Preservatives:

As all, we know preservatives is done with the help of Salt and Sugar. The details are given below:

Salt: The water available in the food activate and all living being requires water, without water the bacteria cannot leave or grow this give birth or grow bacteria which cause food Poisoning or spoil the food or the food does not last for long. Salt is very effective as a preservative because it reduces the water activity of foods. Salt removes the unbound water available in the water for microbial growth and chemical reactions. Salt withdraw water and dehydrate.

Mostly, Food like Pickles, Sausages, Ham, and Dry Fish, etc are used as a Preservative.

As per the book record in China, under the rules of the Xia Dynasty in 500 BC salt was first used for salting fish and soya beans. Later stage the soya beans liquid became Soya Sauce.

Sugar: Same way sugar is equally important to preserve the food products by inhibiting microbial activity, through osmosis (diffusion of water or other solvents through a semi-permeable membrane)  but, the process is slightly different, sugar replaces some of the water presents in the food. Sugar, upon entering the cells, helps minimize oxidation, and prevents the fruit’s firm texture, color, and flavor from becoming mushy, and increases the shelf life of products. products like Jam, Jelly, Marmalade, Ketchup, etc are preserved with sugar.

Using Salt and Sugar as a Preservative can preserve for a short period say about a maximum of 6 months depending upon the quantity used. But if you want to preserve it for a longer period then this will not work. For that, you have to use Sodium Benzoate or Sodium Meta bisulfate. Companies who manufactured the products like Jam, Jelly, Marmalade, Fruit Juice, Ketchup, Sausages, Ham, etc have a long process. From manufacturing to packaging, from packaging to end-user and from end-user till consumption need enough months.

Sodium Benzoate (E211):- Sodium benzoate is one of the chemical compounds which are used as a food pickling agent or as a long time sustainable agent suitable for foods, fruit juices, and soft drinks that are naturally, with an E number E211 found on the bottle if not return sodium benzoate. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists when dissolved in water. Now the question is how much amount is been added. It is used on 0.1 gram on 1 Kg or 0.1% on total weight.

Sodium Meta Bisulphate (INS211): It is also called sodium hydrogen sulfate, sulfuric acid, monosodium salts, sodium acid sulfate, sodium hydrosulfate, or sodium hydrogen sulfate and comes in dry acid look like crystal(can be granular or Powder). It is also used at the bottling stage of winemaking. This kills bacteria and adding to that it protects the color, aroma, and flavor of the wine.