Download food-microbiology-preservation-by-additives-unit-1

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PRESERVATION BY FOOD ADDITIVES
“A food additive is a substance or mixture of substances, other than the basic food stuff, which is present in
food as a result of any aspect of production, processing, storage or packaging. The term does not include
chance contamination” (WHO, 1965). This definition emphasizes one interpretation of a food additive; i.e., it
is an intentional additive. Those food additives which are specifically added to prevent the deterioration or
decomposition of a food have been referred to as chemical preservatives. These deteriorations may be
caused by microorganisms, by food enzymes, or by purely chemical reactions. The inhibition of the growth
and activity of microorganisms is one of the main purposes of the use of chemical preservatives.
Preservatives may inhibit microorganisms by interfering with their cell membranes, their enzyme activity, or
their genetic mechanisms. Other preservatives may be used as antioxidants to hinder the oxidation of
unsaturated fats, as neutralizers of acidity, as stabilizers to prevent physical changes, as firming agents,
and as coatings or wrappers to keep out microorganisms, prevent loss of water, or hinder undesirable
microbial, enzymatic, and chemical reactions.
In addition to the chemicals intentionally added to foods or put on them or around them to help preserve
them, there are many chemicals that get on or into foods during production, processing, or packaging.
Residues of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides on fruits and vegetables; residues of detergents used in
washing foods; and residues of detergents and sanitizers used on utensils and equipment are likely to carry
over into foods.
A chemical agent may be bactericidal at a certain concentration, only inhibitory at a lower level, and
ineffective at still greater dilutions.
THE IDEAL ANTIMICROBIAL PRESERVATIVE
Chemical preservatives are depended on, either independently or in combination with other forms of
preservation, to maintain a food in its original or fabricated state and to prevent excess losses from
deterioration. Ideally, therefore,
1. A chemical preservative should have a wide range of antimicrobial activity;
2. Should be non toxic to human beings or animals;
3. Should be economical;
4. Should not have an effect on the flavor, taste, or aroma of the original food;
5. Should not be inactivated by the food or any substance in the food;
6. Should not encourage the development of resistant strains; and
7. Should kill rather than inhibit microorganisms.
Most of the preservatives are inhibitory at acceptable concentrations, but only ethylene and propylene
oxides and diethyl pyrocarbonate are lethal to microorganisms at normal concentrations of use. Needless to
say, the ideal chemical preservative has not been found.
ADDED PRESERVATIVES
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Additives Amendment of 1958, defines
a chemical preservative as
any chemical which, when added to food, tends to prevent or retard deterioration thereof; but does not
include common salt, sugars, vinegars, spices, or oils extracted from spices, or substances added
by.. .woodsmoke.
Antimicrobial preservatives added to foods can be grouped as follows:
1 Those added preservatives not defined as such by law: natural organic acids (lactic, malic, citric, etc.) and
their salts, vinegars (acetic is a natural acid), sodium chloride, sugars, spices and their oils, woodsmoke,
carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.
2 Substances generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for addition to foods:
propionic acid and sodium and calcium propionates, caprylic acid, sorbic acid and potassium, sodium, and
calcium sorbates, benzoic acid and benzoates and derivatives of benzoic acid such as methylparaben and
propylparaben, sodium diacetate, sulfur dioxide and suffites, potassium and sodium bisulfite and
metabisulfite, and sodium nitrite.
3 Chemicals considered to be food additives, which would include all not listed in the first two categories.
They can be used only when proved safe for humans or animals, and they then fall into group 4.
4 Chemicals proved safe and approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
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Preservatives added to inhibit or kill microorganisms may be classified on various other bases, such as
their chemical composition, mode of action, specificity, effectiveness, and legality.
Some are employed to treat wrappers or containers for foods, while others are used as gases or vapors
about the food. Some have been incorporated in ice used to chill foods such as fish. Preservatives may be
fairly specific against microorganisms; e.g., they may be effective against molds or yeasts and less so
against bacteria, or vice versa, and may act against definite groups or species of bacteria or other
organisms.
Organic Acids and Their Salts
Lactic, acetic, propionic, and citric acids or their salts may be added to or developed in foods. Citric acid is
used in sirups, drinks, jams, and jellies as a substitute for fruit flavors and for preservation.
Lactic and acetic acids are added to brines of various kinds, green olives, etc.
Propionates Sodium or calcium propionate is used most extensively in the prevention of mold growth and
rope development in baked goods and for mold inhibition in many cheese foods and spreads.
They are effective against molds, with little or no inhibition of most yeast and bacteria. Their effectiveness
decreases with an increase in pH, with an optimal upper limit of about pH 5 to 6, depending on the food
item.
They appear to be ideal preservatives for bread and baked goods.
Propionic acid is a short-chain fatty acid (CH3CH2COOH) and, like some other fatty acids, perhaps affects
the cell-membrane permeability. Propionic acid is found naturally in Swiss cheese, as a developed
preservative, at levels up to 1 percent.
