FOOD WITHOUT PRESERVATIVES IS HEALTHIER?

In 2019, Ital and ABIMAPI conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 70 products marketed in Brazil, obtained the following results. Although the use of preservatives is common, they are not generally used for all the companies. It is proved in the samples of 70 industrialized loaves of bread studied, in which 11 products do not use preservatives.

Preservatives are used to inhibit fungi and bacteria from growing, which can make the bread to be refused from the sanitary point of view and is improper for marketing and consumption. Industrialized bread requires this type of additive to resist to fungi and bacteria its entire shelf live up to the moment of its consumption. Therefore, in addition of being essential for public health, the use of preservatives is important for the food safety and for economic issues, as it prevent losses.

In 2020, Ital and ABIMAPI conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 243 products marketed in Brazil, obtaining the following results. Only 5 products of the sample contained preservatives.

In 2021, Ital and ABIMAPI conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 210 products marketed in Brazil, obtained the following results. Preservatives are used to inhibit fungi and bacteria from growing, which can make the cakes to be refused from the sanitary point of view and is improper for marketing and consumption. Industrialized cakes require this type of additive to resist to fungi and bacteria its entire shelf live up to the moment of its consumption. Therefore, in addition o being essential to public health, the use of preservatives is important for the food safety and, for economic reasons, to prevent losses. The studies conducted by Ital about industrialized cakes, there was preservatives:  sorbic acid (65 products), potassium sorbate (95 products), sodium propionate (58 products), calcium propionate (75 products).

in 2021, Ital and ABIA conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 269 products marketed in Brazil, obtaining the following results. In a study conducted by Ital about doughs:  2 products use sorbic acid, 41 products use potassium sorbate, 1 product use nisin, 1 product uses propionic acid, 43 products use calcium propionate.

Industrialized doughs are manufactured according to the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and other tools that ensue the product quality and safety, ensuring that they have the lowest microbial load as possible. As they have low water activity, dry doughs do not need preservatives. But the fresh or cooled doughs require these additives. The preservatives authorized in these cases are toe sorbic acid and their salts (sodium, calcium, and potassium), all of them at the maximum quantity of 0.1 g/100 g as sorbic acid. However, other additives, including preservatives, can have “indirect” or unintentional use, that is, they are not added directly in the manufacturing process, but are present in the ingredients used to prepare the final product, especially in filled dough, such as meat, cheeses and their by-products. In these cases, the additives can be stated in the ingredients list in two situations. The first one when the ingredient has specific technical regulation and is used up to 25%. For example, a dough in which filling takes cheese that contains nisin in the label, indicates that cheese was used at a proportion higher than 25% the total. The second situation is when the ingredient does not have specific technical regulation. In this case, it is necessary to open your ingredients list, independently from the quantity used.

in 2020, Ital and ABIA conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 56 products marketed in Brazil, obtaining the following results. In the studies conducted by Ital, only 17 products have preservatives.

Industrialized pizzas are manufactured according to the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and other tools that ensue the product quality and safety, ensuring that they have the lowest microbial load as possible. For that reasons and due to the fact they are distributed frozen (-12°C), a temperature considered in the studies of the frozen pizzas’ shelf life determination, it should not be necessary to add preservatives directly to the pizzas. However, in the case there is temperature fluctuation higher than -12°C, the microbiology of these products can be changed, making they susceptible to microorganisms growth, especially moulds and yeasts. In similar situations, the use of preservatives can be adopted to ensure the food safety. The preservatives directly or indirectly added to the industrialized pizzas and stated in the labels ingredients list were potassium sorbate (INS 202) and calcium propionate (INS 282).

In 2020, Ital and Viva Lácteos conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 150 products marketed in Brazil, obtaining the following results. Preservatives are not present in every industrialized yogurts. These substances, which use is approved by Brazilian legislation, act together with other required techniques and processes in order to ensure the microbiological safety within the established shelf-life. At the yogurt industrial production, milk is thermally treated. This preservation method eliminates pathogenic microorganisms and great part of the deteriorating microorganisms that cannot develop because, in addition yogurt is kept at temperatures below 10°C, lactic fermentation makes the pH to be reduced to 4.6, an unfavorable condition for other bacteria to grow. Add to this the fact that lactic bacteria, present in high number (107/g), inhibit other bacteria and produce substances naturally called bacteriocines, natural antimicrobial that inhibit the growth of other bacteria. Potassium sorbate is the preservative used in products, but it is not generally used by all companies. It is proved in the samples of 150 industrialized yogurts studied, in which 57 products do not use the preservatives. It is important to let it clear that potassium sorbate (or any other preservative) cannot be added directly in the yogurt, however, the presence of these additives in the final product is allowed by the principle of transferring, as its use is common i fruit preparations, for example, s clearly specified in the IN 46/07.

in 2022, Ital and Good Food Institute conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 178 products marketed in Brazil, obtaining the following results. Preservatives are used to inhibit fungi and bacteria from growing, which can make the products to be refused from the sanitary point of view and is improper for marketing and consumption. Industrialized plant-based beverages, mainly those with a higher content of moisture, require this type of additive to resist to fungi and bacteria its entire shelf live up to the moment of its consumption. Therefore, in addition o being essential to public health use of preservatives is important for the food safety and for economic reasons, as it prevents losses. In Ital study about plant-based beverage, 95,7% of the products in the sample did not contain preservatives.

