Overview
The mention of preservatives may bring thoughts of harmful chemical food additives. In some cases, this may be justified, as some preservatives have unhealthy side effects in large doses. Others, however, have benefits which can outweigh these concerns when used properly. The preservation practice itself dates back much longer than the modern use of chemicals. Salt, potassium nitrate and smoke have been used for centuries to preserve meat, and vinegar has likewise been used with vegetables.
The General Benefits of Preservatives
The European Food Information Council notes that preservatives are not generally considered bad for your health. Their use extends the shelf life of perishable foods, extending their window of safe consumption. Microorganisms such as yeast, mold, fungi and bacteria can spoil food or cause it to rot. Certain microorganisms may also spread harmful disease when eaten. Sulphites, for example, inhibit the growth of bacteria in wine and fermented foods. Calcium propionate slows the progression of mold in bread. Botulinum bacteria is prevented from growing in processed meats via the use of nitrates and nitrites.
The digestive wellness website Puristat raises concerns about some commonly-used preservatives. The site associates nitrates and nitrites with asthma, headaches and nausea in some individuals. Sodium nitrite may be converted to nitrous acid within the human digestive system, and this substance has been associated with high rates of cancer in laboratory animals. Allergies to benzoic acid and sodium benzoate can cause severe reactions. Even salt, which the body needs in small amounts, can contribute to cardiovascular disease when regularly overeaten.
How Preservatives are Regulated
Because of the possible dangers associated with preservatives, food additives are strictly regulated and tested for human use. Testing procedures include determination of maximum safe amounts, demonstration of a benefit to the consumer and a technological need for the additive. Government agencies, such as the European Food Information Council in the European Union, oversee the testing and approval of food additives.
Concerns About Digestion and Absorption of Nutrients
A 2010 article in the Daily Mail documented an experiment that American nutritionist Joann Bruso conducted, in which she famously left a McDonald's Happy Meal unrefrigerated for a year to observe its rate of spoilage. After one year, the food contained such high enough amounts of preservatives, it remained unspoiled. Bruso recalled that flies and other insects did not approach the unprotected food and that, aside from being very dry, the meal remained relatively unchanged. She reasoned that the human body would have difficulty digesting or breaking down such well-preserved foods, rendering their nutritional value to humans low.
Slowed Rates of Human Decay After Death
When anecdotal evidence pointed to a slowing in the rate of decay among human bodies from the 1960s to 1980s, some attributed this to the presence of preservatives from processed food. Nutrition and food author Seth Roberts speculated in 2009 that these preservatives may not directly impact the rate of decay but perhaps act to diminish the presence of some bacteria that play a role in the decomposition process.
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