The effect of common food preservatives on the growth of bacteria

Food preservation is a common topic in everyday life. However, the individual effects of different preservatives and the combined effects of multiple preservatives present excellent subjects for research because the combined effects of preservatives have not been studied in depth. The main purpose of this study was to determine the optimal solution for preservatives by combining data modeling with biochemical experiments. We hypothesized that sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, and vitamin E would inhibit Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica growth, and that sodium benzoate, sodium nitrate, and sodium bisulfite would inhibit Bacillus subtilis growth. Different preservatives were selected for the different bacterial species based on the preservatives’ mechanisms of inhibition. Through systematic testing of different concentrations, we identified the optimal amount of each preservative needed to effectively inhibit bacterial growth while ensuring compliance with current food safety regulations. We found that single preservatives may be inadequate for inhibiting bacterial growth, with vitamin E showing poor effectiveness. Sodium benzoate and sodium nitrite exhibited good antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus, while sodium benzoate had the best inhibitory effect on Salmonella enterica, followed by sodium nitrite. Sodium bisulfite showed the best inhibitory effect on Bacillus subtilis, followed by sodium benzoate. The study provides a pathway for future exploration of preservative compounding to optimize their effectiveness against bacterial growth and prevent food spoilage.