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abstract
W ith the preservative methylisothiazolinone under regulatory pressure due to its skin-sensitizing potential, and consumers in-
creasingly looking for home care products that are both human- and environmentally friendly, formulators are searching for
alternatives to isothiazolinones to preserve home care products. Sorbates have a long history of safe use in food, pharmaceutical
and personal care applications. They are considered nature identical and are ecolabel compliant. As biocidal products, under
the applicable Biocidal Product Regulation (EU) 528/2012 (BPR), Nutrinova® Potassium Sorbate BFX Granules and Nutrinova®
Sorbic Acid BFX DF have now been made available for home care formulations by Celanese, the only western manufacturer of
potassium sorbate and sorbic acid.
Their efficacy at use levels of 0.1-0.4%, both bactericidal and fungicidal, is demonstrated in a range of home care detergent
formulations, such as manual dishwashing liquids, fabric conditioners and all-purpose cleaners. Their viability as a possible effi-
cacious alternative to isothiazolinones in such formulations is thus supported.
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1.0E+04 1.0E+04
marketing claim for manual dishwash Manual dishwash pH 6.0
Cfu/g
Cfu/g
1.0E+03 1.0E+03
0.2% Potassium sorbate
formulations. 1.0E+02
A. brasiliensis
1.0E+02
A. brasiliensis
1.0E+01 C. albicans 1.0E+01 C. albicans
Both the low surfactant and the high 1.0E+00
E. coli
S. aureus
1.0E+00
1.0E+06
E. coli
S. aureus 1.0E+06
Cfu/g
1.0E+03 1.0E+03
Manual dishwash pH 6.0 Manual dishwash pH 6.0 Manual dishwash + 0.1% Na2EDTA pH 6.0
0.2% Potassium sorbate 0.3% Potassium sorbate 0.2% Potassium sorbate
Cfu/g
Passes the Ph. Eur. challenge test B criteria Passes the Ph. Eur. challenge test A criteria Passes the Ph. Eur. challenge test A criteria
1.0E+06
1.0E+03
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ST
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EFFI
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MILAN
Our wide experience in testing enables us to conduct scientific, MILAN
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products, including dietary supplements: hair loss prevention, anti-dandruff, entrusted ISPE with over 15.000 projects. Safety, efficacy, sensory aspects,
anti-sebum, anti-itch, compatibility and tolerance… In addition: conditioning, consumer reaction… our reports tell you all you need to know for a successful
curl and color retention, volume, shine are just some of the tests ISPE offers. launch. Print the seal “efficacy tested by ISPE” on the packaging*.
(*subject to rules)
formulation with 0.2% potassium sorbate also passed the that under more challenging conditions, addition of potassium
challenge test A criteria. The addition thus helped lowering sorbate could be beneficial to achieve the required level of pres-
the use level of potassium sorbate required for effective pres- ervation.
ervation. Celanese SOWF Tab 4_eng_2019-02-19 .pdf 1 19.02.2019 16:53:01
gillus brasiliensis is obtained as A. brasiliensis 8.6 x 10³ 7.9 x 10² 8.6 x 10² 1.2 x 10² <100 <10 <10 <100 <10
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30 Verlag für chemische Industrie H. Ziolkowsky GmbH, Dorfstrasse 40, 86470 Thannhausen, Germany
sofwjournal | 145 | 04/19
preservation | home care
was tested at a use levels of 0.4-0.8%. A high- Nutrinova® Potassium Sorbate BFX Granules Preservative 0 – 0.25
er use level for sodium benzoate was anticipat- Xanthan gum Thickener 0.1
ed based on the differences in the calculated
Citric acid pH Adjuster q.s. to pH 5.5
amounts of undissociated acid at pH 7.0 for the
two different acids (Tab. 1).
Tab. 8 Composition of basic all-purpose spray formulation at pH 5.5.
