Food Additives Have Always Been Part of People’s Cuisine

So, when did people start using additives to preserve their food?  We don’t even know – the history of additives goes back to the beginnings of recorded history.  As far back as 3,000 BCE – the early bronze age – we know that there were trade caravans crisscrossing Asia and the Middle East, delivering spices and preservatives.

At the time, spices were one of the most common ways of preserving food.  Indian curries, for example, were developed as a method of food preservation.  While the people at that time did not know about disease, the extra-spicy sauces they developed turned out to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms.  By accident, they discovered preservatives.

Another common preservation method available – possibly the first-ever method – was smoking.  Smoked meat may be as old as fire.

Plus, of course, we can’t forget salt.  Salt was and still is the most popular food additive and preservative.  In ancient times, though, it wasn’t as common or easily obtained as it is today.  Salt could be exceedingly valuable.  In many cultures, such as Imperial Rome, salt was even used as payment!  The word “salary” actually comes in part from the Latin word “Sal,” for salt, because it was so often used in wages.

Also, the phrase “worth their salt” comes directly from this time that salt was valuable.

Over the years, different cultures continued to experiment with food preservation, and a huge variety of new methods were developed such as pickling with brine, vinegar, or alcohol.  People developed and utilized new types of food additives as fast as they could be invented!

Today, we live in a golden age of food preservation.  There are more types of safe and tasty food additives available than ever before, and millions can eat every day thanks to those additives.

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These are just a few ways that food additives make foods, beverages, and even pharmaceutical products fundamentally better. 

Four Ways Food Additives and Preservatives Improve Food Products

1. Shelf stability

Without food preservatives, the food on people’s shelves would be going bad much more quickly.  Bread would mold within a couple of days, rather than a couple of weeks.  Canned foods would dissolve into mush within a few months.  Items in the fridge would all expire far more quickly.

In turn, that would lead to even more food waste – and we waste too much food already.  Preservatives help people avoid that waste.

2. Disease prevention

For most of human history, food-borne illnesses such as botulism have been a consistent threat to survival – until modern times.  Food additives are extremely effective at preventing the spread of bacteria and molds which can hurt or even kill people.  They further protect shelf-stable goods, as well as protecting fresh items such as produce.

3. Global shipping

Combine items 1 & 2, and you get one of the true food revolutions of the modern era: global food shipments.  Today, consumers can enjoy foods from every corner of the world, delivered to their local grocery store.  From Philadelphia to Phnom Penh (and back again), food additives and preservatives allows people to enjoy a vastly greater variety of foods than ever before.

4. Improved taste

Salt, of course, is the king of food additives – a flavor enhancer and preservative, in one.  However, it’s far from the only one.  Citric acid is added to a huge variety of foods to give them a little extra kick.  Calcium chloride can work as a low-sodium salt alternative, with a very similar flavor.  Sodium benzoate is excellent at enhancing the flavor of condiments like ketchup and soy sauce.

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In the 1800s, methods were developed to produce and isolate citric acid directly, leading to its quick adoption in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries around the world.  Today, more than a million tons of citric acid are used every year.

This has led to it having a huge variety of uses, including a few that might surprise you.

Five Common Uses of Citric Acid Today

• Food preservation

The most common use of citric acid is for food preservation, particularly canned foods. Whenever botulism is a concern, the addition of citric acid helps neutralize it.  This also extends to jams, jellies, and even bouillon cubes.

• Flavoring

Citric acid is also a highly popular flavoring agent, adding sour notes to a food product while also raising its pH levels.  Almost any packaged food with a sour flavor profile probably has some citric acid in it.  The “raw” powder can even be added directly to products, such as the dust coating most sour candies.

• Cheese production

One of the oldest applications of citric acid is in the creation of cheese.  Adding citric fruit juice to a pot of near-boiling milk will cause curd separation, leading to non-aged cheeses such as Italian ricotta and Indian paneer.  It’s also utilized in commercial-grade cheese production in a similar capacity.

