Sorbic acid (E200)

No. Sorbic acid (E200) is not one of the markers Open Food Facts uses to classify a food as processed or ultra-processed, so on its own it doesn't raise a product's NOVA group.

What it is

Sorbic acid is a preservative against moulds and yeasts.

A product that contains it can still be ultra-processed for other reasons: 372 of the 394 products here that contain sorbic acid (E200) (94%) are in group 4 because of other ingredients or additives.

Function

Preservative: Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.

Functional class definitions from the EU food additives regulation, via Open Food Facts.

More about sorbic acid (E200) on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Sorbic acid (E200) appears in 394 of the 40,000 products on this site (1%).

Breads 51 of 2,388 products
Bagel breads 25 of 91 products
Wheat flatbreads 20 of 149 products
Sliced breads 17 of 389 products
Wheat breads 16 of 228 products
Energy drinks 13 of 278 products

Products containing sorbic acid (E200)

Showing the 60 most popular of 394.

How the NOVA classification works