Whereas the formulations pass the challenge
Celanese SOWF Tab 9_eng_2019-02-18.pdf 1 19.02.2019 16:50:50
test B criteria already with a concentration of
0.2% potassium sorbate, a concentration of
0.8% sodium benzoate is not yet sufficient to Consor�um of bacteria Consor�um of fungi
Aeromonas hydrophila (sobria) Yeasts
pass the challenge test (Tab. 7) .
Alcaligenes faecalis Candida albicans
This confirms our hypothesis that at a pH close
Providencia rettgeri Saccharomyces cerevisiae
to 7.0, higher concentrations of sodium ben- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
zoate would be required to achieve adequate Pseudomonas putida Molds
preservation in comparison to using potassium Shewanella putrefaciens Geotrichum candidum
sorbate. Citrobacter freundii Rhodotorula mucilaginosa
It also confirms that sorbates are still effective Serratia marcescens
preservatives in these type of surfactant formu-
Tab. 9 Micro-organisms included in the consortia of bacteria and fungi.
lations up to a neutral pH.
Growth or no growth is determined by cfu count 7 days after Sorbic Acid BFX DF, Celanese provides the home care industry
each inoculation. a possible alternative to MIT in formulations up to pH 7.0 that
The non-preserved samples show growth of both bacteria is efficacious, ecolabel-compliant and non-skin sensitizing.
(Tab. 10) and fungi (Tab. 11), confirming that the formula-
tions are prone to spoilage and require a preservative. At a References
concentration ≥0.1% potassium sorbate, growth of the mi-
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[2] W
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purposes of its adaptation to technical and scientific progress, Regulation (EC)
No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on classification,
labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures and correcting Commis-
sion Regulation (EU) 2017/776.https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TX-
T/?qid=1539253527548&uri=CELEX:32018R1480
Conclusion [4] Stiftung Warentest, Mittel mit Makel, September 2018, 64-71.
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[5]
Shaw DA, Browne B, Rook T, Geis P, Ananth V, Critical Elements of Household
[6]
The results presented in this paper clearly illustrate that po- Product Preservation. Happi, May 2014, 79-85.
tassium sorbate can be used as the single preservative in sur- Fevola MJ, Sorbic Acid/Potassium Sorbate, Cosmetics & Toiletries, Vol. 127,
[7]
factant formulations at pH 3.5-7.0 with efficacy against both No.11, 2012, 756-762.
Eklund T, The antimicrobial effect of dissociated and undissociated sorbic acid
[8]
bacteria and fungi. While the results presented from laborato-
at different pH levels, Journal of Applied Bacteriology, 54, 1983, 383-389.
ry experiments based on the Ph. Eur. challenge test conditions Lück E, Sorbinsäure, Band II, Behr’s Verlag GmbH, Hamburg, 1972, 88-90.
[9]
show favorable results, a testing program should be under- [10] S teinberg D, Effective vs. Ineffective Preservation Using Water Activity*, Cos-
taken to determine the most effective dose for each applica- metics & Toiletries, Jan. 2011. Retrieved on 8 February 2019 from https://www.
cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/formulating/function/preservatives/112901129.html
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susceptibility of the product to contamination and the micro- zine, September 2008, 1-4.
biological challenges observed in a production setting. With [12] CIPAC Method 46.3 Accelerated storage procedure, https://www.cipac.org/
index.php/mt-46-3-accelerated-storage-procedure
Nutrinova® Potassium Sorbate BFX Granules and Nutrinova® [13] Ananth V, Rook T, Shaw D, Ganguly-Mink S, Vitolo, P, Brutofsky, M, Detwiler
C; Preservative Efficacy Testing, Happi,
Celanese SOWF Tab 10_eng_2019-02-18.pdf 1 19.02.2019 16:50:22 April 2015, 2-6.
Tab. 10 Results of the preservative efficacy test in a basic multi-purpose cleaner spray formulation,
consortium of bacteria.
Sylvia Nefkens
Celanese SOWF Tab 11_eng_2019-02-18.pdf 1 19.02.2019 16:49:57