Benzoates The sodium salt of benzoic acid has been used extensively as an antimicrobial agent in foods. It
has been incorporated into jams, jellies, margarine, carbonated beverages, fruit salads, pickles, relishes,
fruit juices, etc.
Sorbates Sorbic acid, as the calcium, sodium, or potassium salt, is used as a direct antimicrobial additive in
foods and as a spray, dip, or coating on packaging materials. It is widely used in cheeses, cheese products,
baked goods, beverages, situps, fruit juices, jellies, jams, fruit cocktails, dried fruits, pickles, and margarine.
Sorbic acid and its salts are known to inhibit yeast and molds but are less
a effective against bacteria. They are most effective at low pH values with a max ima level of use at about
p1-I 6.5. These compounds are more effective than sodium benzoate at pH values above 4.0.
Acetates Derivatives of acetic acid, e.g., monochioroacetic acid, peracetic acid, dehydroacetic acid, and
sodium diacetate, have been recommended as preservatives, but not all are approved by the Food and Drug
Administration.
Dehydroacetic acid has been used to impregnate wrappers for cheese to inhibit the growth of molds and as
a temporary preservative for squash.
Acetic acid in the form of vinegar is used in mayonnaise pickles, catsup, pickled sausages, and pigs’ feet.
Acetic acid is more effective against yeasts and bacteria than against molds, and its effectiveness increases
with a decrease in pH, which would favor the presence of the undissociated acid.
Sodium diacetate has been used in cheese spreads and malt sirups and as treatment for wrappers used on
butter.
Nitrites and Nitrates
Combinations of these various salts have been used in curing solutions and curing mixtures for meats.
Nitrites decompose to nitric acid, which forms nitrosomyoglobin when it reacts with the heme pigments in
meats and thereby forms a stable red color. Nitrates probably only act as a reservoir for nitrite, and their
use is being restricted. Nitrites can react with secondary and tertiary amines to form nitrosamines, which
are known to be carcinogenic.
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Preservative
Concentration allowed
Benzoic acid
0.1%, covered by good manufacturing practices
(GMPs)
Methylparaben
0.1%, covered by GMPs
Propylparaben
0.1%, covered by GMPs
Ethylparaben
Not authorized for use
Sodium nitrate
500 ppm
Sodium nitrite
200ppm
Sorbates
Covered by GMPs
Acetates (acetic
acid)
Covered by GMPs with concentrations from 0.25 to
9.0%
Propylene oxide
300 ppm cocoa, gums, starch, spices, processed
nutmeats (except peanuts)
Ethylene oxide
Residues not to exceed 50 ppm
Sulfites
Covered by GMPs
Natamycin
200 to 300 ppm as a dip, spray, or solution
Sulfur Dioxide and Sulfites
Sulfur dioxide and sulfites are used in the wine industry to sanitize equipment and to reduce the normal
flora of the grape must.
In aqueous solutions, sulfur dioxide and various sulfites, including sodium sulfite, potassium sulfite, sodium
bisulfite, potassium bisuifite, sodium metabisulfite, and potassium metabisulfite, form sulfurous acid, the
active antimicrobial compound.
Sulfur dioxide has also been used in sirups and fruit juices and, of course, wine making. Some countries
permit the use of sulfites on meats and fish.
In addition to the antimicrobial action of sulfites, they are also used to prevent enzymatic and nonenzymatic
changes or discoloration in some foods.
Ethylene and Propylene Oxide
Ethylene oxide kills all microorganisms; propylene oxide, although it kills many microorganisms, is not as
effective. They are thought to act as strong alkylating agents attacking labile hydrogens. The primary uses
have been as sterilants for packaging materials, fumigation of warehouses, and “cold sterilization” of
numerous plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, syringes, and hospital supplies. They have also been used
Sugar and Salt
Theses compounds lower the a and thus have an adverse effect on microorganisms. Sodium chloride is used
in brines and curing solutions or is applied directly to the food. Salt has been reported to have the following
effects: (1) It causes high osmotic pressure and hence plasmolysis of cells, the percentage of salt necessary
to inhibit growth or harm the cell varying with the microorganism, (2) it dehydrates foods by drawing out
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and tying up moisture as it dehydrates microbial cells, (3) it ionizes to yield the chlorine ion, which is
harmful to organisms, (4) it reduces the solubility of oxygen in the moisture, (5) it sensitizes the cell
against carbon dioxide, and (6) it interferes with the action of proteolytic enzymes.
Sugars, such as glucose or sucrose, owe their effectiveness as preservatives to their ability to make water
unavailable to organisms and to their osmotic effect. Examples of foods preserved by high sugar
concentrations are sweetened condensed milk, fruits in sirups, jellies, and candies.
