Preservative

The term preservative refer to for the wide variety of compounds

that help slow or prevent bacterial growth in a wide range of
products including foods and personal caring products. These
compounds can be natural or synthetic, preservative play
important rule in many products people use every day for their
need.

Importance of food preservative;-

Shelf life of the food increase and may food product may preserve
for a long period of time.

By preserve food we can enjoy seasonal foods.

It’s preventing the food product from the different microorganism

attack on food.

It’s also important in preventing the nutrient of the food.

It’s also used to preserve the appearance of food.

Preservative are can be divided into two categories.

1. Natural preservative
2. Synthetic preservatives
 1. Natural preservative;-
Natural preservative are ingredient that are found in nature and
without artificial synthesis or process with other substance, which
work to prevent product from prematurely spoilage.

Natural preservative have antioxidant, antifungal and

antimicrobial properties which inhibit and prevent the growth of
bacteria, fungi molds and yeast.

1. SALT (sodium chloride, NaCL);-

Salt is one of the natural preservative that is used to preserve the

meat and some vegetables for a longer time span. Microorganisms
such as bacteria molds and yeast used to live and reproduce in
aqueous medium. Salt protect the food from the deterioration and
spoilage by dehydrating the microbes the process as known as
osmosis. Osmosis can be defined as the movement of water across
the semi permeable membrane from a solution of lower solute
concentration to higher concentration.

Thus, salt provide the protection against bacteria, yeast and molds
to reproduce.
 2. SUGAR (sucrose);-
Sugar are not used as a sweeter but also used for a preservative
agent ,which is readily available in almost every kitchen. Sugar
protect the food product from the spoilage agents by the process of
dehydration of microorganisms by osmosis. The bacterial action is
prevented by the adding of sugar to the food product.

3. VINEGAR (ACETIC ACID);-

VINIGAR is made from the fermentation of the sugar and water
solution. the household vinegar pH 2-3. Acetic acid is the major
constituent of vinegar which kill the bacteria and other
microorganisms which are present in the food causing the
deterioration and food spoilage.

Many vegetables in the form of pickle are prevented by the

addition of the vinegar.

4. LEMON JUICE (CITRUS LIMON):-

LEMON juice contains the citric acid and vitamin C also known as
ascorbic acid .microbes bacteria, yeast and molds are unable to
live and reproduce in the acetic medium. Lemon juice contains
ascorbic acid which also prevent the oxidation process of food
because vitamin C is antioxidant.

The lemon juice for the preservation of food product for the short
period of time
 5. ROSEMARY EXTRACTS
(ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS);-
ROSEMARY extract is obtained from the distillation of rosemary
leaves. Rosemary extract contain carnosic acid and rosmaranic
acid .

Both of these are the antioxidant and protect from spoilages.

Rosemary contain 20-24 antioxidant which have comparatively
longer life span than other antioxidants.

Rosemary extract are used to increase the shelf life of meat and
avoid the rancidity of fats and oils. As rosemary extract have a
particular aroma so it is used in minute amount.

For example; 0.15% to 0.5% in food items as preservative.

 6. ONION (ALLIUM C EPA);-
Onion and onion extract are used in processed foods by replacing
artificial preservatives. Onion have antimicrobial and anti-
oxidative property that’s why it prevent the oxidative deterioration
of food and play important role in preservation of food.

Qurecetin is an antioxidant and flavonoid present in onion

bacillus cereus and other microorganisms cause deterioration in
the food and its prevented by the phenolic compound of the onion.
its inhibit the growth of these bacteria’s.

Onion have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties

thus, onion doesn’t increase the shelf life but also have many
health benefits.
 7. OLIVA OIL (Olea europaea);-
FOOD is spoiled when it’s come in contact with oxygen and
microorganisms as oil is greasy it provides insulation to the food
and prevent the food from the attack microbes and also the
oxidative deterioration of food.

Olive oil is mainly used for this purpose it has many health
benefits and also the meat and the vegetables are preserved by it.

8. CLOVES;-
Cloves are the spice used in food preparation .coves also act as a
natural preservative. It is most commonly used in Chinese and
also in Indian medicine and many food items. For many years ,
cloves contain many phenolic compounds which are anti-oxidant
,its prevent the fungal and the bacterial growth in the food
product.

Anthocyanin, garlic acid, Qurecetin is the anti-oxidant present In

cloves.
 9. OREGANO (origanum vulgare);-
OREGANO is an Italian herb which is used in many Italian and
Chinese foods. Beside the flavor are also anti-oxidant, anti-
bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Oregano can be used to
preserve meats. Oregano can preserve meats but its drawback is
can also change the flavor of the product to some extent.

