WAB Learns: G07: Sciences Impact of Science: Preservatives

Preservatives

Artificial Preservatives
from The Gale Encyclopedia of Diets

Antimicrobial agents	Antioxidants	Chelating agent
(Table by PreMediaGlobal. © 2013 Cengage Learning.)
Benzoates. Inhibits the growth of molds, yeasts, and bacteria in acidic drinks and liquids, including fruit juice, vinegar, sparkling drinks, and soft drinks. Sodium benzoate. Used as an antimicrobial agent in foods with a pH below 3.6, including salad dressings, carbonated drinks, fruit juices, and Oriental food sauces such as soy sauce and duck sauce. Sorbates. Prevents the growth of molds, yeasts, and fungi in foods or beverages. Propionates. Inhibits the growth of mold in baked goods. Nitrites. Prevents the growth of bacteria, particularly Clostridium botulinum (bacterium responsible for botulism), in meat or smoked fish.	Sulfites. Prevents oxidation and inhibits the growth of yeasts and fungi in beer and wines, and preserves meats, dried potato products, and dried fruits. Vitamin E. Slows oxidation of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, used to fortify breakfast cereals and pet foods. Vitamin C. Prevents browning of fresh-cut apples, peaches, and other fruits. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Prevents oxidation in butter, lard, meats, baked goods, beer, vegetable oils, potato chips and other snack foods, nuts and nut products, and dry mixes for beverages and desserts. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Used in fats, oils, shortening, and similar products.	Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Delays spoilage (used in food processing). Polyphosphates. Used as an anti-browning agent in dips and washes for fresh-peeled fruits and vegetables. Citric acid. Used as a flavoring agent and antioxidant in foods.

Antimicrobial agents

Antioxidants

Chelating agent

Benzoates. Inhibits the growth of molds, yeasts, and bacteria in acidic drinks and liquids, including fruit juice, vinegar, sparkling drinks, and soft drinks.

Sodium benzoate. Used as an antimicrobial agent in foods with a pH below 3.6, including salad dressings, carbonated drinks, fruit juices, and Oriental food sauces such as soy sauce and duck sauce.

Sorbates. Prevents the growth of molds, yeasts, and fungi in foods or beverages.

Propionates. Inhibits the growth of mold in baked goods.

Nitrites. Prevents the growth of bacteria, particularly Clostridium botulinum (bacterium responsible for botulism), in meat or smoked fish.

Sulfites. Prevents oxidation and inhibits the growth of yeasts and fungi in beer and wines, and preserves meats, dried potato products, and dried fruits.

Vitamin E. Slows oxidation of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, used to fortify breakfast cereals and pet foods.

Vitamin C. Prevents browning of fresh-cut apples, peaches, and other fruits.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Prevents oxidation in butter, lard, meats, baked goods, beer, vegetable oils, potato chips and other snack foods, nuts and nut products, and dry mixes for beverages and desserts.

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Used in fats, oils, shortening, and similar products.

Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). Delays spoilage (used in food processing).

Polyphosphates. Used as an anti-browning agent in dips and washes for fresh-peeled fruits and vegetables.

Citric acid. Used as a flavoring agent and antioxidant in foods.

Preservatives in Food
Hong Kong Center for Food Safety
Questions and Answers on the Occurrence of Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages
Benzene is a carcinogen that can cause cancer in humans. It has caused cancer in workers exposed to high levels from workplace air. Based on results from a Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) survey of almost 200 samples of soft drinks and other beverages tested for benzene conducted from 2005 through May 2007, a small number of products sampled contained more than 5 parts per billion (ppb) of benzene.
Preservatives
All food products except for the one growing in your kitchen garden has food preservatives in them. Every manufacturer adds food preservative to the food during processing. The purpose is generally to avoid spoilage during the transportation time.

Links

Food additives, safety, and organic foods
Many substances are added to foods to prolong shelf and storage life and to enhance color, flavor, and texture. The possible role of food additives in cancer risk is an area of great public interest.
Chemical Cuisine
CSPI ranks the safety of food additives—from acetic acid to yellow prussiate of soda—in this definitive glossary of the chemicals used to flavor and preserve our foods.
Food Standards (Australia New Zealand)
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is a statutory authority in the Australian Government Health portfolio. FSANZ develops food standards for Australia and New Zealand.
Food Additives association (UK & Ireland)
A preservative is a substance added to food products or beverages to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes. Preservative food additives reduce the risk of foodborne infections, decrease microbial spoilage, and preserve fresh attributes and nutritional quality.

Are Preservatives in Food Bad for My Health?
Let’s just admit it: We’ve all popped a few chips or cookies into our mouths without taking a good look at what exactly we’re putting in our bodies. When I finally took a peek at the nutrition label on the back of my afternoon snack, I was astonished to see I couldn’t even pronounce half if the ingredients listed! From aspartame to sulfur dioxide, it’s good to know what preservatives we are ingesting, and what they mean for our bodies.
Everything You Need To Know About Food Preservatives
Unless you are totally self sustaining and grow your own vegetables, harvest your own wheat and farm your own sheep, you are likely to have eaten foods containing preservatives at some stage in your life. For most people, the majority of the food they eat is packed full with preservatives and it is becoming more and more difficult to buy food that does not contain these additives
Preservative Health - List of preservatives

Epic Food Chemistry

Epic Books
more...less...
You can use the class code: hwj0274 and find your name

Additives and Colours

Credo Visual Search
Food Additives
Food additives are substances added to food as flavorants, nutrients, preservatives, emulsifiers, or colorants. In addition, foods may contain residues of chemicals used during the production of plant or animal crops, including pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones.

Overview of Food Ingredients, Additives & Colors
Introduction
Why Are Food and Color Ingredients Added to Food?
What Is a Food Additive?
What Is a Color Additive?
How Are Additives Approved for Use in Foods?
Summary
Questions and Answers About Food and Color Additives
Types of Food Ingredients
Additional Information
Substances added to food
The Substances Added to Food inventory replaces what was previously known as Everything Added to Foods in the United States (EAFUS).
Additives in Meat and Poultry Products
History of Food Additives
What is a food additive?
What is a "direct" food additive?
What is an 'indirect" food additive?
What is a color additive?
How are additives approved for use in foods?
Who monitors the safety of food additives?
Why are food additives regulated?
When did food additives regulations begin?
Are any additives exempt from the approval process?
When were color additives addressed?
What are labeling requirements for additives?
Glossary of Commonly Used Meat and Poultry Additives and Terms

Meat and Cancer

Processed meat and cancer – what you need to know
You’ve probably seen plenty of headlines about the fact that processed meat has been classified as a ‘definite’ cause of cancer. And red meat is a ‘probable’ cause.

Processed meats do cause cancer - WHO
Processed meats - such as bacon, sausages and ham - do cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).