Alcohol
Ethanol, a coagulant and denaturize of cell proteins, is most germicidal in concentrations between 70 and 95
percent. Flavoring extracts, e.g., vanilla and lemon extracts, are preserved by their content of alcohol. The
alcoholic content of beer, ale, and unfortified wine is not great enough to prevent their spoilage by
microorganisms but limits the types able to grow. Liqueurs and distilled
liquors usually contain enough alcohol to ensure freedom from microbial attack. Methanol is poisonous and
should not be added to foods.
Formaldehyde
The addition of formaldehyde to foods is not permitted, except as a minor constituent of woodsmoke, but
this compound is effective against molds, bacteria, and viruses and can be used where its poisonous nature
and irritating properties are not objectionable. Thus it is useful in the treatment of walls, shelves,
successfully in dried fruits, dried eggs, gelatin, cereals, dried yeast, and spices.
Woodsmoke
The smoking of foods usually has two main purposes: adding desired flavors and preserving. Other
desirable effects may result, however, e.g., improvement in the color of the inside of meat and in the finish,
or “gloss,” of the outside and a tenderizing action on meats. The smoking process helps preservation by
impregnating the food near the surface with chemical preservatives from the smoke, by combined action of
the heat and these preservatives during smoking, and by the drying effect, especially at the surface.
Commonly, smoke is obtained from the burning wood, preferably a hardwood such as hickory, but it may be
generated from burning corncobs or other materials. Other woods used are apple, oak, maple, beech, birch,
walnut, and mahogany. Sawdust is added to the fire to give a heavy smudge. Temperature and humidity
are controlled at levels favorable to the product being smoked, and the duration of smoking depends on the
kind of food. Smoking temperatures for meat vary from 43 to 71 C, and the smoking period lasts from a few
hours to several days.
Woodsmoke contains a large number of volatile compounds that may have bacteriostatic and bactericidal
effect. Formaldehyde is considered the most effective of these compounds, with phenols and cresols next in
importance. Other compounds in the smoke are aliphatic acids from formic through caproic; primary and
secondary alcohols, ketones, and acetaldehyde and other aldehydes; waxes; resins; guaiacol and its methyl
and propyl isomers; and catechol, methylcatechol, and pyrogallol and its methyl ester. These compounds
sometimes are grouped under the name pyroligneous acid. As would be expected, woodsmoke is more
effective against vegetative cells than against bacterial spores, and the rate of germicidal action of the
smoke increases with its concentration and the temperature and varies with the kind of wood employed.
The residual effect of the smoke in the food has been reported to be greater against bacteria than against
molds. The concentration of mycostatic materials from woodsmoke necessary to prevent mold growth
increases with a rise in the humidity of the atmosphere of storage.
The application of “liquid smoke,” a solution of chemicals similar to those in woodsmoke, to the outside of
foods has little or no preservative effect a!though it contributes to flavor.
Spices and Other Condiments
Spices and other condiments do not have any marked bacteriostatic effect in the concentrations customarily
used but may help other agents in preventing the growth of organisms in food. Cinnamon and cloves,
containing cinnamic aldehyde and eugenol, respectively, usually are more bacteriostatic than are other
spices.
Thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, savory, rosemary, black pepper, and others have only weak inhibitory power
against most organisms .
Others
Halogens are added to water for washing foods or equipment, for cooling, and for addition to some products,
e.g., washing butter; water for drinking may be chlorinated by the direct addition of chlorine, or
hypochlorites or chioramines may be used.
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Hypochiorites, usually of calciun,..or sodium, yield hypochlorous acid, a powerful oxidizing agent, and are
effective germicidal agents; their effectiveness is reduced by the presence of organic matter in any
considerable amount. The hypochlorites are used in the treatment of water used in food plants for drinking,
processing, and cooling and on plant equipment.
Phosphoric acid is used in some soft drinks, e.g., the colas.
Antibiotics
Most of the better-known antibiotics have been tested on raw foods, chiefly proteinaceous ones like meats,
fish, and poultry, in an endeavor to lengthen the storage time at chilling temperatures. Aureomycin has
been found superior to other antibiotics tested because of its broad spectrum of activity. Terramycin
(oxytetracycline) is almost as good for lengthening the time of preservation of foods.
It has been recommended that antibiotics selected for use in food preservation be other than those being
used in the treatment of human diseases.
DEVELOPED PRESERVATIVES
The preservatives produced in foods by microbial action are for the most part acids (chiefly lactic) and
alcohol. The preservative effect of these substances nearly always is supplemented by one or more
additional preservative agents, such as low temperature, heat, anaerobic conditions, sodium chloride, sugar,
or added acid.
Developed acidity plays a part in the preservation of sauerkraut, pickles, green olives, fermented milk,
cheese, and certain sausages and in various fermented foods of plant origin.
The alcohol content of beer, ale, fermented fruit juices, and distilled liquors has a preservative effect but
was not produced primarily for that purpose.
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