Thymol and carvacrol present in oregano inhibit the growth of

bacteria, Staphylococcus arueu and pseudomonas aeroginosa.

10.GINGER (zingiber officnale);-

A Rhizome, ginger is used in food preservation. It has
antimicrobial properties, A bacteria salmonella is killed due to the
antimicrobial properties

of ginger. Also a parasite, anisakis is killed due to the anti-

microbial properties of ginger
 11. GARLIC (allium sativum);-
Allium sativum is a natural preservative, it kill the bacteria like
Escherichia coli and salmonella. It can preserve meat by
preventing meat spoilage due to bacterial growth.

2. SYNTHTETIC PRESERVITIVES;-
Artificial preservatives are chemical substance added to the food.
these substance maybe sprayed on the outside of a food ,or added
to foods in medications, artificial preservative are basically
derivatives of the natural chemical compounds.

Most common chemical preservatives are derived from acids and

their main preservative function is that raise the acidity of the
foods which kills the microorganisms.
Division of the artificial preservatives;-

I. Organic preservatives
II. Inorganic preservatives

I. ORGANIC ARTIFICAL PRESERVATIVES;-

Organic preservatives are those compounds which derived from
the organic sources (living things) like plant as known as artificial
organic preservatives.

Such as benzoates, propionates, sorbates.

II. INORGANIC ARTIFICAL PRESERVATIVES;-

Inorganic preservative are those which derived from the inorganic

sources (nonliving things) like rocks as known as inorganic
artificial preservatives, Such as sulfites and nitrates.

Artificial preservatives are further subdivided into antimicrobial

agents, antioxidant agents and chelating agents.

ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS;-
Antimicrobial agents are added to the food products to destroy
bacteria or inhibit the growth of molds on food. These can improve
the safety of the food and increase shelf life .these are include
benzoates, sorbates and propionates and nitrates.
NITRATES;-
Nitrates are the salt of the nitrous acid ,the most commonly used
nitrates being sodium nitrates which is added to meat and fishes
where it help to prevent the growth of the bacteria such as
clostridium botulinum the bacterium responsible Foe botulism.
Another benefits of the sodium nitrates is it increase the myoglobin
in the meat which help the meat more appealing dark appearance.

HEALTH CONSIDERATION OF NITRATES;-

Nitrates have some health implication which has made them less
appealing as a food preservative. Nitrate is toxic in large
quantities and may also lead to the production of the nitrosamines
which are potentially carcinogenic.

BENZOATES;-
Benzoates are the compound base on the benzoic acid ,they are
most frequent use in preservation of soft drinks such as carbonated
drinks and squashes but also found in such as pickle, flour,
toothpaste and medicine.

The most commonly sued benzoate are potassium benzoate the

potassium salt of the benzoic acid which inhibit the growth of the
molds, yeast and bacteria. sodium benzoate are also vary widely
used as a food preservative in the preservation of juices, pickles,
salads, margarine jams and jellies.
HEALTH CONSIDERATION;-

The benzoate is combine with the ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

benzoate can form benzenes which are known to be carcinogenic.

Benzoates have also been suggested to effect hyperactivity in

children.

PROPRIONATES;-
Propionates are the compound of the proponic acid, they are they
are most frequently used to prevent the formation of molds in
baked goods.

One of the most commonly used propionates are calcium

propionate used to inhibit the growth of molds on bread. Sodium
propionate also widely used in the preservation of bread,
chocolate, cheese and pastry.

ANTIFUNGAL ACTION OF THE PROPRIONATES;-

Propionate is used to protect bread and animal feed from moulds.

The mode of action of this short‐chain fatty acid was studied
using  Aspergillus nidulans as a model organism. The filamentous
fungus is able to grow slowly on propionate, which is oxidized to
acetyl‐CoA via propionyl‐CoA, methylcitrate and pyruvate.
Propionate inhibits growth of A. nidulans on glucose but not on
acetate; the latter was shown to inhibit propionate oxidation.
When grown on glucose a methylcitrate synthase deletion mutant
is much more sensitive towards the presence of propionate in the
medium as compared to the wild‐type and accumulates 10‐fold
higher levels of propionyl‐CoA, which inhibits CoA‐dependent
enzymes such as pyruvate dehydrogenase, succinyl‐CoA
synthetase and ATP citrate lyase. The most important inhibition is
that of pyruvate dehydrogenase, as this affects glucose and
propionate metabolism directly. In contrast, the blocked succinyl‐
CoA synthetase can be circumvented by a succinyl‐
CoA:acetate/propionate CoA‐transferase, whereas ATP citrate
lyase is required only for biosynthetic purposes. In addition, data
are presented that correlate inhibition of fungal polyketide
synthesis by propionyl‐CoA with the accumulation of this CoA‐
derivative. A possible toxicity of propionyl‐CoA for humans in
diseases such as propionic acidaemia and methylmalonic aciduria
is also discussed.

