What happens when you eat the preservative?

Preservatives are food additives for the purpose of maintaining the original quality and nutritional value of food. the main function is to inhibit the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, prevent food spoilage, and prolong the preservation time of food. the prescribed preservatives are benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, calcium propionate and so on. Let's take a look at what happens when we eat preservatives.

What happens when you eat the preservative?

Many preservatives, such as phenylpotassium acid and sorbic acid, are acidic substances. Drinking too many acidic substances directly increases the acidity of the body, and it will also lead to excessive consumption and loss of iodine, iron, calcium and other substances in the human body, not to mention any kind of preservative for health. Long-term consumption is harmful. So far, China has only approved 32 kinds of food preservatives that are allowed to be used, all of which are of low toxicity and high safety. As long as the variety, quantity and scope of food preservatives used by food manufacturers are strictly controlled within the scope stipulated in the national standard "hygienic Standard for the use of Food Additives" (GB2760-96), it will definitely not cause harm to human health. People can rest assured to eat. For example, foods seen in the market usually add preservatives such as potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate. After these two most widely used preservatives are ingested by the human body, they are generally excreted with urine and do not accumulate in the body.

What are the hazards of preservatives?

Food preservatives are a "double-edged sword", which may bring some trouble to people's health. most of the preservatives used in food production in China are synthetic, and improper use will have certain side effects. some preservatives even contain trace toxins, long-term excessive intake will cause certain damage to human health. Benzoic acid, a widely used food preservative, for example, has been controversial internationally. For example, because benzoic acid and its sodium salt have been reported to be poisoned, the European Community Child Protection Group believes that it is not suitable for children's food. Japan has also made strict restrictions on its use, even as one of the internationally recognized safety preservatives, sorbic acid and potassium sorbate. Excessive intake can also affect the balance of the body's metabolism.

Points for attention in the use of preservatives

1. Before adding preservatives, we should ensure that the food is sterilized completely and there should not be a large number of organisms, otherwise the addition of preservatives will not have an ideal effect. Such as potassium sorbate, not only will not play the role of anticorrosion, but will become a nutritional source of microbial reproduction.

2. The toxicity and scope of use of all kinds of preservatives should be understood and added according to the safe dosage and scope of use. For example, sodium benzoate, because of its strong toxicity, has been banned in some countries, while China has strictly determined that it can only be used in sauces, jams, pickles, canned foods and some alcoholic drinks.

3. We should understand the effective use environment of all kinds of preservatives. Acidic preservatives can only be used in acidic environment, but not in neutral or alkaline environment, such as potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and so on. Nipagin esters in ester preservatives can also be used between pH4~8, and the effect is good.

4. We should understand the types of microorganisms that can be inhibited by all kinds of preservatives. Some preservatives have an effect on mold and some have an effect on yeast. Only by mastering this characteristic of preservatives, we can prescribe the right medicine to the case. Generally, there are many products that have been compounded to carry out comprehensive preservation and preservation, such as King of Anti-decay and Anti-mildew preservative.

5. According to the difference of all kinds of food processing technology, we should consider the price and solubility of preservatives, as well as the influence on food flavor and other factors, synthesize their advantages and disadvantages, and then add them flexibly.