Jakarta, 28th July 2024 – Recent findings of high sodium dehydroacetate levels in certain bread brands in Indonesia have raised significant concerns. Sodium dehydroacetate is a preservative ingredient commonly used in cosmetics to prevent microbial growth. This ingredient is recognized as safe to use in cosmetics by BPOM (Keputusan Kepala BPOM No 479 Tahun 2023) but not in food.

So is sodium dehydroacetate actually dangerous when consumed? 

YES, and here is why!

1) The safey of this perservatives in food is not guaranteed

Sodium Dehydroacetate is not included in the official list of safe preservatives ingredients for food by BPOM. So the safety of food that use ingredients outside of the safe list, can not be guaranteed

2) The safety of this preservative in food is still questionable

Although several studies found the benefits of Sodium Dehydroacetate for food preservations up to 2 years, other studies still found several health concerns like car, tissue and organ damage, lack of appetite, weight loss, and cardiotoxicity. Cardiotoxicity is the occurrence of heart dysfunction as electric or muscle damage, resulting in heart toxicity. The heart becomes weaker and is not as efficient in pumping blood. Another study also found that the preservations can caused oral toxicity. 28-day repeated oral administration of DHA-S at a dose of 100 or 200 mg/kg BW/day can significantly reduce rat growth indicators, resulting in abnormal changes in several hematological and biochemical parameters, coagulation dysfunction, and tissue and organ damage.

However do not be panicked, we can still avoid sodium dehydroacetate in our food by reading the nutrition label and ingredients and choose food with safer additives choices like sodium benzoate, Citric acid, Sugar, Salt, Calcium sorbate and Ascorbic acid

Although the debate on this ingredients, in some cases, manufacturers may deliberately add this type of preservatives to food to extend shelf life or reduce costs, disregarding consumer safety. Even, in some jurisdictions, sodium dehydroacetate is considered Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA when used under good manufacturing practices.

However do not be panicked, we can still avoid sodium dehydroacetate in our food by reading the nutrition label and ingredients and choose food with safer additives choices like sodium benzoate, Citric acid, Sugar, Salt, Calcium sorbate and Ascorbic acid