What are the food preservatives?

There are 25 kinds of preservatives used in China, such as benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate and calcium propionate.

Food preservatives have a continuous inhibitory effect on the growth of microorganisms with corruption as their metabolic substrate.

Importantly, it can inhibit the most perishable under different conditions, especially when the general sterilization effect is insufficient. Mineral oil, coal tar and tannin are used for fiber and wood preservation, and formaldehyde, mercuric chloride, toluene, butyl p-hydroxybenzoate, furacilin derivatives or balsam resin are used for biological specimens. The use of preservatives in food is limited, so many physical methods are used, such as drying and pickling.

Special preservatives include organic acids, such as acetic acid, vegetable oil containing oleic acid, mustard seeds and other special essential oils. For parts of organisms (such as human body surface or digestive tract), various preservatives (such as iodoform, phenyl salicylate, aniline dye or acridine pigment, etc. ) can be used according to the specific situation.