Preservatives

Generally, preservation is done by two methods, that is chemical and physical respectively. Chemical protection deals by adding chemical to the desired product. Physical maintenance is executed by processes like refrigeration or drying up of products. Preservative food additions , narrow the chances of microbial spoilage, shrink the risk of foodborne infections, and preserve nutritional quality and fresh characteristics of the food. Some physical processes for food preservation examples are dehydration, drying by freezing,  UV radiation, and refrigeration manufacture industry. 

Chemical Food Preservatives

There are three types of chemical preservatives :

• Benzoates (eg sodium benzoate)

• Nitrites (eg sodium nitrite)

• Sulphites (eg sulphur dioxide)

If we pay attention to the ingredient labels of different food packages, we will more oftenly come across the names of different types of chemical preservatives. Another common chemical preservative is sorbic acid.  Chemical preservatives either prohibit the activity of microbes such as bacteria or kill them. Chemical preservatives boost food product usage to a very notable level.

Examples of preservatives used in food

• Potassium Nitrate

• Erythorbic Acid

• Benzoic acid

• Sodium Benzoate

• Calcium Sorbate

Antioxidants are used as preservatives by slowing down the process of decomposition of foods. The examples include Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), and Ascorbyl Palmitate.  

Antioxidants In Food Preservation

Antioxidants used for food preservations have two types – Naturally occurring antioxidants and artificial antioxidants. Both of them are very useful as food preservatives. Oxidation rapidly affects the quality of food and decays it by semblance, colour, sensory attributes, and nutritive quality.  

Common Antioxidants in Food Preservation

Some examples of potential natural antioxidants used in food preservation and their sources are ascorbic and citric acids (found in citrus fruits such as orange), tocopherols (found in walnuts and seeds), carotenoids (found in fruits and vegetables) and phenolic compounds (found in herbs and spices, grape seeds). Plant phenolic extracts are commonly used in the preservation of seafood, meat, fats and oils. Ascorbic acid is mostly used in the preservation of juices, cereals, jams, treated meats and some canned foods. At the same time, tocopherols have their uses in the preservation of grains, meat and poultry products, butter, oils, and other dairy products. Rosemary extract is also mostly used as an antioxidant preservative in the continents of Europe and North America. 

Sodium Preservative In Food

The most widely used sodium preservative in food item is sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate is primarily known as a preservative used in processed foods and beverages to extend its life time. It’s an odourless, crystalline powder manufactured by merging sodium hydroxide and benzoic acid.

Artificial vs Natural Food Preservatives

Preservatives are termed as any substances that are added to food items before it is used by the customer. Food preservatives are generally used for extending shelf life of the food, colouring and flavouring to improve the taste and appearance of the food and nutritional supplements such as vitamins and minerals. Indirect food additives include the contaminants from manufacturing, storing and packaging processes. 

Food preservatives are used to protect your food from bacteria that might contaminate or decay the food. They protect food from poisoning by microbes and keep food looking and tasting fresh for a long period of time. but, many preservatives that are being used today by different multinational organisations have dangerous side effects

Artificial Preservatives

Artificial preservatives are chemical compounds that stop or delay the growth of microbes, spoilage, stinky odour and discolouration. They can be mixed to the food or sprayed on the food.

Types of Artificial Preservatives Food

• Antioxidants

• Antimicrobial agents

• Chelating agent

• In antimicrobials come the Benzoates, Sodium benzoate, Sorbates and Nitrites.

Antioxidants include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Sulfites, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), whereas the Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) Chelating agent include Citric acid, Disodium and Polyphosphates. 

Importance of Preservatives

Nowadays preservatives including food colour additives are more studied precisely and are monitored very carefully Food and Drug administration has taken many legal responsibility in removing the food items that have very dangerous level of preservatives used. It is often advice to the consumer to check the ingredients before using it the manufacturer or other producer must obtain approval from the food and drug Administration before selling it directly do the customers.

Conclusion: –

Preservatives playing very important role to prevent food from decaying. They can be natural chemicals or artificial chemicals. Natural food preservatives are not generally very healthier then artificial food preservatives. In reality, artificial food preservatives are more in use since it is more effective in very small amounts. Examples are sodium nitrate, sodium benzoate and propionate.