Preservatives are widely used in the food industry because they can effectively prevent the spoilage of foods caused by microorganisms and prolong the shelf life of foods. With the advancement of science and technology, people pay more and more attention to the toxicity and residue of chemical preservatives. However, many preservatives have relatively narrow bacteriostatic range. Some have inhibitory effects on fungi and are ineffective against bacteria; some have inhibitory effects on only a few microorganisms. Therefore, most food manufacturers add a variety of preservatives to achieve anti-corrosion purposes. A broad-spectrum preservative that is both bactericidal and bacteriostatic has advantages over a single preservative.
Strong antibacterial performance and high safety
Compared with ordinary single preservatives, a broad-spectrum preservative has a general antibacterial and bactericidal effect, and the antibacterial property is stronger, and the antibacterial effect is more obvious. For example, parabens, also known as parabens, have stronger antibacterial properties than benzoic acid and sorbic acid due to their phenolic hydroxyl structure. Its mechanism of action is: destroying the cell membrane of the microorganism, denaturation of the protein in the cell, and inhibiting the activity of the respiratory enzyme system and the electron transport enzyme system of the microbial cell. The antibacterial activity of parabens mainly acts in a molecular state, and the hydroxyl groups in the molecules have been esterified and no longer ionized, so it has a good antibacterial effect in the range of pH 3-8. Both benzoic acid and sorbic acid are acidic preservatives, and their bacteriostatic effect is poor in products with a pH > 5.5.
Wide range of applications
Monocaprylin. It is widely used in functional foods and health care products such as bean filling, cakes, moon cakes, bread, etc., to improve the quality of rice noodles. 4. It is used for antisepsis preservation of meat sausage products, dairy products and fruit and vegetable products, which can significantly extend the shelf life of food. Usage and usage: Functional foods and health care products such as bean stuffing, cakes, moon cakes, etc.: 0.5-2.0g/kg. It is used for preservation of meat sausage products: the dosage is 0.5-1g/kg.
Low dosage and low cost
Single-effect preservatives are difficult to obtain the best anti-corrosion effect, so a variety of preservatives are added to some foods, so the safety of the food itself is reduced, and a broad-spectrum preservative can be added only one or two, and Because it has the advantage of stronger bacteriostatic effect, it can achieve better antiseptic effect with less added amount. Also taking parabens as an example, the LD50 is 5000 mg/kg, the ADI is 0-10 mg/kg, and the LD50 of benzoic acid is 2530 mg/kg, the ADI is 0-5 mg/kg, and the LD50 of sorbic acid is 7630 mg/kg. , ADI is 0 ~ 25mg / kg, because the amount of parabens added is only 1/10 ~ 1/5 of sorbic acid, benzoic acid, so its relative safety is much higher than sorbic acid. For food companies, reducing costs as much as possible is a means of making more profit. Less use of food additives is not only a measure to ensure food safety and hygiene, but also an advantageous measure for companies to reduce costs.
Eliminate excessive food preservatives
China's limit standards for preservatives are stricter than international standards. Such as sodium benzoate. Internationally, the ADI value is 0-5. The life-threatening harmless dose of an adult equivalent to 60kg body weight is 300rag every day. China's regulations on the use of preservatives in beverages are: according to an adult drinking one liter of drink a day. The sodium benzoate was taken as 200mg, which is also lower than the internationally prescribed ADI value. The use of a broad spectrum of food preservatives can effectively reduce the presence of multiple preservatives and prevent preservatives from exceeding the standard.
Specialization, convenience, and product quality improvement
Specialization of food preservative products, simplification of application technology, and convenience of production and use. In addition, a broad-spectrum preservative can improve product quality and food anti-corrosion technology is in line with international standards. It solves the problem that the use of other preservatives will encounter the bacteriostatic effect and the amount of preservative added is difficult to reach the standard at the same time. Improve product quality in the minds of consumers while reducing product costs.
Wide application field
Preservatives are used not only in the food industry, but also in the pharmaceutical industry, chemical industry, cosmetics industry, tobacco industry, leather industry, daily necessities industry, feed industry, etc. A broad spectrum of preservatives also have the above advantages for these industries.
The variety, dosage and new product development of food additives are worthy of attention. The new preservative varieties tend to be broad-spectrum anti-corrosion, and the advantages of broad-spectrum preservatives are many. It is a major trend in the development and use of preservatives in the future.