INDEX

PAGE
SL.NO. TOPIC NO.
1 OBJECTIVE 1
2 CONCENTRATION EFFECT 2
3 INTRODUCTION 3-4
3 AIM 5
4 APPARATUS REQUIRED 6
5 MATERIALS & CHEMICALS 7
6 THEORY 8-9
7 FOOD PRESERVATION 10
7.1 PRINCIPLES OF FOOD PRESERVATION 11
7.2 METHODS OF FOOD PRESERVATION 12
8 PROCEDURE 13
9 EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION OF SUGAR 14
10 EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION OF KHSO3 15
11 EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE 16
12 EFFECT OF TIME 17
13 RESULTS,CONCLUSIONS&SUGGESTIONS 17-18
14 BIBLIOGRAPHY 19

OBJECTIVE
 The objective of this project is to study
the effect of Potassium bisulphite as a food
preservative under various conditions.

Concentration

Conditionsz

Time Temperature

CONCENTRATION
EFFECT
Effect of Concentration :-
 1) Sugar
2) Temperature
3) KHSO3
4) Time

Sugar

Effect of
Time Temperture
Concentration

KHSO3

INTRODUCTION
Growth of microorganisms in a food material can be inhibited by adding
certain chemical substances. However the chemical substances should not be
harmful to human beings. Such chemical substances which are added to
food materials to prevent their spoilage are known aschemical
preservatives. In our country, two chemical preservatives which are
permitted for use are:

1. Benzoic acid(orsodium benzoate)

2. Sulphur dioxide(orpotassium bisulphite)

Benzoic acid or its sodium salt, sodium benzoate is commonly used for the
preservation of food materials. For the preservation of fruits, fruit juices,
squashes and jams sodium benzoate is used as preservative because it
is soluble in water and hence easily mixes with the food product.

Potassium bisulphiteis used for the preservation of colourless food

materials such as fruit juices, squashes, apple and raw mango chutney.
This is not used for preserving coloured food materials
becauseSulphur dioxide produced from this chemical is a bleaching
agent.Potassium bisulphite on reaction with acid of the juice liberates
Sulphur dioxide which is very effective in killing the harmful micro-
organisms present in food stuffs and thus prevents it from getting spoilt.

HSO3–(aq) + H+(aq) H2O(l) + SO2(g)

The advantage of this method is that no harmful chemical is left in the
food. The Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives reports
that this product works to‘prevent the growth of mould, yeast
and bacteria in foods. It is also an additive for homemade wine.
Potassium bisulphite is found in some cold drinks and fruit juice
concentrates. Sulphites are common preservatives in smoked or processed
meats and dried fruits. In spray form, it may help prevent foods from
discolouring or browning.

AIM
The aim of this project is to study the
effect of potassium bisulphite as food
preservative.

1. At different intervals of time

2. For different concentrations.

3. At different Temperature.

APPARATUS
MATERIALS AND
CHEMICALS
 THEORY
Food materials undergo natural changes due
to temperature, time and enzymatic actionand
become unfit for consumption. These changes
may be checked by adding small amounts of
potassium bisulphite. Theeffectiveness of
KHSO3 as preservative depends upon its
concentration under different conditions which
may be determined experimentally. An ideal
method of food preservation has the following
characteristics:-

1.It improves shelf-life and safety by inactivating

spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms,
2. It does not change organoleptic (smell, taste,
colour, texture, etc.) and nutritional attributes,
3.It does not leave residues,
4.It is cheapand convenient to apply.
5.It encounters no objection from consumers
and legislators.

‘‘FOOD PROCESSING’’
Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients, by physical or chemical
means into food, or of food into other forms. Food processing combines raw food
ingredients to produce marketable food products that can be easily prepared and served
by the consumer. Food processing typically involves activities such
as mincing and macerating, liquefaction, emulsification, and cooking (such as boiling,
broiling, frying, or grilling); pickling, pasteurization, and many other kinds
of preservation; and canning or other packaging. (Primary-processing such as dicing or
slicing, freezing or drying when leading to secondary products are also included.)

Benefits:-Benefits of food processing include toxin removal, preservation, easing

marketing and distribution tasks, and increasing food consistency. In addition, it increases
yearly availability of many foods, enables transportation of delicate perishable foods across
long distances and makes many kinds of foods safe to eat by de-activating spoilage and
pathogenic micro-organisms. Modern supermarkets would not exist without modern food
processing techniques, and long voyages would not be possible.
Processed foods are usually less susceptible to early spoilage than fresh foods and are better
suited for long distance transportation from the source to the consumer. When they were first
introduced, some processed foods helped to alleviate food shortages and improved the overall
nutrition of populations as it made many new foods available to the masses.
Processing can also reduce the incidence of food borne disease. Fresh materials, such as
fresh produce and raw meats, are more likely to harbor pathogenic micro-organisms (e.g.
Salmonella) capable of causing serious illnesses.
The extremely varied modern diet is only truly possible on a wide scale because of food
processing. Transportation of more exotic foods, as well as the elimination of much hard
labourives the modern eater easy access to a wide variety of food unimaginable to their
ancestors.

