Editing Preservative (section)

===Antimicrobial preservatives===
Antimicrobial preservatives prevent degradation by bacteria. This method is the most traditional and ancient type of preserving—ancient methods such as pickling and adding honey prevent microorganism growth by modifying the pH level. The most commonly used antimicrobial preservative is [[lactic acid]]. Common antimicrobial preservatives are presented in the table.<ref name= Msagati/><ref name="CEN-1">{{cite journal|last=Dalton|first=Louisa|title=Food Preservatives|journal=Chemical and Engineering News|date=November 2002|volume=80|issue=45|pages=40|url=http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/8045/8045sci2.html|access-date=9 February 2012|doi=10.1021/cen-v080n045.p040|archive-date=5 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405015035/http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/8045/8045sci2.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Using Preservatives|url=http://www.understandingfoodadditives.org/pages/Ch2p5-3.htm|access-date=9 February 2012|archive-date=28 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328230920/http://www.understandingfoodadditives.org/pages/Ch2p5-3.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Nitrate]]s and [[nitrite]]s are also antimicrobial.<ref>Shaw, Ian C. (2012). Food Safety : The Science of Keeping Food Safe. Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160207133203/http://www.eblib.com/ |date=2016-02-07 }} (306- 334)</ref> The detailed mechanism of these chemical compounds range from inhibiting growth of the bacteria to the inhibition of specific enzymes.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! [[E number]]
! chemical compound
! comment
|-
| E200 – E203
| [[sorbic acid]], [[sodium sorbate]] and sorbates
| common for [[cheese]], [[wine]], baked goods, personal care products
|-
| E210 – E213
| [[benzoic acid]] and [[benzoates]]
| used in acidic foods such as [[Fruit preserves|jams]], [[salad dressing]], [[juice]]s, [[Pickling|pickles]], [[carbonated drinks]], [[soy sauce]]
|-
| E214 – E219
| [[paraben]]s
| stable at a broad [[pH]] range
|-
| E220 – E228
| [[sulfur dioxide]] and [[sulfite]]s
| common for fruits, wine
|-
| E249 – E250
| [[nitrite]]s
| speed up the [[Curing (food preservation)|curing]] of meat and also impart an attractive colour, no effect on botulism bacteria<ref name="Wilson">{{cite news |last=Wilson |first=Bee |date=2018-03-01 |title=Yes, bacon really is killing us |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/01/bacon-cancer-processed-meats-nitrates-nitrites-sausages |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-14 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210183650/https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/01/bacon-cancer-processed-meats-nitrates-nitrites-sausages |archivedate=2021-02-10 |issn=0261-3077 |quote=In trade journals of the 1960s, the firms who sold nitrite powders to ham-makers spoke quite openly about how the main advantage was to increase profit margins by speeding up production.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Doward |first=Jamie |date=2019-03-23 |title=Revealed: no need to add cancer-risk nitrites to ham |work=The Observer |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/mar/23/nitrites-ham-bacon-cancer-risk-additives-meat-industry-confidential--report |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-14 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126134441/https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/mar/23/nitrites-ham-bacon-cancer-risk-additives-meat-industry-confidential--report |archivedate=2021-01-26 |quote=The results show that there is no change in levels of inoculated ''C. botulinum'' over the curing process, which implies that the action of nitrite during curing is not toxic to ''C. botulinum'' spores at levels of 150ppm [parts per million] ingoing nitrite and below.}}</ref>
|-
| E251 – E252
| [[nitrate]]s
| used in meats
|-
| E270
| [[lactic acid]]
| -
|-
| E280 – E283
| [[propionic acid]] and [[propionate]]s
| baked goods
|-
| E338
| [[phosphoric acid]]
| used in some jams, preserves and carbonated drinks; also used for acidification and for flavouring.
|}