Progress In the Application of Food Preservatives in Food

Abstract

Food preservatives are compounds that are either naturally occurring or chemically created and added to food to improve its flavor, color, and fragrance, or to prevent food from deteriorating due to oxidation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and microbes. Chemical synthetic preservatives are the most widely used preservatives in the food sector. Consumers have long been concerned about the safety of chemical preservatives due to the growing understanding of food safety as well as the possible hazards and unrecognized harms of chemical synthetic preservatives to human health. Contrarily, customers are becoming more and more interested in natural preservatives because of their positive antibacterial effects, environmentally friendly nature, and non-toxic qualities. The first part of this article discusses natural food preservatives, including those derived from various animals, plants, and microbes, as well as their uses in food. After that, the use and dose of the chemically produced preservatives were highlighted. Finally, to increase public knowledge of food safety, this article evaluates and summarizes the issues with current food preservatives.