Comparison Of Sodium Benzoate And Sulphur Dioxide

Tables 1 to 5 shows the different food products in each food group and the name, E-Number of the preservatives and preservation method for each product. Graphs 1 to 5 simply show the different foods in each food group and the number of chemical preservatives they contain and do not contain.

-Fruit and Vegetables
Table 1 and Graph 1 show that only 40% of the fruit and vegetables only contained chemical preservatives. One of the items of food was banana chips, this product contains Sulphur Dioxide. According to H.A. Steinman, M le Roux and P.C. Potter, Sulphur Dioxide enhances a persons asthma. Only 4 items from the table contained preservatives whereas 6 did not. Not many fruits and vegetables contain preservatives simply because they come from nature. One of the items contained Sodium Benzoate, a small percentage of people are extremely sensitive to sodium benzoate and can experience asthmatic attacks and other allergic reactions when they take in the preservative. A more normal problem is the combination of sodium benzoate and citric acid and ascorbic acid. When these ingredients mix, they form benzene, a cancer-causing chemical linked with leukemia and other blood cancers.( Deborah Mitchell, 2016 )
-Meat and Meat Alternatives
Table 2 and Graph 2 show that half the foods that were looked at contain chemical preservatives.
Majority of the meats and meat alternatives are preserved with nitrates and nitrites, nitrates and nitrites give meats their red colour as well as preserving them. However, some nitrites and nitrates found in processed meats have been known to cause cancer (Wolff & Wasserman, 1972). This shows that chemical preservatives have harmful side-effects. The meat alternative products that did not contain chemical preservatives were either frozen, salted or soya therefore they did not require the addition of chemical preservatives as they were
already. - Dairy and Dairy alternatives
Table 3 and Graph 3 show that only 4 out of the 10 items contain preservatives. The most commonly used preservative in this food group is Potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate is used as a preservative in a number of foods, it has anti-microbial effects that stop the growth of harmful bacteria and moulds. ( Lana Billings-Smith, 2015 )
- Bread and Cereal products
Table 4 and Graph 4 show that only 2 food items out of the 10 contain chemical preservatives. Graph 4 shows clearly that in the carbohydrates food group, there are more food products that do not contain chemical preservatives than do. Table 4 also shows that the products that contain chemical preservatives are the “moistest“ products. Whereas, the 8 products that do not contain chemical preservatives are driest. The preservative found in the white and brown bread is Calcium Propionate. Calcium propionate is used in breads and other baked food items because of its ability to prevent the growth of moulds and other microorganisms.
- Fats and Oils
Table 5 and Graph 5 show that of the 10 Fats and Oils items, two items contained preservatives whereas eight did not. One of the products in this table contain Potassium sorbate and Sorbic Acid; Potassium sorbate has anti-microbacterial effects and Sorbic acid is highly effective at slowing down the growth of mold, which can spoil food and spread deadly diseases. For example, when sorbic acid is sprayed on the exterior of a country ham, there won’t be any mould present for 30 days.