 To preserve the natural characteristics of food.

 To preserve appearance of food.

 To increase shelf life of the food.
 To save the food from spoilage causing microbes.
 Chemicals used in food in relatively small dose to kill
undesirable microorganisms.
 Prevent decomposition of food by preventing growth of
bacteria or fungi.
 Nitrites
 EDTA Parabens Acids
 Sulphur  Diacetyle Chitosan
 dioxide  Lysozyme Monolaurin
 Hydrogen  Wood
 peroxide  smoke
 Epoxides  Antibiotics Spices
 BHA,BHT,
 TBHQ
 Differ greatly in ability to
act against different
microorganism.
 Some are Narrow
spectrum.
 Some are Broad
spectrum.
 Some act against
viruses,bacterialspores,or
fungi.
 Germicide  Fungistatic
 Fungicide  bacteriostatic
 Bactericide
 Sporicide
 viricide
 Used in heat processed meat, poultry & fish
 To control growth & toxin production by c.botulinum.
 Used in some cheeses
 to prevent gas production by c.butyricum &
c.tyrobutyricum.
 Inhibitory to Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia,
Pseudomonas & Enterobacter.
 Mode of action:
 • React with enzymes in vegetative cells &germinating
spores, restriction of bacterial use of iron and
interference with membrane permeability,thereby limiting
transport.
 Side effect :
 Nitrite can lead to formation of carcinogenic
compounds,nitrosamines.So there is trend to reduce
nitrite or to use other preservation.
 Used in soft fruits, fruit juices, lemon juices, beverages,
wines, sausages,
 pickles, and fresh shrimp. Antimicrobial action
 produced by undissociated sulfurous acid that rapidly
enters cell
 and reacts with thiol groups in structural proteins,
enzymes, and cofactors.
 Benzoic acids
 • Used in acidified food
 • inhibit function of enzymes and membrane
 protein ,destroy membrane potential.
 Propionic acid
 • Used in bread,bakery products etc..
 • causes acidification of cytoplasm,
 destabilization of membrane protein
 Sorbic acid
 • Effective against molds and yeasts.
 • Interferes with synthesis of cell
 wall,protien,RNA,DNA.Inhibit spore
 germination.
 It include cinnamic aldehyde in
 cinnamon; eugenol (2-
 methoxy-4-allyl phenol) in
 cloves, and paramene and
 thymol in oregano and thyme.
 Their bacteriostatic and
 fungistatic properties depend on
 the active agent.
 Mode of action:Forms a layer
 over a food product & hence it
 forms a layer between air &
 microbe and restrict them.
 Contain chemicals that
 deposited on food:
 formaldehyde
 Phenols
 Cresols
 Smoking can be
 bactericidal,
 bacteriostatic,
 antifungal.Depending
on
 temperature,time, degree
 of surface drying, &
 concentration.
 Broad spectrum
 Used in alcohlic beverages,jams, pickles, salad
 dressing,mustards etc.
 Mode of action:
 inhibit function of enzymes.
 Interfere with transport of nutrients by binding with
 lipids.
 Interfere with synthesis of proteins,RNA, DNA.
 Destroy membrane potential.
 Broad spectrum.
 Mostly used in dairy products.
 The antibacterial action is probably produced
by
 deactivating some important enzymes. The
 dicarbonyl group (–CO–CO–) reacts with arginine
in
 the enzymes and modifies their catalytic sites
 A number of chemical compounds are being used
in
 food preservation that kill or retard the
 microbes.So,the food spoilage reduces due to the
 presence of these compounds.The concentration
of
 these chemicals varies in different food
 products.These chemicals are approved by
regulatory
 agencies.These chemicals must be harmless.