The concentrations and health risks of potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate in some Iranian food products: A Monte Carlo simulation

The study aimed to investigate potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate concentrations in food items collected from Shiraz and Ahvaz cities. The study shows that while the mean concentration of sodium benzoate in Olovieh salad, pickled cucumber, mayonnaise sauce, and carbonated drinks generally met ISIRI and CODEX standards, 7.60 % and 3.08 % of mayonnaise sauce samples, and 4.46 % and 2.67 % of carbonated drinks exceeded these standards, respectively. Potassium sorbate levels were higher than the ISIRI standards in 18.4 % of cakes and cookies, 6.25 % in Olovieh salad, 20 % in mayonnaise sauce, and 5.36 % in pickled cucumbers samples. However, under the Codex, all these products were within acceptable limits, except mayonnaise sauce. In addition, ISIRI detected sodium benzoate in some products that should not be used, such as cake and cookies, tomato sauce, and non-carbonated fruit drinks. The Monte Carlo simulation for exposure estimation, carried out in this study for health risk assessment, revealed that the hazard index (HI) remained below the threshold (HI < 1). Specifically, the 5th percentile was at 0.21, the median at 0.32, and the 95th percentile at 0.45. The study suggested that while potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate in foods are low-risk, continued monitoring of these preservatives is recommended.