What Is the Use of Chemical Preservatives?
Preservatives help foods better retain freshness, texture, color, nutritional value and flavor. They help food producers create a wide variety of foods with a long shelf life. Chemical preservatives often supplement other types of preservation methods, such as canning, freezing and drying, to ensure a safe and flavorful product months or even years after the ingredients were harvested.
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Benefits
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Adding preservatives to foods allows them to be easily shipped to places where they cannot be grown or to where they are out of season. Preservatives also bring down the cost of food and reduce food waste.
Types
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There are three types of preservatives: those that inhibit growth of microorganisms; those that retard the air oxidation that breaks a food down, turning it rancid; and those that slow down the natural ripening of a food. There are chemical and natural preservatives for each of the three types.
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Examples
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Common chemical preservatives include sulfites, sulfur dioxide, nitrates, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Many brands of canned, packaged, prepared or frozen foods found in a regular grocery store contain at least one chemical preservative.
Safety
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates the use of preservatives in food and routinely updates these regulations according to the latest scientific research. Preservatives are believed to be safe for most people, but a small percentage of the population may be sensitive to some of the approved substances. Some people are allergic to sulfites, for example. If you are concerned about chemical preservatives in your food, read the nutritional label; preservatives and other additives must be included in the list of ingredients found on most packaging.
Labeling
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A product that is labeled "No Preservatives" contains no preservatives, natural or chemical. A product labeled "No Added Preservatives" contains no chemical preservatives, but may contain natural preservatives such as lemon juice or acetic acid. Foods with either of these two labels do not ensure a healthy product; they provide information only on the preservative content of the food.
Natural Alternatives
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Natural alternatives to chemical preservatives include lemon juice, citric acid, vinegar, acetic acid, tocopherols (vitamin E), salt, sugar and garlic. Often, natural preservatives are used in combination to increase their efficacy. Pickles, for example, usually contain both vinegar and sugar. Alternative methods of preservation include freezing, drying, canning and pickling. When purchased in a store, however, these types of foods often contain additional added preservatives.
Pet Foods
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Food companies use preservatives in pet foods for the same reasons they use them in people food. If you're concerned about your nonhuman animal friend, read labels and look for natural ingredients.
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References
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