• Softening meat

Both commercial kitchens and home kitchens often use citric acid as a way to tenderize meat, breaking down the tougher bits of gristle.  It also can aid in marinating, by breaking down the very outside of the meat’s surface.

• Wine souring

Cheap wines often add some citric acid specifically to raise the pH and create a sourer flavor, to prevent them from merely tasting like alcoholic grape juice.  However, this is rarely, if ever, done among serious winemakers.

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However, the number of ways it can be applied in products and indirect application can be quite surprising!

Uses for Calcium Chloride in Everyday Life

1. Food enhancement

Calcium chloride is often found as a firming agent in foods, due to its ability to absorb moisture.  It helps hold canned vegetables together, and to convert soy curd into solid blocks of tofu.  Further, it can depress freezing levels in liquids and semi-solids, making it useful in the creation of cold foods such as ice cream.

In addition, it can also be found as a flavor additive.  It has an extremely salty flavor and can, therefore, be used as an alternative to standard salt, such as in “low sodium” products.  It even functions as an electrolyte in many sports beverages.

2. Water hardening

Calcium chloride is an extremely common additive to soft water, particularly in swimming pools and other situations where water is being held in concrete.  The calcium leeches into the concrete, preventing erosion.

3. Medicine 

Calcium chloride also has many applications in the medical industry.  In medications, it can function as a buffering agent, as well as an anti-moisture agent.  It has direct medicinal qualities as well.  It is utilized in lowering blood pressure, as well as treating acid burns. Injections may also be used to enhance the resolution of an electrocardiogram.

4. Road work

Calcium chloride is frequently utilized as a de-icing agent and is very often what’s actually in municipal “salt trucks” de-icing roads in the winter.  However, it was probably also utilized in the creation of the road itself!  Calcium chloride is often utilized in concrete mixing, because it simultaneously speeds up setting of the concrete, while also reducing the effects of moisture on the mix.

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In this article, we will briefly discuss what sodium benzoate is, how it’s used, and any health concerns that might need to be addressed.

What Is Sodium Benzoate?

Sodium benzoate is a sodium salt, produced by combining benzoic acid and sodium hydroxide (lye).  While sodium benzoate is technically an artificial product, its two ingredients are both found in nature.  Nor is there anything particularly unnatural about its means of creation: combining an acid with a base creates a stable solid.

Sodium benzoate has a slightly salty and slightly bitter/acidic flavor on its own.  However, it is extremely useful as a preservative in a wide variety of products.

How Is Sodium Benzoate Used?

Sodium benzoate is naturally bacteriostatic and fungistatic, making it an excellent all-around preservative in many food products, as well as pharmaceutical products, as well as cosmetics such as shampoo.  It is also occasionally used directly in pharmaceutical applications, including treating urea cycle disorders.

Due to the salty/acidic taste, it is best suited for products which are either not intended to be tasted, or already have some of those flavor elements.  It is particularly popular in sodas and fruit drinks, as well as pickles, jams, and various condiments like ketchup and soy sauce.

Are There Health Risks to Sodium Benzoate?

On its own, sodium benzoate is entirely safe to use in quantities specified by the FDA and similar food-governing bodies around the world.

However, it has gotten some bad reputation because of a potential chemical interaction: if combined with ascorbic acid, it can convert into benzene, a known carcinogen.  This has, on occasion, caused products – particularly sodas – to test as unacceptably carcinogenic under lab analysis.

This does not mean that sodium benzoate itself is unsafe, merely that care must be used in its utilization to keep it away from sources of ascorbic acid.

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This exploded with the birth of industrial chemistry in the 20th Century, leading to a huge range of new food additives and preservatives being discovered.  Today, people around the globe rely on these preservatives when seeking safe food to eat.   However, it is still useful to understand what these preservatives are, and the various methods by which they work.

The Major Types of Food Additives and Preservatives 

Fundamentally, there are two basic types of food preservation: physical and chemical.  Physical methods involve processes such as freezing or drying, often making significant changes to the food itself.  Chemical methods are designed to preserve the food in its original state, as best as possible.

