Why Our Food Rots: Part III
Calcium propionate is used more often than sodium propionate because it increases the amount of calcium people consume and also keeps down the amount of sodium people eat in the product. Propionates have been found to also be safe for human consumption.
The next two members of the food preservation family are not as human-friendly as the preservatives mentioned above. Nitrates have, for a long time, been used in various meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, beef jerky and hot dogs. Sodium nitrate is the most common compound used and it, along with the salt in the meat, keeps Clostridium botulinum from growing deep in the center of the meat product.
Clostridium botulinum is a nasty bacterium that produces a protein toxin that causes paralysis and in some cases death. Preventing its growth is very important to food processors and consumers alike.
Unfortunately, when nitrites are cooked they form compounds called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines have been shown to cause cancer. This is a very bad thing. With all the bad press nitrates get you would think that processors would get rid of them from their products. Good refrigeration would slow the growth of microbes enough to make the product safe. However, nitrates do a couple of things to the meat that food processors have found consumers like. Nitrates keep the meat a nice red color instead of the gray it would normally turn and it gives the meat a flavor that consumers are used to in the products.
To allay some of the fears of cancer, producers of these products have lowered the amounts of nitrates in the meat. They also add ascorbic acid or erythorbic acid, which inhibit nitrosamine formation.
Another food preservative that gives some people problems are the sulphites (sulfites). These compounds include the sodium or potassium salts of sulfite, bisulfite, or metabisulfite. These compounds are used in dried fruit, lemon juice, molasses, wine and processed potatoes. They prevent the growth of bacteria. Unfortunately, they also destroy vitamin B-1 and are not to be used in foods rich in this vitamin (meats, for example).
Sulfites can also be a problem for people with asthma. Other people can become allergic to this compound and have a very severe reaction to it. If you are one of those people you should not consume anything preserved with sulphites.
Chemical preservation of our food has increased the shelf life and decreased the cost of food, but not all preservatives are
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