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What are Food Preservatives?
A food preservative is any substance that is added to retard spoilage whether from microbial growth, or undesirable chemical changes. Food preservatives helps to maintain the freshness and shelf life of food products because without them, they would spoil quickly due to exposure to air, moisture, bacteria or mold.
Types of Food Preservatives –
There are 2 types of Food Preservatives –
Class I Preservatives
Class II preservatives
Class I Preservatives –
Class I Preservatives Includes such as salt, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, oil, etc. Class I Preservatives are also known as natural preservatives.
Salt as a Food Preservatives –
Salt is used in brine or may be directly applied to the food. Salt at a concentration of 15-25% is sufficient to preserve most food products
It exerts its preservative action by:
Increases the osmotic pressure at a level in which plasmolysis of microbial cells takes place.
Salt causes dehydration by drawing out and tying out water from the tissue of food.
Salt also ionizes to yield chlorine ions, which is harmful to microorganisms.
Salt also interferes with the action of proteolytic enzymes.
Sugar as a Food Preservatives –
Sugar act as a food preservative in those food products in which it is used at a concentration of 66% or more alone acts as a preservative.
It exerts its preservative action by:
Absorbing most of the available water in food products results in less water available for the growth of microorganisms. Hence, their multiplication is inhibited and even those already present die out gradually.
Causing high osmotic pressure that creates a condition that is unfavorable for growth for microorganisms.
Class II preservatives:
Class II Preservatives are also known as chemical preservatives which are synthesized from the chemicals. Class II Preservatives are added to the food after they are processed.
Sodium benzoates as Food Preservatives –
