Food Division Chemistry

Preservatives in Food Testing

Food preservatives have been around for many centuries in such forms as  pickled onions, salted meat and fish, sweetened fruit and spiced foods.

As the demand for food increased more people rely on processed items the use of  food preservatives has increased as they help maintain the freshness and shelf life of such food products because without them, they would spoil quickly due to exposure to air, moisture, bacteria, or mould. Either natural or synthetic substances may be added to avoid or delay these problems.

Commonly used preservatives in food include;

• Sorbic Acid
• Benzoic Acid/Parabens
• Sulphur Dioxide + Other Sulphite Preservatives
• Potassium Nitrate
• Sodium Nitrate
• Proprionic Acid
• Phenolic Antioxidants

Contact ILS - for more information and prices on preservative in food testing and analysis

Sweeteners in Food Testing

The desire for sweet taste is genetic and the use of honey as a sweetener dates back to 2000 BC but it is sugar which has been the sweetener of choice for centuries.
Sugar is a most important flavouring substance. It gives the sensation of sweetness and provides a source of energy. However, excessive sugar intake is linked with a number of health problems including tooth decay, obesity and diabetes
 

Because of the possiblity of  health problems alternatives to sugar have been developed which provide the sweetness without the energy content. Saccharin was discovered in 1878 but it was not until the 1950's, when consumers became interested in low calorie foods, that sweeteners came into significant use.
Alternative sweeteners can be divided into two main categories:

• Artificial or intense sweeteners.Many times sweeter than sugar and are therefore typically used at very low levels to replace the sweetness normally provided by sugar
• Bulk sweeteners. Provide both bulk and sweetness. Depending on the individual sweetener, they are 35% to 100% as sweet as sugar and so have similar bulk to sugar
   

However sweeteners cannot provide all the benefits of sugar in terms of texture, humectant,preservative and mouthfeel.

Common artifcial sweetners used are as follows:

• Acesulfame-K (E950)
• Aspartame (E951)
• Saccharin (E954)
• Sorbitol (E420)
• Mannitol (E421)
• Cyclamic Acid (E952)
• Isomalt (E953)
• Taumatin (E957)
• Neohesperidine DC (E959)
• Maltitol (E965)
• Lactitol (E966)
• Xylitol (E957)

Contact ILS -  for more information and prices on sweeteners in food testing and analysis

Food Additves Guidedence Links:

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/guidance.pdf

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/sweetenersfoodguidance.pdf

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/sweetners2004ria.pdf