Preservatives
Additives that extend the shelf life of foods by slowing the growth of micro-organisms or oxidation, ranging from natural substances to controversial compounds.
Preservatives (codes E200-E299 for antimicrobials) prevent food from spoiling through bacteria, moulds and yeasts, or through oxidation. They reduce waste and prevent poisoning (botulism, etc.), but some are controversial.
A fresh angle (from ancestral salt to controversial nitrites): preservation is as old as humanity: salt, sugar, vinegar and smoke are age-old natural preservatives. The modern problem is not preservation itself, but certain synthetic preservatives with debated effects:
- Nitrites/nitrates (E249-E252): used in cured meats (pink colour, protection against botulism). A major issue: they can form carcinogenic nitrosamines during high-temperature cooking or in the stomach. Processed meat is classed as “carcinogenic” (group 1) by the IARC, partly because of nitrites. A real public health issue that has led to “nitrite-free” movements.
- Sulphites (E220-E228): in wine, dried fruit and some prepared dishes. They can trigger reactions in people with asthma and sensitive individuals (headaches, respiratory symptoms).
- Benzoates (E210-E213): drink preservatives, which can form benzene (carcinogenic) in the presence of vitamin C under certain conditions.
Harmless or natural preservatives: not all are problematic. Vitamin C (E300), vitamin E (E306) and citric acid (E330) are safe antioxidants/preservatives, even beneficial. Salt, sugar and vinegar remain traditional preservatives.
The preservation/health trade-off: preservatives have a real purpose (food safety, less waste). The problem is mostly their presence in ultra-processed foods (a marker of processing) and a few specific high-risk molecules (nitrites above all).
In practice: favour fresh, minimally processed foods, limit processed meat (nitrites), and read labels. A short list of preservatives, or natural preservatives, is preferable to a pile of synthetic ones.