Food Preservatives




Names of Food Preservatives on Product Labels:

Some of the most common names of food preservatives found on product labels include: ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium benzoate, calcium propionate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, calcium sorbate, potassium sorbate, BHA, BHT, EDTA, and tocopherols (Vitamin E).

What Food Preservatives do:

Food preservatives prevent food spoilage from bacteria, molds, fungi, or yeast (antimicrobials); slow or prevent changes in color, flavor, or texture and delay rancidity (antioxidants); maintain freshness.

Examples of Uses for Food Preservatives:

Food preservatives are used for fruit sauces and jellies, beverages, baked goods, cured meats, oils and margarines, cereals, dressings, snack foods, fruits and vegetables.


Return to Food Additives and Ingredients from Food Preservatives

Return to WikiSpices.com Home Page from Food Preservatives


Have Something To Share About This Topic?

Do you know of other additives found on product labels, but not listed above?

What Other Visitors Have Shared

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Ethoxyquin 
Toxic preservative. Used in powdered spices to stop color change. Also used in pet food. Suspected liver and kidney cancer cause and more. To find more …

Click here to write your own.




New! Comments

Have something to say about what you just read? Leave me a comment in the box below.
Share this page:

Food Additives Resources


Got questions?

Get answers about food additives and ingredients.


Food and Drug Administration fda.gov


Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) fda.gov/Food  5100 Paint Branch Parkway College Park, MD 20740-3835


Color Additives Information fda.gov Color Additives 

Toll free information line: 1-888-SAFEFOOD (723-3366)

U.S. Department of Agriculture


Food Safety and Inspection Service fsis.usda.gov Food Safety Education Staff 1400 Independence Ave., SW Room 2932-S

Washington, DC 20250-3700


Food Additives Information usda.gov Fact Sheets on Additives

Meat and Poultry Hotline: 1-800-535-4555

TTY: 1-800-256-7072

Email: fsis@usda.gov


Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC)

USDA Ag Research Service

10301 Baltimore Ave.

Beltsville, MD 20705-2351

301-504-5719

Email: fnic@nal.usda.gov


International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) IFIC

1100 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 430

Washington, DC 20036

202-296-6540                Email: foodinfo@ific.org


American Dietetic Association (ADA) ADA

216 W. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60606-6995

312-899-0040


The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) FAAN

11781 Lee Jackson Hwy. Suite 160 Fairfax, VA 22033 1-800-929-4040

Email: faan@foodallergy.org


Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) IFT

525 West Van Buren Suite 1000 Chicago, IL 60607 1-800-IFT-FOOD (438-3663)