FOOD CHEMISTRY

B Y S H UB H G AR G
FOOD ADDITIVES &
PRESERVATIVES
 àHAT ARE FOOD ADDITIVES?

 A substance added directly to food during

processing, as for preservation, coloring, or
stabilization; something that becomes part of food
or affects it as a result of packaging or processing,
as debris or radiation. (www.dictionary.com)
 including any substance intended for use in
producing, manufacturing, packing, processing,
preparing , treating, packaging, transporting, or
holding food and in including any source of
radiation intended for such use.
 TàO MAJOR GROUPS

 mntentional Additives
0 Chemicals added to food for specific and
intentional purposes

 mncidental Additives
0 Chemicals added unintentionally
 INTENTIONAL ADDITIVES

 Chemicals added intentionally to foods to improve

processing
 To be like preservatives
 To improve food quality ² called intentional (food)
additives
 PURPOSE OF FOOD ADDITIVES

 To improve nutritional value by adding nutrient

additives such as vitamins, minerals
 To improve the quality
 To prevent spoiling of food and maintain taste
 For food to be quickly and easily available
 So that one component doesn·t seperate but
remains homogenized
àHEN SHOULD THEY NOT BE USED

 To cover damage, spoilage, etc

 To deceive the buyer
 To cover up flawed methods of processing
 BANNED ADDITIVES

 Artificial dyes: can cause cancer and

hypersensitivity in children
 Sweetener: Cyclamate can cause bladder cancer
 Flavoring: Safrole can cause liver cancer
 Preservative: Thiourea can cause liver cancer
 INTENTIONAL ADDITIVES

 ºnaturally occurring, well-defined chemical

compounds such as salt, phosphates, acetic acid,
and ascorbic acidµ
 ºsubstances produced by synthesis, which may or
may not occur in nature, such as coal tar dyes,
synthetic B-carotene, antioxidants, preservatives,
and emulsifiersµ
 PRESERVATIVES

 Are important for the production of safe and stable

foods
 Are used to keep a long life of shelf foods
 Preservatives commonly used - sulfites, nitrate, and
salt (ex. Used in processed meats & wine)
 BENZOIC ACIDS

 Barely soluble in water

 Has a pH from 2.5 to 4.0
 used naturally in berries, plums, prunes, and spices
 acid drinks, fruit drinks, cider, carbonated drinks,
pickles
 salad dressings, soy sauce, and jams
 PARABENS
(ESTERS OF ›-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID)

 ºThey are colorless, tasteless, and odorlessµ

 ºnonvolatile and nonhygroscopicµ
 º ethly, ethyl, propyl, butyl, or heptylµ
 Used against molds, yeast, etc.
 Also used in fruitcakes, pastries, and fruit fillings
 ethyl and propyl parabens used in soft drinks
 Also can be used in fish products, flavor extracts,
and salad dressings
 SORBIC ACID

 |xidation rate increases at lower pH levels

 ost effective in things with lower pH levels like
salad dressings, tomato products, carbonated
drinks, etc.
 Used with yeasts, molds
 Used in wines, fruit juices, dried fruit, cottage
cheese, meat, and fish products
 SULFITES

 ºmt is liquid under pressure of 3.4 atm and can be

injected directly in liquidsµ
 Can be used in ice cold solutions
 Can be dissolved to make sulfurous acid
 When dissolved in water the the ions listed below
are formed:
 S|2(gas) å S|2(aq)
 S|2(aq) å H2| H2S|3
 H2S|3 å H+ + HS|3-
 HS|3- å H+ + S|32-
 2HS|3- å S2|52- + H2|
 CONTINUED«

 Sulfur dioxide is highly used in the making of wine

 mn wine, they serve 2 purposes:
 antiseptic or bacteriostatic
 Antioxidant
 Since people take large intakes of wine, the
reduction of S|2 is incorporated in wine making
 S|2 are not used in foods that contain thiamine
because the vitamins get destroyed
 SODIUM CHLORIDE

 ~imits oxygen solubility

 Changes pH
 Used to prevent food spoiling/ rottening
 Used in fish, meats, and vegetables
 ACIDS

 Serve 2 purposes
 Acidulants
 Preservatives
 Phosphoric acid is used in soft drinks to decrease
the pH level (ex. Coca ² Cola)
 Acetic acid is used in mayonnaise and salad
dressings
 |ther acids used:
 Citric acid
 Tartaric acid
 alic acid
 ~actic Acid
 Etc.
PRESERVATIVES USED FOR BREADS

 Fermentation improvers include:

 |xidizing agents such as potassium bromate, potassium
iodate, calcium peroxide
 |ther bread improvers:
 Ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, calcium sulfate
 The bread improvers must be used very little
because if not, the quality of bread decreases
 CITATIONS

 http://www.marginup.com/products/25955/S|Y-
PR|TEm
-F|| -A mTmES.html
 http://www.additives.org.uk/food-additives.html
 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1562400
/ emand-to-ban-bad-food-additives-for-kids.html
 Google Books: Pesticide Regulation Book (pg. 146)
 http://www.2000cal.com/article/food-additives
 http://www.pentech.ac.za/clients/biosci/ odule9.
ppt
THANKS FOR àATCHING
BY SHUBH GARG