question_answer

What are food preservatives? Explain some common food preservatives.                                           

Answer:

The chemical substances which are used to check or stop the growth of harmful micro-organisms in food are called food preservatives. These food preservatives keep the edible food materials protected from the invasion of micro-organisms which can spoil the food.

Some common food preservatives are:

(i) Salt: Common salt is used to preserve meat, fish, ambia, raw mangoes, tamarind, etc.

(ii) Sugar: Jams, jellies and squashes are preserved by sugar. Sugar reduces the moisture content which inhibits the growth of bacteria that can spoil food.

(iii) Oil: Edible oils are used as preservatives in vegetables and pickles. Oil does not allow the moisture to surface, thus preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.

(iv) Vinegar: It is used to preserve fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and pickles.