"Preservatives are harmful to health", "nitrite-induced cancer", etc., have made many people feel confused. For a long time, preservatives have been the most criticized among food additives. Sun Baoguo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of the Beijing University of Industry and Commerce, explained that preservatives are essentially a class of compounds that inhibit microbial proliferation or kill microorganisms. They are non-toxic during use or after decomposition, and generally do not harm human health.

Many foods need to be preserved with preservatives

“People who make Jinhua ham and Xuanwei ham must use nitrite as a preservative.” Recently, Sun Baoguo, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Beijing University of Commerce and Industry, explained in an interview with Qianlong.com that for many foods, It is difficult to save for a long time without "preservation". For example, if nitrite is not used as a preservative, a variety of bacteria such as botulinum will be formed on the ham, which may cause food poisoning and endanger human life.

Academician Sun Baoguo said that nitrite as a food preservative is the best and safest preservative recognized internationally. Preservative refers to a kind of food additive which can be used in foods to prevent or delay the spoilage of food. It is essentially a kind of compound which inhibits the proliferation of microorganisms or kills microorganisms, and is also called a preservative.

The main sources of preservatives are natural and synthetic, with the most commercial commercial applications. China's GB2760-2011 lists a total of 27 preservatives, chemical preservatives include organic and inorganic, organic preservatives are mainly benzoic acid and its salts, sorbic acid and its salts, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and its acid Class, lactic acid, etc.

"The carbon dioxide in people's most common cola is also a preservative." Academician Sun Baoguo said that when people drink cola, they always see bubbles in the cola, or after drinking, they are actually carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is an inorganic preservative. Therefore, people don't have to panic about chemical preservatives. Inorganic chemical preservatives like carbon dioxide, as well as inorganic substances such as sulfurous acid and its salts, nitrites, free chlorine and hypochlorite.

Preservatives have long been the most criticized of food additives. Experts explained that preservatives are essentially a class of compounds that inhibit microbial proliferation or kill microorganisms. They are non-toxic during use or after decomposition, and generally do not harm human health. The picture shows the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the president of the Beijing University of Industry and Commerce, Sun Baoguo, who recently introduced the "Learn the Nineteenth National Report" micro-party class with the characteristics of food specialty, and introduced the scientific knowledge of preservatives.

Experts explained that preservatives are essentially a class of compounds that inhibit microbial proliferation or kill microorganisms. They are non-toxic during use or after decomposition, and generally do not harm human health. The picture shows the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the president of the Beijing University of Industry and Commerce, Sun Baoguo, who recently introduced the "Learn the Nineteenth National Report" micro-party class with the characteristics of food specialty, and introduced the scientific knowledge of preservatives.

Quantitative use of food additives is harmless to humans

According to Academician Sun Baoguo, a chemical needs to meet five conditions as a food preservative. First, it is stable in nature and effective in a certain period of time; it is non-toxic during use or after decomposition, does not hinder the normal function of gastrointestinal enzymes, and does not affect the activities of normal intestinal flora; It has antibacterial or bactericidal effect at lower concentration; fourth, it has no irritating taste and odor; fifth is convenient to use.

The preservatives allowed in China are subject to strict safety assessment and process approval, and are synchronized with most countries in the world. Whether the preservative is hazardous to health, one of the most commonly used criteria is its toxicity and intake, not only for food additives, but also for all toxic substances. Therefore, any food additive is safe to use within the specified range of added amounts and does not pose a health hazard.

Another problem that is of general concern is that preservatives are not necessarily toxic by themselves, but rather increase the burden on the liver and kidneys. According to scientific research data, the potassium sorbate in the preservative is metabolized in a similar way to fat and does not increase the burden on the liver. The nitrate can be reduced to nitrite, which becomes nitric oxide. Of course, once the prescribed amount is exceeded, a carcinogen N-nitroso compound can be formed in the stomach.

In addition, in recent years, some unscrupulous manufacturers have added unapproved chemicals as preservatives, causing confusion. Such substances are themselves unapproved substances, not food additives, and if applied, they are illegal. For example, in 2011, among the non-edible substances that may be illegally added by the Ministry of Health, illegally added sodium thiocyanate in milk and dairy products, illegally added to dried aquatic products such as sea cucumbers and squid, and blood tofu. Industrial formaldehyde, and so on.