In 2020, Ital and ABIR conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 217 products marketed in Brazil, obtaining the following results. Preservatives are present in only 4.6% of products (potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate). Regarding juices with preservatives, it is important to note that its use is approved by Brazilian legislation and act together with other required techniques and processes in order to ensure the safety and prevent the juice deterioration. There are scientific evidences to reinforce the safety to consume these substances.

Juices have an acid pH, which helps in the microbiological aspect. However, there are fungi and bacteria that survive to thermal treatment and grow well in acid pH. Usually, filamentous fungi growth is not expected in the production stage and during the beverages storage. However, the raw material can contain mycotoxins, toxic secondary metabolites that, if ingested, inhaled or absorbed, can cause diseases or even death of people and animals. As mycotoxins are usually thermal-resistant, they persist in the product, even after the thermal treatment. That is the reason why the beverages and food companies shall have a strict control on raw materials and ingredients they use to make their products.

In 2021, Ital and ABIS conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 180 products marketed in Brazil, obtained the following results. Preservatives are not allowed in ice creams, however, in some cases, it is possible to observe the presence of this additive in the label, as its use is allowed in other foods that can be used in the ice cream. In this case, the preservative does not belong to the ice cream, despite it belongs to the food, as for example, cookies, cake, milk jam, fruit preparations, etc. The use of preservatives directly in the ice cream is not allowed, and low temperature is the main factor for microorganisms growth inhibition. In addition, in the ice cream industrial production that have milk or eggs, pasteurization is mandatory. This preservative method eliminates pathogenic microorganisms and great part of deteriorating microorganisms, which can not develop because ice creams are marketed frozen. In the studies conducted by Ital, only 5 products have the following preservatives stated in the label: potassium sorbate (INS 202), sodium benzoate (INS 211) and sodium e metabisulphite (INS 223).

In 2021, Ital and ABIA conducted a study one nutrients and ingredients of 90 products marketed in Brazil, obtained the following results. Even though the Anvisa RDC no. 272, from March 14th, 2019, allows the use of preservatives in industrialized fresh meat products, none of the products analyzed in this study used these additives. The main reasons for not using preservatives are the adoption of good manufacturing practices during production, which reduces the product’s microbial load; the fact the hamburger is kept frozen along the distribution chain, which prevents microorganisms present in the product from developing; and the fact the hamburger is to be fried, roasted or cooked before consumption, processes that eliminate microorganisms. Anvisa RDC no. 272, from March 14th, 2019, authorizes the use of the following preservatives in industrialized fresh met products: sodium nitrite and potassium nitrite, sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate and sodium diacetate.

In the studies conducted by Ital about hamburgers, none of the analyzed products used these additives.

In 2022, Ital and ABICAB conducted a study one nutrients and ingredients of 483 products marketed in Brazil, obtained the following results. The use of preservatives is not authorized for cocoa products (mass, butter, powder), chocolates, chocolate topping and chocolate powder. Even though the use of preservatives is not authorized for filled chocolates, filled covered chocolates, chocolate candy and and candy with chocolate, they can be present in the ingredients added in the fillings. And for other products (other chocolate candy without chocolate, topping and syrups, powders to prepare toppings and syrups, fillings and powder to prepare fillings), the use of preservatives is authorized. Preservatives are used in additions of chocolate, to inhibit fungi and bacteria from growing, which can make the fillings of topping to be refused from the sanitary point of view and is improper for marketing and consumption. Therefore, in addition o being essential to public health use of preservatives is important for the food safety and for economic reasons, as it prevents losses.

At the studies conducted by Ital about chocolates, 95,2% products from the sample did not have preservatives: 1 product uses sorbic acid and 8 products use fillings/toppings

In 2022, Ital and ABICAB conducted a study about nutrients and ingredients of 416 products marketed in Brazil, obtaining the following results. At the studies conducted by Ital about peanut products, 87,1% products from the sample did not have preservatives: 8 products use sorbic acid, 34 products use potassium sorbate, 4 products use sodium benzoate.

Preservatives are used to inhibit fungi and bacteria from growing, which can make the products to be refused from the sanitary point of view and is improper for marketing and consumption. Industrialized peanut products, mainly those with a higher content of moisture, require this type of additive to resist to fungi and bacteria its entire shelf live up to the moment of its consumption. Therefore, in addition o being essential to public health use of preservatives is important for the food safety and for economic reasons, as it prevents losses.