{"id":9613,"date":"2023-01-29T13:50:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-29T13:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amerexingredientes.com\/?p=9613"},"modified":"2025-05-19T11:06:35","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:06:35","slug":"food-preservatives-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amerexingredientes.com\/en\/food-preservatives-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"THE MOST WIDELY USED FOOD PRESERVATIVES IN THE INDUSTRY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We welcome you one more day in our Blog with a new entry! Did you know that according to the FAO<\/a> about 14% of the world’s food is lost after harvest, and another 17% is wasted during marketing and by consumers, especially in households? One of the main reasons for this waste is microbial spoilage<\/strong>. Foodstuffs suffer from the presence of undesirable microorganisms that cause them to develop alterations that limit their shelf life. How many times have we heard the phrase “it’s gone bad<\/em>” in our homes? In addition to consumers, these negative consequences also affect manufacturers and distributors.<\/p>\n\n

In addition to commercial defects, food spoilage can pose a health hazard<\/strong> to those who consume it. We continually hear how diseases such as listeriosis, salmonellosis or botulism affect the population, in some cases triggering very serious consequences.<\/p>\n\n

There is no doubt that these negative effects of food spoilage are a reason for the industry to develop effective methods and tools to mitigate the appearance and growth of pathogenic or spoilage microorganisms. We always talk about the barrier system<\/strong> as the different strategies for food protection: processes such as thermal treatments or high pressures, good practices, care in packaging or storage, among others, and of course the use of chemical or natural substances with antimicrobial action such as antimicrobial agents. food preservatives<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

How are food preservatives defined?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

According to European Parliament Regulation 1333\/2008<\/strong>, preservatives are: “substances that prolong the shelf life of foods by protecting them from spoilage caused by microorganisms or that protect against the growth of pathogenic microorganisms<\/em>“. This Regulation differentiates this definition from that of antioxidants, which protect against “deterioration caused by oxidation, such as rancidity of fats and color changes<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n

Food preservatives are one of the many types of food additives that exist (in our previous Blog entry<\/a> you can review what they are and their functionalities), and their definition would therefore be limited to those ingredients that are added to foods to ensure their stability during shelf life, protecting them from microbial spoilage by pathogens or other microorganisms.<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

These preservatives can be divided into organic and inorganic<\/strong>, and can also be differentiated by their mode of action. The use of each of them separately or together will depend on the type of food and the need for protection required.<\/p>\n\n

\"Tasty<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Which food preservatives are most commonly used for food protection?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n

Some of the most common preservatives in food are weak organic acids capable of altering the metabolism of microorganisms and are especially effective in the case of acidic foods. For example:<\/p>\n\n