Chapter 6: Preservatives
Benzoic acid
- Made from a hazardous chemical
The worst fact: the EU classes it as causing lung damage with repeated breathing in, and the raw chemical causes serious eye damage.
Why brands use it: it's a long-approved food and cosmetic preservative.
Take care if: you're handling the raw powder. Protect your eyes and lungs.
Comes from: made from toluene (petroleum), which Australia classes as "May damage fertility or the unborn child". That doesn't mean it's in the product, but it's not a great starting point for something you clean with. Benzoic acid also occurs naturally in berries, in small amounts.
Myth check: "it's natural": the commercial kind isn't.
Contaminants: nil.
Fair to say: the lung rating is for breathing in the powder, not using a diluted liquid.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS): classifications for each chemical and for benzene, ethylene oxide, toluene, phenol and benzyl chloride. hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
- European Food Safety Authority. Re-evaluation of benzoic acid and its salts (2016); sorbic acid and its salts (2019). efsa.europa.eu
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 6.