Parmeshwari Devi Dhanuka Saraswati

VidhyaMandir(Residential)
Gaushala Nagar Vrindaban
(Affiliated to C.B.S.E.)

Session :- 2012-13
Topic :
Study of effect of Potassium bisulphite
as a food preservative

Submitted To:

Submitted By:

Mr. G.K. Lawaniya

Ravindra Pratap Singh

H.O.D. Chemistry

12th Science
Roll no. =

Certificate
This is to certify that Ravindra Pratap Singh s/o
Mr. Amar Singh is a bonafide student of class
XIIth Science during session 2012-2013. He has
completed his project on

Study of effect of

Potassium bisulphite as a food preservative

successfully under my guidance and supervision.

Mr. Shishupal Singh

(Head of the institution)

G.K. Lawaniya
(H.O.D. Chemistry)

Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement is the most beautiful page in any
projects final pages. More than a formality, this appears to me
the best opportunity to express my gratitude.
My project can never begin without you, dear GOD. Rather
than saying thank you to you, you know that I feel like saying I
love you, to you, always.
I must say thanks to my parents who provide me sufficient
money and help in making of this project.
Mr. G.K. Lawaniya, you are real foundation of the project
done by me. My project would never have been possible without
your guidance. Thank you very much.
Special thanks to my principal who gave support to me and
library which provides me helpful books related to this project.
Next on my thanks lists are my friends, teachers, students
who really showered constructive feedbacks and suggestions
without which this project would not have been in present form.

Ravindra Pratap Singh

INDEX

S. No.

Contents

Page no.

1.

Objective

2.

Introduction

Apparatus

Materials and Chemicals

Theory & Procedure

Effect of concentration of sugar

Effect of concentration of KHSO3

Effect of Temperature

Effect of Time

10

Objective:
The objective of this project is to Study of effect
of Potassium bisulphite as a food preservative under
various conditions

Concentration

Conditions

Time

Temperature

Introduction
Growth of microorganisms in a food material
can be inhibited by adding certain chemical
substances. However the chemical substances
should not be harmful to the human beings. Such
chemical substances which are added to food
materials to prevent their spoilage are known
as chemical preservatives. In our country, two
chemical preservatives which are permitted for
use are:
1. Benzoic acid(or sodium benzoate)
2. Sulphur dioxide(or potassium bisulphite)
Benzoic acid or its sodium salt, sodium
benzoate is commonly used for the preservation
of food materials. For the preservation of fruits,
fruit juices, squashes and jams sodium benzoate
is used as preservative because it is soluble in
water and hence easily mixes with the food
product.

Potassium bisulphite is used for the preservation of

colourless food materials such as fruit juices,
squashes, apples and raw mango chutney. This is not
used for preserving coloured food materials because
Sulphur dioxide produced from this chemical is a
bleaching powder. Potassium bisulphite on reaction with
acid of the juice liberates Sulphur dioxide which is
very effective in killing the harmful micro-organisms
present in food and thus prevents it from getting
spoiled.

HSO3(aq) + H+ (aq)

H2O(l) + SO2(g)

The advantage of this method is that no harmful

chemical is left in the food.
The aim of this project is to study the effect of
potassium bisulphite as food preservative.
i. At different temperatures.
ii. At different concentrations and
iii. For different intervals of time.

Apparatus

Requirements

Materials and Chemicals

Requirements

Theory
Food materials undergo natural changes due to
temperature, time and enzymatic action and become
unfit for consumption. These changes may be checked
by adding small amounts of potassium bisulphite. The
effectiveness of KHSO3 as preservative depends upon
its concentration under different conditions which may
be determined experimentally.

Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Take fresh fruits, wash them thoroughly with

water and peel off their outer cover.
Grind it to a paste in the mortar with a pestle.
Mix with sugar and colouring matter.
The material so obtained is fruit jam. It may be
used to study the effect of concentration of
sugar and KHSO3, temperature and time.

(A) Effect of concentration of Sugar: 1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Take three wide mouthed reagent bottles labeled as I

II III.
Put 100 gms of fruit jam in each bottle.
Add 5.0 gms, 10.0 gms and 15.0 gms of sugar to bottle
No. I, II and III respectively.
Add 0.5 gm of KHSO3 to each bottle.
Mix contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.
Close the bottle and allow them to stand for one week
or 10 days at room temperature.
Observe the changes taking place in Jam every day.

RECORD:

Bottle
No.
I

II

Wt. of
jam taken
added
100 gms

100 gms

Wt. of
sugar
5.00 gms

10.00 gms

Wt. of
KHSO3
0.5gm

0.5 gm

Observations (Days)
1

NO

NO

NO

Few

Change

Change

Change

Change

Few
More
Change

NO

NO

Few

Some

Few

Change

Change

Change

Change

more
Change

III

100 gms

15.00 gms

0.5 gm

NO

Change

Few

Change

Few

Change

Result: The increase in concentration of sugar

causes fast decaying

Some
Change

More

Change

(B) Effect of concentration of KHSO3 :

1.

Take bottles labeled as I, II, III.

2.

Put 100 gm of Jam in each bottle.

3.

Add 5.0 gm of sugar to each bottle.

4.

Add 1.0 gm, 2.0 gm and 3.0 gm of KHSO3 to bottle No.

I, II and III respectively.

5.

Mix the contents thoroughly with a glass rod.

6.

Keep all the bottles at room temperature for about 10

days and observe the changes everyday.

RECORD:

Bottle
No.

Wt. of
jam taken
added

Wt. of
sugar

Wt. of
KHSO3

Observations (Days)
1

100 gms

5.00 gms

1.0gm

no

no

no

few

some

II

100 gms

5.00 gms

1.0 gm

no

no

no

no

few

III

100 gms

5.00 gms

1.0 gm

no

no

no

no

no

Result: The increase in concentration of KHSO3

increase more time of preservation

(C) Effect of temperature:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Take 100 gm of Jam in three bottles lebelled as I, II

and III.
Add 10.0 gm of sugar and 1.0 gm of KHSO3 to each
bottle.
Mix the contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.
Keep bottle No. I in the refrigerator at 0C, bottle
No. II at room temperature (25C) and bottle No. III
in a thermostat at 50C. Observe the changes taking
place in the jam for 10 days.

RECORD:
Bottle
No.

Wt. of
jam taken
added

Wt. of
sugar

Wt. of
KHSO3

Observations (Days)
1

100 gms

5.00 gms

2.0gm

no

no

no

no

no

II

100 gms

10.00 gms

2.0 gm

no

no

no

no

Few

III

100 gms

15.00 gms

2.0 gm

no

no

Few

Some

Some
more

Ferme
-nted

Ferme
-nted

Ferme
-nted

Ferme
-nted

Result: The increase in Temperature causes

fast fermentation of jam

(D) Effect of time:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Take three bottles and label them as I, II and III.

To each bottle add 25 g of Jam and 1 g of potassium
bisulphite.
Keep bottle I for 7 days, bottle II for 14 days and
bottle III for 21 days at room temperature.
Note the changes taking place in each bottle and
record the observations.

RECORD:
Observations(Days)
14
21
******
******

Bottle No.
I

7
No

II

No

Taste
changes

******

III

No

No

Unpleasant smell
developes

Result: With increase of days, the quality of the

jam deteriorates.

10