Food Preservative

Preservatives are a type of Food Additive that can inhibit microbial activities and prevent food spoilage. There are 25 kinds of preservatives required to be used, such as benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, and calcium propionate.

The antiseptic principle of preservatives is roughly as follows:
1) Interfere with the enzyme system of microorganisms, destroy their normal metabolism, and inhibit the activity of enzymes.
2) Coagulates and denatures the proteins of microorganisms, interfering with their survival and reproduction.
3) Alter the permeability of the plasma membrane of cells, inhibit the elimination of enzymes and metabolites in their bodies, resulting in their inactivation.

When it comes to preservatives, people often think that they are harmful, in fact, within the scope of safe use, it is non-toxic and side effects on the human body. China has strict regulations on the use of preservatives, and preservatives should meet the following standards:
1) Reasonable use is harmless to the human body;
2) does not affect the gastrointestinal flora;
3) Can be degraded into normal components of food in the digestive tract;
4) does not affect the use of drug antibiotics;
5) No harmful ingredients are produced when heat treating food.