Benzoic acid1 is the simplest aromatic carboxylic acid and a commonly used preservative in foods and a snowflake mimic in holiday snow globes. This past August, Yifan Meng, Richard N. Zare*, and ...

Sodium benzoate does not occur naturally, but benzoic acid is found in many plants, including cinnamon, cloves, tomatoes, berries, plums, apples, and cranberries (2).