Drawbacks:-Any processing of food can affect its nutritional density. The amount of
nutrients lost depends on the food and processing method. For example, heat destroys vitamin
C. Therefore, canned fruits possess less vitamin C than their fresh alternatives.
The USDA conducted a study in 2004, creating a nutrient retention table for several foods.
New research highlighting the importance to human health of a rich microbial environment in
the intestine indicates that abundant food processing (not fermentation of foods) endangers
that environment. Using food additives represents another safety concern. The health risks of
any given additive vary greatly from person to person; for example using sugar as an additive
endangers diabetics. In the European Union, only European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
approved food additives (e.g., sweeteners, preservatives, stabilizers) are permitted at specified
levels for use in food products. Approved additives receive an E number (E for Europe),
simplifying communication about food additives included in the ingredients' list for all the
different languages spoken in the EU. As effects of chemical additives are learnt, changes to
laws and regulatory practices are made to make such processed foods more safe.

Principles of food preservation

There are three basic objectives for the preservation of foods:-

1. Prevention of contamination of food from damaging agents.

2. Delay or Prevention of growth of microorganisms in the food
3. Delay if enzymic spoilage, i.e. self – decomposition of the food by naturally
occurring enzymes within it.

The food preservation methods by which the microbial,decomposition of

foods can be delayed or prevented include:-
1. Restrict access of microorganisms to foods (packaging and aseptic packaging),
2. Removal of microorganisms (by filtration orcentrifugation),
3. Slow or prevent the growth and activity of microorganisms (reduction in
temperature, wateractivity and pH, removal of oxygen, modified atmosphere
packaging and addition of preservatives).
4. Inactivation of microorganisms (by heat, radiations, high hydrostatic pressures,
ultra soundand pulsed electric fields).

These methods usually are also effective against enzymatic activity or

chemical reactions in the food, responsible for its self-decomposition.
Changes in the requirement of consumers in recent years have included a
desire for foods which are more convenient, higher quality, fresher in
flavor, texture and appearance, more natural with fewer additives and
nutritionally healthier than hitherto. Food industry reactions to these
changes have been to develop less severe or minimal preservation and
processing technologies with less intensive heating or use of less chemical
preservatives. However, minimal technologies tend to result in a
reduction in the intrinsic preservation of foods, and may, therefore, also
lead to a potential reduction in their microbiological safety.. A major
trend is to applythese techniques in new combinations, in ways that
minimize the extreme use of any one of them, and so improve food product
quality.

‘‘Methods of Food Preservation”

1. Physical methods of preservation =>The foods to be preserved are physically
processed or treated in such a way that the metabolic activity of microorganisms and
their spores either slowed down or completely arrested. These various physical
methods used for the preservation of foods are as follows.
Asepsis Keeping quality of foods can be increased by introducing as few spoilage
organisms as possible i.e., by reducing the amount of contamination. In nature, there
are numerous examples of asepsis or removal of microorganisms as a protective factor.
The presence of a protective covering surrounding some foods e.g. shells of nuts,
shells of eggs, skin of fruits and vegetables and fat on meats and fish, prevents
microbial entry and decomposition until it is damaged.

2.Chemical methods of preservation =>In food industries, contamination is

prevented by packaging foods in a wide variety of artificial coverings ranging from a
loose carton or wrapping to the hermetically sealed containers of canned foods.
Moreover, practicing sanitary methods during the processing and handling of foods
reduces total microbial load and thus improves the keeping quality of food. Both
flexible. Many chemicals will kill micro-organisms or stop their growth but most of
these are not permitted in foods; chemicals that are permitted as food preservatives are
listed in Table 5.3.1. Chemical food preservatives are those substances which are
added in very low quantities (up to 0.2%) and which do not alter the organoleptic and
physico-chemical properties of the foods at or only very little.
Preservation of food products containing chemical food preservatives is usually based
on the combined or synergistic activity of several additives, intrinsic product
parameters (e.g. composition, acidity, water activity) and extrinsic factors (e.g.
processing temperature, storage atmosphere and temperature).
This approach minimises undesirable changes in product properties and reduces
concentration of additives and extent of processing treatments.
The concept of combinations of preservatives and treatments to preserve foods is
frequently called the hurdle or barrier concept. Combinations of additives and
preservatives systems provide unlimited preservation alternatives for applications in
food products to meet consumer demands for healthy and safe food.
Chemical food preservatives are applied to foods as direct additives during processing,
or develop by themselves during processes such as fermentation. Certain preservatives
have been used either accidentally or intentionally for centuries, and include sodium
chloride (common salt), sugar, acids, alcohols and components of smoke. In addition
to preservation, these compounds contribute to the quality and identity of the products,
and are applied through processing procedures such as salting, curing, fermentation
and smoking.

PROCEDURE:

1) Take fresh fruits, wash them

thoroughly with water and peel off
their outer cover.
2) Grind it to a paste in the mortar with
a pestle.
3) Mix with sugar and colouring matter.

4) The material so obtained is fruit jam.

It may be used to study the

effect of concentration of sugar
and KHSO3, temperature and time.

