Are all food preservatives bad?
Food preservatives always seem to receive such bad press, but do their critics realise just how vital they are and that they have actually been used for centuries? Unless we all have access to farm fresh food and homegrown fruit and vegetables, it is almost impossible to avoid preservatives, as they are needed to maintain the freshness and shelf-life of such food products. Since ancient times, preservatives have been used in the form of salt and sugar to cure meat and fish and conserve fruits. Nowadays, there are many other types of preservatives used but the aim is still the same – to prevent spoilage. We always hear of debates about how safe preservatives are but without preservatives, food safety would actually become a major problem and incidences of food poisoning would increase dramatically. Preservatives are used as either antimicrobials or antioxidants, or both. As antimicrobials, they prevent the growth of moulds, yeasts and bacteria. As antioxidants, they prevent food from be
