates?On the shelves where benzoic acid and benzoates are common: Dirk (70% without), Jumbo (64% without), Hoogvliet (64% without), Albert Heijn (63% without) and PLUS (62% without).
On the shelves where benzoic acid and benzoates are common: Dirk (70% without), Jumbo (64% without), Hoogvliet (64% without), Albert Heijn (63% without) and PLUS (62% without).
What is E211?E211 is sodium benzoate, the sodium salt of benzoic acid (E210).
E211 is sodium benzoate, the sodium salt of benzoic acid (E210). It is a preservative in acidic food; on a Dutch label it reads ‘conserveermiddel (natriumbenzoaat)’ or ‘conserveermiddel (E211)’.
A choice of your own, not an allergy
Benzoic acid and benzoates are not an allergen: whether you eat or use them is up to you. We show what the ingredient list says, so you can choose. Recipes change: if in doubt, the pack in your hand decides.
More ingredients under Ingredients; allergens under Allergies.
Something not right? Tell us