Preservatives

is a substance or a chemical that is added to

products such as food, beverages,
pharmaceuticals drugs, paints, biological
samples, cosmetics, wood, and many other
products to prevent decomposition by
microbial growth or by undesirable chemical
changes.
Food Preservation is basically done
for three (3) reasons:
•To preserve the natural characteristics of
food
•To preserve the appearance of food
•To increase the shelf value of food for
storage.
There are 3 types of food preservatives:
1. Natural Food Preservatives
• In the category of natural food preservatives comes the salt,
sugar, alcohol, vinegar, etc.
• Also the freezing, boiling, smoking, salting are considered to
be the natural ways of preserving food.
• Coffee powder and soup are dehydrated and freeze-dried for
preservation.
• Sugar and salt are the earliest natural food preservatives that
very efficiently drops the growth of bacteria in food.
2. Chemical Food Preservatives
• Are also being used for quite some time now. They seem to
be the best and the most effective for a longer shelf life and
are generally fool proof for the preservation purpose
a. Ethanol – It is a chemical food preservative in
food, wine and food stored in brandy.

b. Benzoate (such as sodium benzoate, benzoic

acid) – It is used to preserve foods including fruit
juices, soft drinks, pickles, barbeque sauce and
salad dressing. Most processed foods have acids
artificially. The acid inhibits the growth of mold,
yeast and bacteria.
c. Nitrite (sodium nitrite) – It is added to processed
meats.
d. Sulphites (sulfur dioxide) – It is added to dried fruits
to increase the shelf stability and longevity of the item.
Sulphites are also used to prevent bacteria and
discoloration.
e. Sorbate (sodium sorbates, potassium sorbates) –
Widely used as a preservatives in foods, drinks, and
personal care products. It is an odorless and tasteless
salt synthetically produced from sorbic acid and
potassium hydroxide.
Artificial Preservatives
• Are the chemical substances that stops of
delayed the growth of bacteria, spoilage
and its discoloration.
• These artificial preservatives can be added
to the food or sprayed o the food
a. Benzoate – It is used as an antimicrobial agents in
food including salad dressing, carbonated drinks and
fruit juices.
b. Sorbic Acid – It inhibits the growth of molds.
c. Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) – It is used to prevent
oxidation in butter, lard, meats, baked goods, beer,
vegetable oil, potato chips and other snack foods.
d. Butylated Hydroxy Toluene (BHT) – It is used in fats,
oil, shortening agents.
ADDITIVES
• The term additives suggests to the practical
name for a wide assortment of aggravates that
helps slow or fore stall bacterial development in
a wide scope of item including medication and
individual consideration products. These mixes
can be characterized or manufactured.
Preservatives assume important job in numerous
products that individually utilized regularly
• Example:
A. By helping to prevent growth of harmful
microorganism and protect product from spoilage or
contamination.
B. To make food more attractive.
C. To make it more delicious. Try to examine
commercial food in the stores and supermarkets like
milk, sardines, fruit drinks, and catsup. Find out what
chemicals are added on purpose. These are called
intentional additives.
Food Preservation
Methods
DRYING or DEHYDRATING
• Is one of the most effective ways of preserving fruits
and vegetables.
• Drying or dehydrating food preserving method has the
advantages of retaining all the nutrients of the food
product and reducing the weight of the food product
substantially.
• Of the important nutrients that are lost in this
particular method is thiamin and vitamin C.
SMOKING
• This method is more suitable for fish and meat
products.
• Smoking method of food preservation uses the
dual preservation technique of heat that
dehydrates the food product and the
hydrocarbons absorbed.
FREEZING
• Is a food preserving method that works by
keeping the foods in extremely low temperature
thus preventing the growth of any kind of
microorganisms in the foods
• The use of refrigerators is an example of this
method of food preservation only.
PICKLING
• One of the traditional methods of food preservation.
This method usually includes drying process as the
basis and following it up with cooking the foods in
substances that prevents bacterial or fungal growth.
• Fruits, vegetables and meat, all of these products are
preserved through the process of pickling.
CANNING
• As a food preservation method is carried out by
sealing the edible food items in sterile cans and jars
and then boiling these cans, bottles and jars to kill any
of the remaining menace-making microorganisms.
• But even a little lack in attention in this process can
lead to easy and fast contamination of the canned
food products.
SALT
works better for meat products.
SUGAR
is preferred for preserving fruits and vegetables.