benzoate metabolic process benzoate catabolic process GO:0043639 MetaCyc:PWY-7402 benzoate degradation MetaCyc:PWY-2503 biological_process MetaCyc:PWY-283 benzoate catabolism The chemical reactions and pathways resulting in the breakdown of benzoate, the anion of benzoic acid (benzenecarboxylic acid), a fungistatic compound widely used as a food preservative; it is conjugated to glycine in the liver and excreted as hippuric acid. benzoate breakdown monocarboxylic acid catabolic process