Food Preservatives: Are They Necessary?

Food Preservatives provide the manufacturers a means to prevent spoilage during transport and the wait until you buy.

These additives can be classed as antimicrobial or antioxidant.

The antimicrobial would be used to prevent mold, yeast and bacteria.

The second class, antioxidants, are used to prevent food from becoming rancid, browning or getting black spots.

Irradiation has now entered into food preservation.

Some examples of preservatives are:

Calcium Propionate - used in bread.

Disodium EDTA - you'll find in canned kidney beans.

BHA - is found in shortening.

The FDA has classed these as 'generally regarded as safe' or GRAS for short.

In Canada the Food and Drug Act regulates what is permitted.

A common preservative, sulfites can cause adverse reactions in people. These are put in fruits and vegetables. An example would be dehydrated potatoes.

Preservatives must be listed on the label. So read your labels.

These chemicals are not nutrients. They do not contribute to your health. Moving away from these additives with organic products is sure to benefit your health for the longterm.

Fresh fruits and vegetables provide wholesome nutrients in a ready to go package. And organic is even more so.

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