Question

Chemical preservative is defined as a chemical compound that

• A. Retard microbial activity
• B. Increase nutritional value of food
• C. Enhance sensory properties of product
• D. Speeds up alterations caused by microorganisms.

Hint:

The primary objective of adding a chemical preservative to food is to inhibit or retard the growth and metabolic activity of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Chemical preservatives are substances added to food to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life.
These compounds must be safe for consumption and effective at low concentrations.
The primary function of a preservative is to inhibit or slow down the chemical, enzymatic, or biological processes that degrade food quality.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
According to standard regulatory and scientific definitions (such as those by FSSAI and FDA), a chemical preservative is any substance capable of inhibiting, retarding, or arresting the process of fermentation, acidification, or other decomposition of food.
This is primarily achieved by retarding microbial activity (A).
Preservatives act on target microorganisms through several mechanisms, including:
Disrupting cell membrane permeability and transport mechanisms.
Inhibiting essential cellular enzymes.
Altering the intracellular pH of the microbial cell.
Chemical preservatives are not added to increase nutritional value (B) or directly enhance sensory properties like flavor or color (C).
They are also designed to slow down, rather than speed up, alterations caused by microorganisms (D).
Therefore, the correct definition is a compound that retards microbial activity.

Step 3: Final Answer
A chemical preservative is defined as a compound that retards microbial activity.