What is natural preservative?

Natural preservatives, also known as natural organic preservatives, are substances with antibacterial effects secreted by organisms or in the body, which are artificially extracted or processed to become food preservatives. Such preservatives are natural substances, and some of them are food components, so they are not harmful to the human body and can improve the flavor quality of food. Therefore, they are a kind of food preservatives with development prospects.

This passage is going to talk about the followings of natural preservative: 

1. What is natural preservative?

2. What are the uses of natural preservatives?

3. Popular natural preservatives

 

1. What is natural preservative?

Natural preservatives are ingredients found in nature and do not require artificial processing or synthesis with other substances to prevent premature product deterioration. Natural preservatives can extend the shelf life for food.

People have made assumptions about what natural preservatives are and how they work. For example, some consumers believe that vitamin E can act as a natural preservative. In fact, even vitamin E in oil form can only be used as a supplement and skin care. We are here to eliminate all this confusion and help you understand exactly what natural preservatives are.

 

2. What are the uses of natural preservatives?

Manufacturers use natural preservatives to extend the shelf life of their products, reduce spoilage and retain smell or taste. After all, goods need to survive in transit, and they may stay in a store or warehouse for a while before someone buys them.

Natural preservatives are popular among natural brands of cosmetics, including cosmetics and moisturizers. These ingredients are also common in shelf-stable foods, such as peanut butter and jelly.

To be available for consumption, most of these formulations need to pass the preservative efficacy test [PET], also known as the "challenge test." This process simulates natural pollution by injecting microorganisms into the product. If the preservatives successfully eradicate these organisms, the product can be put on the market.

Like synthetic preservatives, natural preservatives also belong to what scientists and industry insiders commonly call "preservative systems." This sentence refers to the three ways that preservatives tend to work. We added antibacterial agents so that they listed a total of four:

Antibacterial agents: inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi

Antibacterial: Inhibit the growth of bacteria such as molds and yeasts

Antioxidant: delay or stop the oxidation process (usually the beginning of deterioration due to loss of electrons)

Work on enzymes: prevent cosmetics from aging

 

3. Popular natural preservatives

The most popular natural preservatives are harmless substances that we are all familiar with:

salt

Lemon juice

Grapefruit seed extract

Rosemary extract

sugar

Citric acid (from citrus fruits)

In order for you to understand why these ingredients are so special, let us understand what rosemary extract is and how it protects the product. The process first extracts antioxidants from rosemary leaves by a method called carbon dioxide extraction. As we mentioned when explaining the antiseptic system, antioxidants can prevent the deterioration of organic matter.

The extraction produces a small amount of oil, which can be mixed into the product. Especially rosemary extract is very popular in cosmetics.

Not only that, natural preservatives are also used in skin care. Such as aloe vera, benzyl alcohol, citric acid, sorbic acid and so on. From food to all kinds of hair care and shampoo products, they can be found in detergents.

 

Attention

Don't forget to protect yourself when using natural preservatives. Natural preservatives are indeed healthier than synthetic preservatives, but please remember that there is no guarantee that they are good for you. Take the above-mentioned benzyl alcohol to which some people are allergic as an example. If you have any adverse reactions to the product, please consult your doctor.

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