![Close-up of spoon in a jar of jam](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/88/204/56399745.jpg)
Preservatives are chemicals added to pharmaceutical, hygiene and food products to prevent and delay their decomposition. Fruit preservatives are commonly used in juices, jellies, canned fruit and dried fruit.
Ascorbic Acid
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![Glasses of fruit and vegetable juice](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/6/78/BBA_063.jpg)
Ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C, is used to preserve the color of a fruit drink by increasing the vitamin C content, which interacts with the unwanted oxygen and improves coloration.
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Carrageenan
![Plum Jam in jar](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/99/154/182005789.jpg)
Carrageenan, which is derived from seaweed, is a preservative that is used as a stabilizing agent for fruit jelly.
Citric Acid
![Grapefruit free at wild](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/79/75/158758939.jpg)
Found as a naturally occurring ingredient in fruit, citric acid, or sodium citrate, is a preservative used in fruit drinks.
EDTA
![Variety of fruits in a wooden bowl](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/41/3/AA023251.jpg)
EDTA, a preserving agent, is used in processed fruits to reduce the amount of metal contamination from food-manufacturing machines.
Benzoic Acid
![Person holding bottle of organic orange juice](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/251/56/76765407.jpg)
Used to preserve fruit juice, sodium benzoate, or benzoic acid, has been used for the last 100 years to prevent microorganisms from growing in acidic fruits.
Sorbic Acid
![23546532](https://img.ehowcdn.com/375/photos.demandstudios.com/getty/article/251/59/87970425.jpg)
Sorbic acid, or potassium sorbate, is used to prevent mold from forming in dry fruits and jelly.