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INS 202 · Preservative

INS 202 is the code for potassium sorbate

Prevents mould and yeast in bread, cheese, dried fruit, sauces and drinks. Often used instead of benzoate because it works at higher pH.

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What it does
Keeps it from spoiling A preservative
Vegetarian?
Vegetarian Made chemically
In the Zabel score
2 of the 20 additive points Method 1.0.0
In our catalogue
189 packs List it in their ingredients
Vegetarian or not

Is INS 202 vegetarian?

INS 202 is made chemically, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.

Counted from the 189 packs in Zabel's catalogue that list INS 202, 157 of which have a food category so far. Counted 4 Nov 2026.

What the evidence says

What does the evidence say about INS 202?

We grade an additive by the evidence about it, not by whether it sounds like a chemical, and we make no claim about whether a pack complies with FSSAI rules.

JECFA has set an ADI of 25 mg/kg body weight for sorbic acid and its salts. It is among the better-tolerated preservatives; reported reactions are uncommon and mild.

Does Zabel mark INS 202 down?

Yes, by 2 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0). Read the method.

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Questions people search

What is INS 202?

INS 202 is the code for potassium sorbate, a preservative. Prevents mould and yeast in bread, cheese, dried fruit, sauces and drinks. Often used instead of benzoate because it works at higher pH.

Is INS 202 vegetarian?

INS 202 is made chemically, so it does not by itself make a food non-vegetarian. The green or brown mark on the pack is still the declaration to go by, because it covers every other ingredient too.

What does the evidence say about INS 202?

JECFA has set an ADI of 25 mg/kg body weight for sorbic acid and its salts. It is among the better-tolerated preservatives; reported reactions are uncommon and mild.

Does Zabel mark INS 202 down?

Yes, by 2 points. The additives part of the score starts at 20, and each code takes off a fixed amount set by the strength of the evidence about it, not by the fact that it is an additive (method 1.0.0).

Sources

  1. 01 Evaluations of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) WHO / FAO, 2024
  2. 02 Zabel catalogue - pack counts, food categories and the codes printed alongside 4 Nov 2026

Entry updated 19 Sep 2026 · Not reviewed by a dietitian yet · Report an error on this page

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Zabel reads every INS code on it, shows the score, and shows the working.

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