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In food
Preservatives are often added to food to prevent their spoilage, or to retain their nutritional value and/or flavor for a longer period.

Preservatives in food can be divided into two main categories:


 * Antimicrobial: Antimicrobial preservatives prevent bacteria from growing. This method is the most traditional and ancient type of preserving—ancient methods such as pickling and adding honey prevent microorganism growth by modifying the pH level. Today, synthetic preservatives are added to induce the same prevention. The most common antimicrobial preservative today is lactic acid. Common antimicrobial preservatives include sorbic acid and its salts, benzoic acid and its salts, calcium propionate, sodium nitrite, sulfites (sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, etc.) and disodium EDTA. Nitrates and nitrites are also antimicrobial.


 * Antioxidants: In products like wine, the oxidation process is favorable. However, in most food products, this is not the case, as the oxidation process spoils most food. Antioxidants additives prevent the oxidation process. The most common antioxidant additive is Vitamin C, in the form of the additives ascorbic acid and citric acid. Antioxidants are most necessary in foods with a high fat content, as fats quickly turn rancid when exposed to oxygen; thus, foods that commonly include antioxidant preservatives are oils, cheese, and chips. Other Antioxidants include BHA, BHT, TBHQ and propyl gallate. Other preservatives include ethanol and methylchloroisothiazolinone.

Preservatives in Meat The most common routes of preserving meats are through salts, sugars or a combination of chemical additives. These chemical additives include nitrates and nitrites, which are used to aid color stabilization and flavor development. These have been linked to the potential formation of nitrosamines, a compound that can be dangerous for human health and has carcinogenic effects at high levels. Sulfites are also common among internationally packaged foods. They are used in foods and beverages to prevent bacterial growth but are also known for giving a bright colored appearance to the substances that contain them. Due to high associations with allergic reactions, especially among children, sulfites are not allowed in American meat products. Other classes of preservatives are sorbates, benzoates and p-hydroxybenzoates. Preservatives are used in both processed meat from unprocessed meat, though there is a big difference between the two. The common non-processed meats are chicken, beef, lamb, pork, hamburger, and turkey. Processed meats can include bacon, hot dogs, sliced lunchmeat, as well as aged salamis and pepperoni. Processed meats contain on average of 400% more sodium and 50% more nitrates. There are several health effects that are a result of a diet that heavily consists of processed meats. For a long time, there was controversy over the health effects of red meat, but recently there has been evidence to show that it is not red meat but the processed meats that can cause heart disease or certain types of cancer. Recently, there has been a movement towards more natural preservatives. Organic acids have been introduced as preservatives in meat (Theron & Lues, 2007, p. 148). It is theorized that they could be an alternative to harsher preservatives that carry some of the health risks. Since they are new they have already ran into problems, such as resistant strains. Food-based fermentae from Lactobacillus acidophilus has also recently been shown to extend the life of pork patties for up to three days.

Public Awareness of Food Preservatives
Public awareness of food preservatives is not at par with other health issues. In a recent South Indian study, knowledge of preservatives was shown to be inadequate. Most interviewed were unaware of the potential health effects that food additives have been associated with, such as obesity, allergies, and asthma. As a result, only 17% of those interviewed were wary of buying products with food preservatives in them. 21% admitted to using food products with additives daily. Americans have a perception that food-borne illnesses happen more often in other counties. This may be true, but the occurrence of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths are still high. It is estimated by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) that each year there are 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths linked to food-borne illness.

FDA standards do not currently require fruit and vegetable product labels to reflect the type of chemical preservative(s) used on the produce.