

The main component of potassium Sorbate, sorbic acid, occurs naturally as para-sorbic acid in berries of the mountain ash tree. However, it is often synthesized by various processes.[6] This can include, for example, condensing crotonaldehyde and acetic or malonic acid in pyridine solution, condensing crotonaldehyde and ketene in the presence of boron trifluoride, and other processes.