Preservatives

Preservatives: a topic nobody likes to think about, even though they are very important.
But: Preservatives can prevent unpleasant surprises!

Chemelco is ready to help you prevent unwanted growth.

Preservatives are substances added to foods, pharma¬ceuticals, paints, and many other
products to prevent decomposition by microbial growth or by undesirable chemical changes.

Preservatives in Foods

Preservation of foods is of all times: already in prehistoric times foods were preserved by drying, salting, pickling, smoking and freezing. These techniques are still used, but these days the preservation of foods has become much more sophisticated.
Natural substances like salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol, and diatomaceous earth are still used as preservatives. Drawback of these is that they impact taste and flavor. Today many specific preservatives are used in different products.

The 2 most common types of preservatives are: antimicrobial, which inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi and mold, and antioxidants, which inhibit oxidation.

Follows a number of the more common antimicrobial and antioxidant preservatives, with their major application:
• Calcium Propionate (bread)
• Sodium Benzoate (softdrinks)
• Potassium Sorbate (margarine)
• Sodium Nitrite (meat)
• Sodium Metabisulfite (shrimp, bakeries)
• Disodium EDTA (canned goods)
• Sodium Erythorbate (meat)
• Ascorbic Acid (beer)
• Sorbic Acid (meat)
• Acetic Acid
• Sodium (Di)Acetate (meat)
• Lactic Acid (beer)
• Sodium Lactate (meat)
• BHA (oils)
• BHT (oils)

 Preservatives in Cleaning Products

Preservatives in cleaning products are very common. To keep the general cleaners clear and fabric softeners clear of mold growth, preservatives are a necessity.
Common preservatives are formaldehyde, DMDM Hydantoin and formaldehyde free products commonly used in Cosmetic grade products.
Trends tend to formaldehyde free products since they environmental friendly. Formaldehyde is highly carcinogenic and therefore less and less accepted.

Chemelco has a lot of experience in preservation of products in the Caribbean climate, and we look forward to sparring with you on this topic.

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