We hear all the time to avoid nasty preservatives but are there any good preservatives out there?
With the popularity of fermented foods such as sauerkrauts it’s interesting to look at the preservation of food in general. With our industrial revolution fridges & freezers we should have no need to be concerned about the lifespan of our food anymore.
However, with western commercialisation, food is expected to have a longer shelf life so a new range of synthetic & toxic preservatives have been created.
A preservative is classed as a substance or chemical which is added to foods (or drinks, cosmetics & pharmaceutical drugs) to prevent decomposition or degradation.
We need preservation to reduce the risk of foodborne infections via microbial growth or chemical changes in the food (think oxidation – when your apple turns brown). Preservation also preserves the nutritional content of fresh foods.
There are several types of preserving. Chemical preservation is adding chemical compounds to food; Physical preservation means refrigeration, freezing, drying, dehydration or freeze-drying; Smoking foods from burning or smoldering materials such as wood create antioxidant phenols (although current research is showing that smoking may contaminate food with carcinogenics).
Pickling is known as antimicrobial preservation, which is the most traditional & ancient way of preserving foods. When making sauerkraut, lactic acid is produced which is a naturally occurring preservative.
Some common natural preservatives are citric acid & ascorbic acid (otherwise known as Vitamin C) which are classed as nonsynthetic compounds which target the enzymes in fruit & veg to prevent degradation.
Fat content in food can turn rancid quickly so naturally occurring acids such as citric (from citrus) acid, tartaric acid (from grapes) & lecithin (generally sourced from soy or sunflower seeds) can be used as preservatives.
Tocopherol which is Vitamin E is commonly used in skincare products to extend shelf life.
3 WAYS TO AVOID THE WORST PRESERVATIVES
1. Buy fresh foods where possible – fruit, vegetables, meats. Organic is best!
2. Look for foods with natural preservatives:
ascorbic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, sunflower lecithin, hops, salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol, castor oil & diatomaceous earth.
3. Avoid the following preservatives:
E221/Sodium sulphite – used to prolong shelf life, mainly used for dried fruits to change the colour
MSG/E621 – Monosodium glutamate flavours food that has been cheaply manufactured
BHA/BHT/E320 – found in cereals, breads, vegetable oils. Prevents food from changing colour and flavour when it starts to turn rancid
E220/sulfur dioxide – found in beer, soft drinks, dried fruit, juices, cordials to prolong shelf life
Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite – found in meats and deli foods such as bacon to prolong shelf life.
4. Enjoy cooking food from scratch!
In our fast paced lives we have given up the joy of spending time in the kitchen preparing delicious fresh food. If YOU prepare it, YOU know what’s in it! Happy cooking!
