Commission Directive 2008/84/EC (repealed)Show full title

E 210 BENZOIC ACID

a Starch TS: triturate 0,5 g starch (potato starch, maize starch or soluable starch) with 5 ml of water; to the resulting paste add a sufficient quantity of water to give a total volume of 100 ml, stirring all the time. Boil for a few minutes, allow to cool, filter. The starch must be freshly prepared.
b Cobalt chloride TSC: dissolve approximately 65 g of cobalt chloride CoCl2·6H2O in a sufficient quantity of a mixture of 25 ml hydrochloric acid and 975 ml of water to give a total volume of 1 litre. Place exactly 5 ml of this solution in a round-bottomed flask containing 250 ml of iodine solution, add 5 ml of 3 % hydrogen peroxide, then 15 ml of a 20 % solution of sodium hydroxide. Boil for 10 minutes, allow to cool, add 2 g of potassium iodide and 20 ml of 25 % sulphuric acid. After the precipitate is completely dissolved, titrate the liberated iodine with sodium thiosulphate (0,1 N) in the presence of starch TSa. 1 ml of sodium thiosulphate (0,1 N) corresponds to 23,8 mg of CoCl2·6H2O. Adjust final volume of solution by the addition of a sufficient quantity of the hydrochloric acid/water mixture to give a solution containing 59,5 mg of CoCl2·6H2O per ml.
c Ferric chloride TSC: dissolve approximately 55 g of ferric chloride in a sufficient quantity of a mixture of 25 ml of hydrochloric acid and 975 ml of water to give a total volume of 1 litre. Place 10 ml of this solution in a round-bottomed flask containing 250 ml of iodine solution, add 15 ml of water and 3 g of potassium iodide; leave the mixture to stand for 15 minutes. Dilute with 100 ml of water then titrate the liberated iodine with sodium thiosulphate (0,1 N) in the presence of starch TSa. 1 ml of sodium thiosulphate (0,1 N) corresponds to 27,03 mg of FeCl3·6H2O. Adjust final volume of solution by the addition of a sufficient quantity of the hydrochloric acid/water to give a solution containing 45,0 mg of FeCl3·6H2O per ml.
d Copper sulphate TSC: dissolve approximate by 65 g of copper sulphate CuSO4·5H2O in a sufficient quantity of a mixture of 25 ml of hydrochloric acid and 975 ml of water to give a total volume of 1 litre. Place 10 ml of this solution in a round-bottomed flask containing 250 ml of iodine solution, add 40 ml of water, 4 ml of acetic acid and 3 g of potassium iodide. Titrate the liberated iodine with sodium thiosulphate (0,1 N) in the presence of starch TSa. 1 ml of sodium thiosulphate (0,1 N) corresponds to 24,97 mg of CuSO4·5H2O. Adjust final volume of solution by the addition of a sufficient quantity of the hydrochloric acid/water mixture to give a solution containing 62,4 mg of CuSO4·5H2O per ml.
Definition
Chemical name	Benzoic acid
	Benzenecarboxylic acid
	Phenylcarboxylic acid
Einecs	200-618-2
Chemical formula	C7H6O2
Molecular weight	122,12
Assay	Content not less than 99,5 % on the anhydrous basis
Description	White crystalline powder
Identification
A. Melting range	121,5 oC to 123,5 oC
B. Positive sublimation test and test for benzoate
Purity
Loss on drying	Not more than 0,5 % after drying for three hours over sulphuric acid
pH	About 4 (solution in water)
Sulphated ash	Not more than 0,05 %
Chlorinated organic compounds	Not more than 0,07 % expressed as chloride corresponding to 0,3 % expressed as monochlorobenzoic acid
Readily oxidisable substances	Add 1,5 ml of sulphuric acid to 100 ml of water, heat to boiling point and add 0,1 N KMnO4 in drops, until the pink colour persists for 30 seconds. Dissolve 1 g of the sample, weighed to the nearest mg, in the heated solution, and titrate with 0,1 N KMnO4 to a pink colour that persists for 15 seconds. Not more than 0,5 ml should be required
Readily carbonisable substances	A cold solution of 0,5 g of benzoic acid in 5 ml of 94,5 to 95,5 % sulphuric acid must not show a stronger colouring than that of a reference liquid containing 0,2 ml of cobalt chloride TSCb, 0,3 ml of ferric chloride TSCc, 0,1 ml of copper sulphate TSCd and 4,4 ml of water
Polycyclic acids	On fractional acidification of a neutralised solution of benzoic acid, the first precipitate must not have a different melting point from that of the benzoic acid
Arsenic	Not more than 3 mg/kg
Lead	Not more than 5 mg/kg
Mercury	Not more than 1 mg/kg
Heavy metals (as Pb)	Not more than 10 mg/kg