With the increasingly sophisticated food processing technology, food preservatives have become an indispensable role in the development of the industry. In order to ensure that the packaged food can be better stored, the application of preservatives has also ushered in a huge development market. One of the most modern preservatives in the food sector is sorbic acid, which is chemically close to food and, in addition to being easy to use and cost-effective, is extremely effective against many microorganisms. Moreover, it does not affect the aroma and taste of the products it preserves. Sorbic acid and its potassium and calcium salts (E200, E202 and E203, respectively) have been approved for use in a large number of food products worldwide. Sorbic acid is unsaturated hexacarbonic acid, colorless needle-like crystals or white crystalline powder, tasteless and odorless.
Potassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, white, almost odorless powder, or granular, so the dust is very low. Calcium sorbate is the calcium salt of sorbic acid, a white, almost odorless powder. Sorbic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid similar to those naturally occurring in foods that are broken down and utilized in the body.The ADI is 25mg/kg. Sorbic acid is therefore considered to be food-related and a large number of scientific studies on sorbic acid have been carried out by researchers under the supervision of international authorities, which have proved that sorbic acid and its salts are physiologically inert and not hazardous to health.
Sorbic acid and its salts do not react with other ingredients of foodstuffs and do not have the property of forming complexes. Therefore, the use of sorbic acid does not affect the bioavailability of, for example, minerals.
Sorbic acid causes almost no allergic reactions. Scientific and technical literature shows that sorbic acid has by far the lowest sensitizing properties of all preservatives.
Sorbic acid (E200) and potassium sorbate (E202) are approved worldwide as preservatives for use in a large number of food products, and calcium sorbate (E203) has been approved for use in a number of countries. In the United States, sorbic acid, potassium sorbate and calcium sorbate are classified as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS), a definition that emphasizes the fact that both sorbic acid and sorbate salts are physiologically inert.
The CTFA (Cosmetic Trade and Fragrance Association) in the United States classifies sorbic acid and sorbates as safe for use in cosmetic products.The EC Cosmetics Directive and many national regulations authorize the use of sorbic acid and sorbates as preservatives in cosmetic products. In many countries, sorbic acid and sorbate salts are approved for use in pharmaceuticals and animal feed.
Antimicrobial effect of sorbic acid and its salts
Sorbic acid is an acidic preservative that inhibits bacteria, molds and yeasts. As with other organic acid preservatives, the efficacy of sorbic acid varies with the pH of the product; the lower the pH of the product, i.e., the more acidic it is, the greater the efficacy of the preservative, and therefore the lower the dosage of preservative required. The same is true of sorbates, which are simply applied forms of sorbic acid.
This acid is formed from sorbate salts in the acidic pH range. Its anti-mold effect decreases with increasing pH. It is effective in inhibiting mold at pH 3, and still has an inhibitory effect at pH 6, but the concentration required is large, and the minimum concentration (MIC) for complete inhibition at pH 6 generally exceeds 0.2%. Sorbic acid inhibits biological growth and preservation by inhibiting the dehydrogenase system within microorganisms. Sorbic acid has a good preservative effect on jams, beverages, and pasta products with low pH, but for foods with high pH, it is often necessary to add acid to lower the pH and then use sorbic acid in order to achieve the preservative effect. This adversely affects the flavor, water retention, elasticity and its natural quality of the food.
Application in meat and aquatic products
Fish products
For salted fish, potassium sorbate can be added to fish products by placing it in brine or mixing it with dry table salt. Short-term shelf-stable foods (e.g. fish tacos, herring and salmon fillets) can be effectively and permanently protected against bacterial contamination by the addition of potassium sorbate or sorbic acid, even during the storage period and in open-ended packaging formats.
Sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are effective in preventing corrosion of air-dried and smoked fish by molds and yeasts. For example, dried pickled cod is processed by treating the fish with sorbic acid and salt at a level of 2%-4%.
Dried cod can be dipped or sprayed with a 5-10% solution of potassium sorbate to prevent subsequent mold decay. A 5-10% solution of potassium sorbate may be sprayed either before or after smoking the dried fish to inhibit mold growth. The concentration of the final product should be 0.05%-0.15%. The shelf life of small shrimps can be extended by adding 0.4%-0.8% powdered sorbic acid.
Meat and sausage products
Potassium sorbate has obvious antiseptic and antibacterial effects compared with sodium benzoate, and is especially strong against mold. Fresh pork and fresh chicken soaked with potassium sorbate can extend the expiration date, and there is no adverse effect on its sensory characteristics after cooking. The addition of potassium sorbate to cured and smoked meat products reduces the sodium nitrite content, which reduces the potential danger of the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines. It also has no adverse effect on the color and aroma of the products. Hard and dry sausages, smoked hams and jerky and similar products can be soaked in a 5%-20% solution of potassium sorbate to prevent mold decay.
Mold growth on sausage casings can be prevented by adding 0.2-0.4% sorbic acid or potassium sorbate. Mold growth can be prevented by adding 0.05%-0.08% sorbic acid to certain frankfurter cooked sausages (with or without casings) during the slicing process or by surface treating the resulting sausages with a 5% solution of potassium sorbate.
Synergistic effect
As potassium sorbate is an acidic preservative, it is recommended to use organic acids, such as citric acid, lactic acid salts, etc. These organic acids not only have their own antiseptic effect, but also regulate the pH value, which is conducive to the persistent play of the preservative effect of potassium sorbate.
Potassium sorbate preservation is mainly sorbic acid can inhibit mold and other microorganisms within the dehydrogenase enzyme system, to inhibit the growth of mold and so on. However, when the mold pollution is serious or has begun to rot, the mold can be potassium sorbate for the culture medium, resulting in sorbic acid does not play any role. Therefore, adding potassium sorbate is only one of the ways to extend the shelf life, the preservation of meat products is also related to the temperature of raw materials, moisture activity, and control of external and internal factors are closely related.
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