A salt or ester of benzoic acid, commonly used as a food preservative and in cosmetics.
From 'benzoic' (from benzoin resin) + '-ate' (chemistry suffix for salts). Benzoic acid was first extracted from benzoin resin in the 1600s.
Sodium benzoate is everywhere—it preserves your sodas, jams, and salad dressings by preventing bacterial growth. It's a tiny molecular guardian that lets processed foods last months instead of days.
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