Sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are widely used food additives with high efficiancy and they are approved and recommended by FAO and WHO. Sorbic acid is one of preservatives that is mostly used in general food. Sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are used to prevent food, such as cheese, bread, beverage, and so on, from staling and molding. The world market for sorbic acid and potassium sorbate is growing and the market in Asian region is also expected to grow rapidly. This study was carried out to measure the amount of the sorbic acid in cooked meat produced from meat processing plants in Gyeongbuk province during 2000∼2003. One thousand one hundred and thirty-five samples of cooked meat(430 spices added meats, 486 grinding cooked meats, 3 bacons, 23 jerked meats, 68 sausages, 125 hams) were collected from meat processing plants and analyzed for the concentration of preservative sorbic acid by using of high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Sorbic acid was not detected in spices added meats, grinding cooked meats and bacons, except on jerked meats, ham and sausage. But the concentration range of sorbic acid in jerked meat was 0.00∼1.5g/kg, average 0.37g/kg, and in sausage was 0.00∼1.31g/kg, average 0.53g/kg, and in ham was 0.00∼ 1.22g/kg, average 0.56g/kg. There was no sample that sorbate concentration exceeded the legal permitted level 2.0g/kg in cooked meat.