Potassium Sorbate
Potassium sorbate is the only preservative in Blue River Diets. A tiny amount helps keep the mixed diet fresh once it is in the enclosure.
Potassium sorbate at a glance
0.25%
2,500 mg per kg in every recipe
All 10
Flavours, all at the same level
E202
Its approved additive number
Only one
The only preservative in any of our recipes
From current packaging, where it is listed under technological additives.
On this page
What Is Potassium Sorbate?
Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid. Sorbic acid occurs naturally in some fruits, particularly the berries of the rowan tree, Sorbus aucuparia, which gave it its name.
The potassium sorbate used in food is made commercially rather than extracted from berries, but it is nature-identical: chemically the same as the compound found in nature.
Why We Added It
When we first launched Blue River Diets, we left preservatives out to keep the recipe as simple as possible. Keepers told us they wanted food that stayed fresher in the enclosure, so we listened and added potassium sorbate.
It helps keep the mixed diet fresh through each feed, but the pack advice still applies: remove any uneaten food after 24 hours.
How It Keeps Food Fresh
Slows Mould and Yeast
It slows the growth of mould, yeast and some bacteria, which matters most once the powder is mixed with water.
Suits a Fruit Diet
Sorbic acid works best in moist, slightly acidic food, which is exactly what a mixed fruit diet is.
Effective in Tiny Amounts
At 0.25% of the recipe, it does its job without changing the taste, smell or texture of the food.
Stable in Dry Powder
It stays effective in the sealed pouch, ready to work when you mix each feed.
Potassium sorbate is an approved additive, used widely in both human food and animal feed. In mammals, sorbic acid is broken down in the same way as other fatty acids, into carbon dioxide and water.
Keeper note
Mix fresh for each feed, remove any uneaten food after 24 hours, and store the pouch sealed in a dry place. Use within 6 months of opening or by the best before date.
Gecko Diet guide · Part 7 of 8