As the least toxic food preservative, potassium sorbate is widely used in food and feed processing industries, as well as in cosmetics, cigarettes, resins, fragrances, and rubber industries. However, it is the most widely used in food preservation and feed.
Animal feed industry
The United States and the European Union both use potassium sorbate as a legal feed additive for animal feed. Potassium sorbate can inhibit the growth of mold in the feed, especially the formation of aflatoxin. So adding potassium sorbate can effectively prevent the putrefaction of the feed, and it can still resist the growth of microorganisms in the animal intestine. . In addition, the neutral taste of potassium sorbate is suitable for use in feed, because animals are more sensitive to changes in food tastes than humans. In addition, as an unsaturated fatty acid, potassium sorbate can be regarded as a feed ingredient and is easy to digest, and has no adverse effects on animals. Feed is prone to spoilage during storage, transportation and sales, so potassium sorbate has a huge application market in the feed industry.
Food containers and packaging materials
The purpose of food packaging is to protect the contents. At present, food packaging materials that use active substances to improve the function of the material, in addition to the function of extending the shelf life of the packaged food, can also maintain the nutrition and safety of the food. In 2009, my country promulgated and implemented the GB 9685-2008 hygienic standard, clearly stipulating the allowable amount of potassium sorbate in food containers and packaging materials and the maximum residue limit of potassium sorbate. In terms of plastic production, it can be used in an appropriate amount according to production needs. The use amount of rubber is 0.1%, and the amount of paper is used according to production needs. At the same time, there is no requirement for sorbic acid residue.
In summary, potassium sorbate can be directly added, dipped, sprayed or sprayed with dry powder when used. At the same time, there are also many flexible ways to handle packaging materials. In terms of development trends, because potassium sorbate has the same properties as natural products, it can be applied The scope and usage will gradually expand.
Food preservatives
Potassium sorbate is widely used as a food preservative. my country approved and promulgated standards in 1982, stipulating that the allowable concentration in noodle products, pickles, canned food, dried fruit, dairy products and condiments is 0.02% to 0.1%. The addition of 1% potassium sorbate to meat products can significantly inhibit the production of Clostridium botulinum toxin. At the same time, sorbic acid is widely used in low-alcohol wine, beer and wine, and has an ideal antiseptic effect. FAO has formulated a series of standards for food, clearly stipulating that the maximum dosage of potassium sorbate is 0.28/kg, and each country has referred to this standard and formulated strict usage standards according to their own conditions. Using potassium sorbate to treat packaging materials can extend the shelf life of foods such as bread and dry crumbs. In view of the limitations of the application of single food additives and the limitations of physical properties, domestic and foreign countries are currently vigorously researching and developing compound food additives, so as to exert a synergistic effect to achieve the best effect.
(1) Application in vegetables and fruits
If fresh vegetables and fruits are not treated in time for preservation and preservation, they will quickly lose their luster, moisture, dry wrinkles on the surface, and are prone to mold and rot, which will cause unnecessary waste. If potassium sorbate preservative is used on the surface of vegetables and fruits, it can be stored for one month at a temperature of up to 30°C, and the greenness of vegetables and fruits can be kept unchanged. After being stored for 4 months at room temperature, only about 5% of the apples sprayed with potassium sorbate fresh-keeping solution showed signs of decay. Potassium sorbate can even prevent oxidation and rusting of tinplate on the outer packaging of canned vegetables.
(2) Application in meat products
Smoked ham, dried sausages, dried meat and similar other dried meat products are briefly soaked in potassium sorbate solution of appropriate concentration to achieve preservation and preservation. Meat enema products such as beef sausage, pork sausage, etc. can be directly added with an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate in the meat chop process during the production process. After the finished product, a potassium sorbate solution with a concentration of 5% is sprayed on the surface to achieve anti-corrosion Keep fresh. It is also possible to directly add an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate to the general meat and meat filling for preservation and preservation. Both fresh chicken and cooked chicken can be soaked with different formulas and different concentrations of potassium sorbate fresh-keeping solution to improve the preservation effect and extend the shelf life. The fresh poultry meat sprayed with potassium sorbate fresh-keeping liquid on the surface significantly prolonged the spoilage and deterioration time compared to similar foods that have not been sprayed with the fresh-keeping liquid, and the fresh-keeping time was twice that of the comparative sample.
(3) Application in aquatic products
After adding 0.1%~0.2% sorbic acid and potassium sorbate mixed preservatives to fish sausages, the product will not spoil and deteriorate when stored at a temperature of up to 30°C, while a control sample under the same environmental conditions is stored After a week it will be corrupted When the temperature is maintained at 10~15℃ and the internal pH value of fish sausage is controlled to be less than 6, this sausage can be stored for seven weeks without spoilage. Under normal circumstances, the pH value of fish cake products is between 6.8 and 7.2. Potassium sorbate or its mixture with sorbic acid can be used for preservation and preservation. However, when using the mixture, the proportion of sorbic acid must be controlled, because sorbic acid is an acidic preservative, and fish cake products at a low pH value will affect their elasticity. Therefore, in order to reasonably solve this contradiction, the content of sorbic acid in the mixture must be reduced. Dried fish products are relatively dry. Under normal circumstances, products with a moisture content of less than 30% will not cause bacterial corruption, but they are prone to mildew. If an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate is added to dried fish products, this kind of mildew can be effectively prevented. Smoked fish products can be sprayed with 5%~10% potassium sorbate solution before, during or after the smoking process for preservation and preservation. The fish and shrimp cooked in soy sauce can be stored at a temperature of 10~15℃ for two months without spoilage after adding an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate. Thoroughly clean fresh fish, shrimp or other fresh aquatic products, soak them in a potassium sorbate preservation solution of appropriate concentration for 20 seconds and then take them out. Remove the preservation solution and refrigerate it to effectively extend its shelf life.
(4) Application in soy sauce and pickled vegetable products
Adding an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate to soy sauce can be stored at high temperatures for 70 days without spoilage and mold. When potassium sorbate is used to keep beetroot, pickled cucumbers, and other pickled vegetables fresh, you can add an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate to the vinegar containing salt. Under normal circumstances, in order to avoid the occurrence of salt water turbidity in pickled vegetables, you can first dissolve spices, table salt, and potassium sorbate in water before adding vinegar. Kimchi is preserved fresh by adding salt and potassium sorbate mixture directly.
(5) Application in pastries
When potassium sorbate is used as a preservative for pastries, first dissolve potassium sorbate in water or milk, and then add the potassium sorbate solution directly to flour or dough. When using potassium sorbate to preserve the freshness of starchy foods, it is best to acidify the material with a small amount of vinegar, because potassium sorbate has the best antibacterial and antiseptic effect when the pH value is lower than 5-6.
(6) Application in beverages
Potassium sorbate can be added to fruit and vegetable juice drinks, carbonated drinks, protein drinks and other beverages. The addition of potassium sorbate greatly extends the shelf life of the product.
(7) Application of potassium sorbate in preserves and confectionery products
Peanut candy, marzipan, and general filling candy can be directly added with an appropriate amount of potassium sorbate for preservation. In order to ensure the antiseptic and fresh-keeping effect of some confectionery products with high sugar content, the amount of potassium sorbate added should be increased appropriately.