Chemical preservatives come in several different types:

1. Anti-microbial preservatives

 The most direct way to preserve food is to simply prevent it from spoiling.  Anti-microbial agents prevent the growth of mold, bacteria, and other microbial life which would render the food unsafe to eat.  These include benzoates, sorbates, propionates, and nitrates.

All of these are either acids, or salts derived from those acids.  Acidic environments resist bacterial growth but can easily affect the flavor of the foods being preserved.

1. Antioxidants 

Another common method for preserving food is to prevent oxidation – the process of decay accelerated by exposure to oxygen in the atmosphere.  Antioxidants are the most varied of the “families” of food additives and preservatives.  These include vitamins (E and C), sulfites, and butylated hydroxyanisole.

Antioxidants are particularly effective at suppressing unwanted odors that can be caused by decay but cannot prevent bacterial growth.

III. Chelating agents

These are a sub-set of antioxidants that act via different means.  Rather than directly inhibiting oxidation, chelating agents bind metal ions within foods to prevent decay.  The most widely used chelating agent is citric acid, which is also the most common preservative in the world.  This also includes most polyphosphates, which are effective anti-browning agents for fruits and vegetables.

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In this article, we’ll cover what sodium benzoate is, where it comes from, its uses, and any potential health issues that might arise from overuse.

1. The Basics of Sodium Benzoate 

Sodium benzoate is an odorless white power, created by combining benzoic acid with sodium hydroxide (lye).  Sodium benzoate is not naturally occurring and must be created in a lab, although its primary ingredient – benzoic acid – is natural.  This acid can be found in many commonplace plants, such as tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon, apples, and cranberries.  It is also produced as a byproduct of some fermenting processes, such as the creation of yogurt.

Benzoic acid is already a good preservative on its own.  The addition of sodium hydroxide makes it more readily soluble, and therefore easier to use in a wider variety of products.

1. Uses of Sodium Benzoate 

Sodium benzoate was among the first artificial preservatives approved by the FDA and is therefore used widely throughout the food and beverage industry.  It actively inhibits the growth of molds and bacteria, allowing for significantly extended shelf lives for treated products.

Being based in an acid, the preservative does have a noticeable sharp flavor.  Therefore, it is most commonly used in products which are themselves acidic or salty, such as sodas, citric juices, pickles, salad dressing, and soy sauce.

Sodium benzoate also sees significant use in the health and beauty industries.  It is commonly used as a preservative for liquid medications, such as cough syrup, and is also utilized in a wide variety of cosmetics.

III. Potential Health Issues from Sodium Benzoate

While sodium benzoate itself is harmless, in certain circumstances it can convert into benzene, which is known to be a carcinogen.  This is most likely to happen when in the presence of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).  However, the process is inhibited when sugars are present, so the biggest danger is from diet sodas and fruit juices.  The industry generally avoids using sodium benzoate in diet/sugar-free drinks for this reason.

Otherwise, sodium benzoate is considered entirely safe when used in proper quantities.

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These are the most common preservatives in use today.

The 5 Most Common Food Additives and Preservatives

1. Salt

No surprise here.  Salt has been humanity’s go-to preservative throughout the ages.  Even with numerous advancements in chemical and food science over the years, plain NaCl table salt is still the most commonly used preservative in the world.

2. Propionic Acid

Propionic acid, as well as its salts, are the second most common type of preservative.  It’s a highly effective mold inhibitor, although it is not anti-bacterial. It’s used extensively in commercial baking and is found in effectively all pre-sliced sandwich breads.  It’s also commonly used in cheese-making for cheeses which lack a mold rind.

3. Sodium Acid

Sodium acid is among the more expensive preservative options but is still widely used due to its low toxicity and high effectiveness.  It is used across numerous types of food to prevent bacteria and fungi, particularly dairy foods, as well as margarine.  Few other preservatives are as effective as antibiotics and antifungals without potentially causing problems for human health.