(A)Effect of concentration of Sugar:-

1. Take three wide mouthed reagent bottles labeled
as I II III.Put 100 gms of fruit jam in each bottle.
2. Add 5.0 gms, 10.0 gms and 15.0 gms of sugar to
bottle No. I, II and III respectively.
3. Add 0.5 gm of KHSO3 to each bottle.
4. Mix contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.
5. Close the bottle and allow them to stand for one
week or 10 days at room temperature.
6. Observe the changes taking place in Jam every day.
RECORD:-

Result: The increase in concentration of sugar

causesfast decaying

(B)Effect of concentration of KHSO3 :–

1. Put 100 gm of Jam in each bottle.
2. Add 5.0 gm of sugar to each bottle.
3. Take bottles labeled as I, II, III.
4. Add 1.0 gm, 2.0 gm and 3.0 gm of KHSO3 to bottle
No. I, II and III respectively.

Bottle Wt. of Wt. of Wt. of Observations (Days)

Bottle
No. jamWt. of
taken Wt. of
sugar Wt. of
KHSO Observations (Days)
3
No. jam taken
added sugar KHSO3 1 2 3 4 5
added

I 100 gms 5.00 gms 0.5gm NO NO NO Few Few

Change Change Change Change More
Change

II 100 gms 10.00 gms 0.5 gm NO NO Few Some Few

Change Change Change Change more
Change

III 100 gms 15.00 gms 0.5 gm NO Few Few Some More
Change Change Change Change Change

5. Mix the contents thoroughly with a glass rod.

6. Keep all the bottles at room temperature for about
10 days and observe the changes everyday.

RECORD:-
 1 2 3 4 5

I 100 gms 5.00 gms 1.0gm no no no few some

II 100 gms 5.00 gms 2.0gm no no no no few

III 100 gms 5.00 gms 3.0gm no no no no no

Result: The increase in concentration of KHSO3

increase more time of preservation

(C)Effect of temperature:–
1. Take 100 gm of Jam in three bottles labelled as I,
II and III.
2. Add 10.0 gm of sugar and 2.0 gm of KHSO3 to
bottle No. I, II and III respectively.
3. Mix the contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.
4. Keep bottle No. I in the refrigerator at 0˚C, bottle
No. II at room temperature (25˚C) and bottle No.
III in a thermostat at 50˚C. Observe the changes
taking place in the jam for 10 days.
RECORD:-
Result: The increase in temperature causes
faster fermentation of jam.

(D)Effect of time: –
1. Take three bottles and label them as I, II and III.
2. To each bottle add 25 g of Jam and 1 g of
potassium bisulphite.
Observations(Days)
Bottle Wt. of Wt. of Wt. of Observations (Days)
No. jam sugar KHSO3
taken
added 1 2 3 4 5

I 100 gms 10.00 2.0gm No No No No No

gms change change change change change
II 100 gms 10.00 2.0gm No No No No Slight
gms change change change change change
III 100 gms 10.00 2.0gm No No Slight Some Some
gms change change change change more
change

3. Keep bottle I for 7 days, bottle II for 14 days and

bottle III for 21 days at room temperature.
4. Note the changes taking place in each bottle and
record the observations.
 Bottle No. 7 14 21
I No ****** ******

II No Taste ******
changes

III No No Unpleasant smell

develops

RECORD:-

Result: With increase of days, the quality of the

jam deteriorates.

RESULTS,CONCLUSIONS AND
SUGGESTIONS
From the experiment, we can conclude
thatKHSO3 acts as a viable food preservative
whose increased concentration can increase
time forpreservation. But increase in
concentration of sugar content in the food
material causes fast decaying. Also, the
experiment shows that rateof fermentation of
food stuffs is directly proportional to
temperature conditions. On passage of time,
even in the presence of KHSO3,the food gets
spoiled. Though potassium bisulphite is a good
food preservative (class II preservative), it can
trigger lung irritation andasthma. So, our
suggestion is that the usage of food
preservatives must be reduced to the extent
possible.Food containing more amountof sugar
is not favorable to keep for a long
time,Potassium bisulphite is a good
preservative.
Uses=>There are a number of uses for potassium
bisulfite as a food preservative. The Manitoba Agricul-
ture, Food and Rural Initiatives reports this product
works to prevent the growth of mold, yeast and
bacteria in foods. It is also an additive for homemade
wine.

Potassium bisulfate is found in some cold drinks and

fruit juice concentrates. Sulfites are common preservat-
ives in smoked or processed meats and dried fruits. In
spray form, it may help prevent foods from discoloring
or browning.

Availability =>Potassium bisulfite is primarily a

commercial product. You might find this chemical
compound at meat processing plants. Manufacturers of
juice drinks and concentrate will use potassium
bisulfite to increase the shelf life of their products. The
preservative is also available for home use.
Allergies =>Sulphites such as potassium bisulfite
can trigger an attack for thosewith asthma. potassium
bisulfite may cause lung irritation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Reference books:
 NCERT CLASS 12 CHEMISTRY BOOKS- PART I, II
 CONCISE INORGANIC CHEMISTRY -BY J.D.LEE
 NCERT LABORATORY MANUAL - CLASS 12
CHEMISTRY
Reference websites:
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