ABTRACT:-

The objective of this project is to Study of

effect of Potassium bisulphite as a food
preservative under various conditions such
as
•Concentration
•Conditions
•Time
•Temperature
INTRODUCTION:-
Growth of microorganisms in a food material
can be inhibited by adding certain chemical
substances. However the chemical
substances should not be harmful to the
human beings.
Such chemical substances which are added
to food materials to prevent their spoilage are
known as chemical preservatives.
In our country, two chemical preservatives
which are permitted for use are:
1. Benzoic acid (or sodium benzoate
2. Sulphur dioxide (or potassium
bisulphite)
Benzoic acid or its sodium salt, sodium
benzoate is commonly used for the
preservation of food materials. For the
preservation of fruits, fruit juices, squashes
and jams sodium benzoate is used as
preservative because it is soluble in water
and hence easily mixes with the food
product.
Potassium hydrogen sulphite or potassium
bisulphite is a chemical compound with the
chemical formula KHSO3. It is used during
the production of alcoholic beverages as a
sterilising agent.
It is made by the reaction of sulphur dioxide
and potassium carbonate. The sulphur
dioxide is passed through a solution of the
potassium carbonate until no more carbon
dioxide is given off. The solution is
concentrated and then allowed to crystallize
Potassium bisulphite is used for the
preservation of colourless food materials
such as fruit juices, squashes, apples and
raw mango chutney. This is not used for
preserving coloured food materials because
Sulphur dioxide produced from this chemical
is a bleaching powder.
Potassium bisulphite on reaction with acid of
the juice liberates Sulphur dioxide which is
very effective in killing the harmful micro-
organisms present in food and thus prevents
it from getting spoiled.
HSO3 (aq)+ H+(aq) H2O(1) +SO2(g)
The advantage of this method is that no
harmful chemical is left in the food.
The aim of this project is to study the effect of
potassium bisulphite as food preservative.
i. At different temperatures.
ii. At different concentrations and
iii. For different intervals of time.
APPARATUS:-
•Bottles
•Pestleand Mortar
•Glass rod
•Knife
 •Balance
MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS:-
• Fresh Fruits, potassium bisulphite and
sugar
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.
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.
(A) Effect of concentration sugar:-
1. Take three wide mouthed reagent
bottles labelled as I II
2. Put 100 gm of fruit jam in each bottle.
3. Add 5.0 gm, 10.0 gm and 15.0 gm 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 everyday
(B) Effect of concentration of KHSO3 :-
1. Take bottles labelled as I, II, III.
2. Put 100 gm of Jam in each bottle.
3. Add 5.0 gm of sugar to each bottle.
4. Add 1.0 gm, 2.0 gm and 3.0 gm of KHSO3
to bottle No. 1, 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
everyday.
Result: The increase in concentration of
KHSO3 increase more time of preservation.
(C) Effect of temperature:-
1. Take 100 gm of Jam in three bottles
labelled as I, II and
2. Add 10.0 gm of sugar and 1.0 gm of
KHSO3 to each bottle.
3. Mix the contents thoroughly with a
stirring rod.
4. Keep bottle No. I in the refrigerator at
0°C, bottle No. II at room temperature
(25°C) and bottle No. III in a thermostat
at 50°C. Observe the changes taking
place in the jam for 10 days.
Result: The increase in Temperature
causes fast fermentation of jam
(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.
 Result: With increase of days, the quality of
the jam deteriorates.
Conclusion:-
Food containing more amount of sugar is not
favourable to keep for a long time Potassium
bisulphite is a good preservative.
Uses:-
There are a number of uses for potassium
bisulphite as a food preservative. The
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural
Initiatives reports this product works to
prevent the growth of mold, yeast and
bacteria in foods. It is also an additive for
homemade wine. Potassium bisulphate is
found in some cold drinks and fruit juice
concentrates. Sulphites are common
preservatives in smoked or processed meats
and dried fruits. In spray form, it may help
prevent foods from discolouring or browning.
Potassium bisulphite is primarily a
commercial product. You might find this
chemical compound at meat processing
plants. Manufacturers of juice drinks and
concentrate will use potassium bisulphite to
increase the shelf life of their products. The
preservative is also available for home use.
Allergies:-
Sulphites such as potassium bisulphite can
trigger an attack for those with asthma.
Potassium bisulphite may cause lung
irritation.