What are preservatives
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What are preservatives
It is common for us to go to the supermarket every day and buy products that we believe are apparently healthier, some people still check the labels on each product to know the amounts of sodium, carbohydrates and others, however, an item not widely commented and evaluated by the consumer are the preservatives that can bring, in a long term consumption, a series of health risks. In order to prevent or inhibit microbial growth and prevent undesirable chemical changes, the preservatives, chemicals, natural or synthetic substances added to a product, are used since prehistoric, food preservation dates from the discovery of fire: cooking and smoking, for example, kept their own meat for consumption longer. The best known natural preservatives are: besides cloves and cinnamon, lemon, vinegar, honey and especially salt.
Mel
O sal foi o primeiro conservante natural dos alimentos, é utilizado desde antes da criação da geladeira. É utilizado até os dias atuais, já que conserva o alimento por bastante tempo.
Salt
It is a preservative - also serves traditional - that helps preserve fish and meat, for example. Through a process called osmosis, salt sucks water from microorganisms, making it impossible for them to survive and develop.
Honey
Honey is a natural product produced by honey bees, made from the nectar of flowers, secretions from other parts of the plant or excretions of insects that suck the plants. Being this, very rich in carbohydrates, besides presenting some therapeutic actions, can be used as a natural preservative. Honey has been used by humans since prehistory.
Lemon
Lemon is one of the natural products most used as a food preservative, it is rich in ascorbic acid and pectin, preventing the rotting and oxidation of some foods, such as vegetables, fresh fruit and jams, causing them to be preserved for longer.
Vinegar
Vinegar is not only used as a seasoning for salads mainly because it also has disinfectant and antiseptic properties and can be used as a preservative thanks to the large amount of skeptic acid, so that it does not present bacteria (that spoil the food)
Artificial preservatives
One of the best-known artificial preservatives is Sulfur Dioxide, also known by the acronym E220. It is a colorless gas, works to prevent the enzymatic degradation of a food, and is used more effectively in acidic and mildly acidic foods. It can also act as an oxidizing agent, used in flours, however, oxidizing natural colors, which makes its use somewhat limited. And it can also be used for the stabilization of vitamins C in products and prevents discoloration of white wine. Sulfur dioxide can cause some health hazards, such as being reduced in the liver and excreted in the urine, which can cause breathing problems in asthmatic patients and in high concentrations, can cause gastrointestinal problems.