1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Every organism needs food to live. Importance of food has increased enormously in case of human. With the rapid growth of the population the demand of food has also increased. Fresh and unprocessed food have very less shelf life. The increasing demand of food also increased the need of extending shelf life of foods. Different natural and chemical substances called food preservatives are being used to increase the shelf life of food which prevents microbial growth and deterioration of food. Besides the usefulness of food preservatives these preservatives also have several negative effects on human health.
Since the past century the production and consumption of processed food has increased tremendously. Almost every processed …show more content…
Many natural preservatives like salt and sugar are often used in preserving canned fruits, processed meats as well as various types of canned or jarred vegetables whereas chemical preservatives like benzoic acid and sorbets are used to prevent the growth of microorganism. Most recent preservatives i.e. artificial preservatives revolutionized the food industry in term of flavor, quality and storage. Food manufacturers use an array of food preservatives to keep food fresh and stable, as well as to extend shelf life and prevent natural …show more content…
These substances may be sprayed on the outside of a food, or added to foods. Most commonly artificial food preservatives are derived from acids and their main preservative function is that they raise the acidity of foods which kills microorganisms. Though, artificial food preservatives known as food additives are also being used to increase shelf life of foods. Artificial preservatives may be organic (derived from a living organism e.g. a plant) such as Benzoates, Propionates and Sorbates or inorganic (derived from non-living things e.g. rocks) such as Sulfites (Sulphites) and
Every organism needs food to live. Importance of food has increased enormously in case of human. With the rapid growth of the population the demand of food has also increased. Fresh and unprocessed food have very less shelf life. The increasing demand of food also increased the need of extending shelf life of foods. Different natural and chemical substances called food preservatives are being used to increase the shelf life of food which prevents microbial growth and deterioration of food. Besides the usefulness of food preservatives these preservatives also have several negative effects on human health.
Since the past century the production and consumption of processed food has increased tremendously. Almost every processed …show more content…
Many natural preservatives like salt and sugar are often used in preserving canned fruits, processed meats as well as various types of canned or jarred vegetables whereas chemical preservatives like benzoic acid and sorbets are used to prevent the growth of microorganism. Most recent preservatives i.e. artificial preservatives revolutionized the food industry in term of flavor, quality and storage. Food manufacturers use an array of food preservatives to keep food fresh and stable, as well as to extend shelf life and prevent natural …show more content…
These substances may be sprayed on the outside of a food, or added to foods. Most commonly artificial food preservatives are derived from acids and their main preservative function is that they raise the acidity of foods which kills microorganisms. Though, artificial food preservatives known as food additives are also being used to increase shelf life of foods. Artificial preservatives may be organic (derived from a living organism e.g. a plant) such as Benzoates, Propionates and Sorbates or inorganic (derived from non-living things e.g. rocks) such as Sulfites (Sulphites) and