Objective:

The objective of this project is to Study of effect of Potassium

bisulphite as a food preservative under various conditions

Concentration

Conditions

Time Temperature

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INTRODUCTION

Food usually decomposes by microbial growth or by undesirable

chemical changes over time which makes it unfit for the
consumption. To prevent this from happening a chemical
substance known as preservative are added to the food which
inhibits the growth of microorganism and thus preventing the food
from decomposition.one such preservative is POTASSIUM
BISULPHITE.

potassium bisulphite are most often found in wine. But we may also
find potassium bisulphite in dried fruit such as apricots and
peaches and it's often found in dehydrated vegetables, such as
potatoes and carrots. It may also be used as a preservative in cut
fruit, such as apples, to prevent browning.

Potassium bisulphite on reaction with acid of the juice liberates

Sulphur dioxide which is very effective in killing the harmful
microorganisms present in food stuffs and thus prevents it from
getting spoilt.
HSO3 (aq) + H+(aq) H2O(l) + SO2(g)

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MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS REQUIRED

Conical flask

Beaker

Glass bottles

Peeler

Glass rod

Knife

pestle

balance

Sugar

Potassium bisulphite

Fruits

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THEORY

Food materials undergo natural changes due to temperature, time

and enzymatic action and become unfit for consumption. These
changes may be checked by adding small amounts of potassium
bisulphite. The effectiveness 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 cheap and convenient to apply.
5.It encounters no objection from consumers and legislators.

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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. 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 physio-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

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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.

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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.

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

Bottle Wt. of Wt. of Wt. of

Observations (Days)
No. jam sugar KHSO3
taken
added 1 2 3 4 5

1 100 gms 5.00 0.5gm NO NO NO Few Few

gms Change Change Change Change More
Change

2 100 gms 10.00 0.5 gm NO NO Few Some Few more

gms Change Change Change Change Change

3 100 gms 15.00 0.5 gm NO Few Few Some More

gms Change Change Change Change Change

Result: The increase in concentration of sugar. Causes fast

decaying

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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.
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 every day.

RECORD:

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

No. jam taken sugar KHSO3 1 2 3 4 5
added

1 100 gms 5.00 gms 1.0gm no no no few some

2 100 gms 5.00 gms 1.0 gm no no no no few

3 100 gms 5.00 gms 1.0 gm no no no no no

Result: The increase in concentration of KHSO3.More time of

preservation

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(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 0C, bottle No. II at room
temperature (25C) and bottle No. III in a thermostat at 50C.
Observe the changes taking place in the jam for 10 days.

RECORD:

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

No. jam sugar KHSO3 1 2 3 4 5
taken
added
1 100 gms 5.00 gms 2.0gm no no no no no

2 100 gms 10.00 gms 2.0 gm no no no no Few Ferme

-nted

3 100 gms 15.00 gms 2.0 gm no no Few Some Some more

Ferme Ferme Ferme
-nted -nted -nted

Result: The increase in temperature causes. Faster

fermentation of jam

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(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.
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.

RECORD:
Observations(Days)
Bottle No. 7 14 21

1 No - -

2 No Taste -
changes

3 No No Unpleasant smell
developes

Result: With increase of days, the quality of the jam deteriorates.

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RESULT
From the experiment, we can conclude that KHSO3 acts as a viable
food preservative whose increased concentration can increase
time for preservation. But increase in concentration of sugar
content in the food material causes fast decaying. Also, the
experiment shows that rate of 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 and asthma. So, our
suggestion is that the usage of food preservatives must be reduced
to the extent possible. Food containing more amount of sugar is
not favorable to keep for a long time, Potassium bisulphite is a good
preservative.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.google.com
www.ncert.nic.in
www.livestong.com
Pradeeps chemistry

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