4. Benzoic acid

Benzoic acid and its salt form Sodium benzoate are commonly used as bacteriostatic and fungistatic preservatives.  It is most effective in acidic environments, so it is commonly found in pickles, sodas, and similar foods.  This is fortunate because benzoic acid has a strong acidic flavor of its own, so it blends well with those types of foods.

Unfortunately, benzoic acid can break down into benzene, a known carcinogen.  Current guidelines on usage prevent harmful doses from entering foods, but some avoid its use on general principle.

5. Sodium Diacetate 

Sodium diacetate is derived from acetic acid, an acid naturally occurring in many fruits.  It can be extremely effective in preventing fungi and bacteria in a wide variety of products and is a preservative which is effective on meats and meat-derived sauces.  It also sees use in preserving starchy foods like potatoes and corn.

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Broadly speaking, it brings two main benefits: food strengthening and salty flavor.  These have numerous practical applications in the food and beverage industry!

Five Products Which Are Improved Through the Addition of Calcium Chloride

1. Bread 

One of the most common uses of calcium chloride is an additive to bread dough.  It has the effect of strengthening the dough, as well as encouraging it to rise.  This is effective for prepackaged dough, as well as bread sold in stores.

2. Cheese

Calcium chloride is often used as an additive in the cheesemaking process, particularly when the cheese-maker is using pasteurized milk.  The pasteurization process breaks down the calcium naturally in milk, along with its other beneficial effects, which inhibits curd formation.  Calcium chloride can restore this lost calcium.

3. Pickles (and other salty preserved foods)

Calcium chloride has a very notable salty taste, which does limit its use in mild foods.  However, it is an excellent preservative for pickles and similar products which are already salty.  Better yet, it adds salt flavor without adding sodium – making it a good alternative for creating heart-healthy foods.

4. Sports drinks

Calcium chloride also functions as an electrolyte and is therefore very commonly added to sports drinks and other “isotonic” drinks.  It is usually responsible for the salty flavor attributed to such drinks.

5. Canned foods

In general, calcium chloride works as a strengthening agent and is effective at preventing foods from breaking down over time.  It is widely found in canned fruits and vegetables, helping them preserve their original texture.  It may also be sprayed onto sliced apples, and similar fruit, to inhibit their breakdown.

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Sodium benzoate is not naturally occurring, although the key component benzoic acid is found in a wide variety of plants including cloves, tomatoes, and cranberries.  Benzoic acid can be used as a preservative on its own, but the addition of sodium hydroxide allows it to more easily dissolve into foods and liquids.

Common Uses of Sodium Benzoate in Food Product

Sodium benzoate is classified as Generally Recognized as Safe, and FDA regulations allow up to a .1% concentration by weight when used in foods.

Sodium benzoate acts as a bacteriostatic and fungistatic preservative.  That is, it does not kill bacteria or fungus already present, but it does inhibit their growth and reproduction.  For products which are pasteurized or otherwise sterilized, this is generally sufficient to prevent contamination.

It is most effective, and therefore most commonly used, within acidic environments.  Sodium benzoate is most often found in products such as soy sauce, sodas, pickles, salad dressing, and many other types of food or drink which are already acidic or “tangy.”  This also helps cover up the similarly acidic taste of the sodium benzoate.

Sodium benzoate is also often used as a preservative in liquid medicines, such as cough syrup.  It may also be found in non-consumable cosmetic items such as toothpaste, mouthwash, and many types of hair care product.

The Health Implications of Sodium Benzoate 

In the medical field, sodium benzoate is used to treat elevated levels of ammonia in the blood, as it breaks down ammonia quickly.  There is also ongoing research into its use in treating a variety of mental disorders, such as panic attacks, although research thus far has not been conclusive.

There is mild concern that sodium benzoate may be linked to cancer, as it can break down into benzene – a known carcinogen.  However, the amount of benzene likely to be found in any product containing sodium benzoate is small, and the FDA has found such trace amounts are not directly harmful to human health.

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