Updated March 13th, 2020 at 17:45 IST

Food preservatives that help food to naturally remain tasty and long-lasting

There are many natural food preservatives that one can use in order to keep their food from getting ruined. Here is a list of natural ingredients you can use.

Reported by: Yashika Sharma
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One of the most crucial things in the everyday life of humans is food. It also becomes important to preserve food so that it lasts longer and keep their nutrients and taste intact. But, there has been rampant use of artificial food preservatives which not only harms the nutrients but ultimately affects the body. Thus, it becomes necessary to use natural food preservatives so that they keep the food healthy and make it long-lasting.

Here are 5 natural and organic food preservatives

Oil

Some types of food materials go bad when exposed to air for a long period of time. This is caused due to oxidation. Oil helps in slowing down the process of oxidation. It also helps in keeping away the microorganisms from coming into any contact with the food. 

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Salt

Another great natural food preservative is salt. It has been used since the old times to preserve food items, specifically meats, and vegetables. Many microorganisms tend to grow in water and soil the food. This water is absorbed by salt, thus preventing these harmful beings from growing. Salt is also helpful in keeping away yeast and bacteria.

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Sugar

Sugar plays a similar role as salt when it comes to the preservation process. It absorbs the access water and fights the microorganisms away. This is the reason why jams and jellies do not go bad even after coming in contact with air.

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Lemon Juice

Lemon juice has two strong arms that fight against the decay of food. They are called citric acid and ascorbic acid, also called Vitamin C. The acidity stops the microorganisms from growing and is also a powerful antioxidant as it prevents the food from oxidising. 

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Vinegar

Vinegar also uses its acidic qualities to beat the decay and damage in food. Vinegar contains high amounts of acetic acid. It kills microbes. This is why many canned foods and pickles contain vinegar. Vinegar is made with fermented sugar and water solutions. 

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Published March 13th, 2020 at 17:45 IST