HEALTH CONSIDERATION;-

THE HEALTH effect of propionates is cumulative and builds up

over a period of time-week to month. Health effect can range from
symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome to nasal congestion.
Restlessness, difficulties sleeping and attention deficit disorders.

SORBATES;-
Sorbates are compound base on sorbic acid, they are frequently
used to prevent food decay in products such as bread, dairy
products, salad, fruit products and smoked fish potassium sorbates
are the commonly used for the food preservation.
MODE OF ACTION SORBATE IN THE BACRERIAL CELL;-

Sorbic acid and its salts inhibit various bacteria, including spore
formers, at various stages of their life cycle (germination,
outgrowth and cell division). This multiple action of sorbates may
be responsible for its broad effectiveness compared to other
antimicrobial agents. Inhibition of bacterial growth by sorbates
may result from alteration of cell membranes, inhibition of
transport systems and key enzymes, creation of a proton flux into
the cell, or more than one of these actions. In reduced pH
environments, spore formers are inhibited by both increased
hydrogen ion concentration and presence of sorbates molecules.
Recent evidence has suggested that sorbates inhibits spore
germination by acting on post-binding stages of the process (e.g.,
the connecting reactions). Inhibition of the connecting reactions
by sorbates may be through some interaction of the compound
with the spore membranes or through inhibition of enzymes.

HEALTH CONSIDERATION;-

Sorbates are develop allergy in some time, sorbates have also

been associated with the development of migraines and potassium
sorbates can cause raised the potassium level in the blood
inpatient with kidney disease.
‘’ANTIOXIDANT PRESERVATIVES’’
These are the group of the artificial preservative which help to
prevent food spoilage by slowing down the reaction of oxygen with
the food in atmosphere.

Some antioxidant are natural including retinoid (vitamin A)

ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which is found in fruit and vegetables.

Artificial antioxidant are included butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)

and butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA) which are used in the bakery
products, fats and oils. Some antioxidant preservatives are also
naturally present in food as well as being synthesized to add to
food such as sulphites (also spelt sulphites). Both natural and
artificial antioxidants are used to preserve the food products like
nuts, cheese, vegetables, oils and bread.

‘’Sulphites’’;-
Sulphites are a group of compounds consisting charged molecules
of sulphur combined with oxygen .sulphites are contains a long
history in food preservation they are present in most of the wines.
The antioxidant and the antimicrobial properties of the sulphites
serve a variety of function in food preservation which help to
preserve aspects of food such as taste and color.

The main sulphites preservatives are include sodium sulphites,

sodium bi sulphites, sodium metabisuphites, potassium bisulphites,
potassium metabisuphites and sulphur dioxide.

Sulphites are generally applied to the food solution by spraying

and dipping the food material on it.

Sulphites are helping the pink color of the meat and fish.
HEALTH CONSIDERATION OF SULPHITES;-

Sulphites are the chemical preservative so it cause allergy and

other health conditions, the most common symptoms which causes
by sulphites are shortness of breathing, wheezing, coughing,
increase the symptoms of the asthma as well as skin rashes and
nausea.

Chelating agents;-
Chelating agent are those chemical substance that added to foods
material in order to bind metal ions such as iron, cobalt, zinc,
copper which would otherwise exert detrimental effects on the
color, texture, aroma and color of food. the most commonly used
chelating agent is EDTA(ethylenediametetra acetic acid) which
help to prevent color deterioration. EDTA is used in soft fats such
as in mayonnaise, spreadable fats and sauces where it helps keep
these products from going rancid preserving their test and flavor.
EDTA also help to protect foods from bacteria by removing the
metal cofactors that the bacteria enzymes require to grow and is
added to canned foods to eliminate any metal taste from the can.

PREPARED BY…………………………….ZAHIR SHAH

ROLL NO…………………………………..276

SEMESTER…………………………………5TH

TEACHER NAME…………………………MR’SHAHID
SUBJECT NAME………………………….FOOD PROCESSING AND
PRESERVATION

……………………………………THANK…………………………
YOU……………………………..SIR…………………