Food safety and oxidants

With the development of the international economy and the improvement of life, food safety and health have increasingly become the focus of people's attention. Food not only undergoes decay and aging during storage, but also undergoes chemical changes with oxygen in the air, leading to fading, discoloration, unpleasant odor, and other phenomena, resulting in a decrease in food quality until it becomes inedible. This is known as "chemical spoilage" phenomenon. This phenomenon is particularly severe in foods with high oil content, commonly referred to as "rancidity" of fats. Therefore, a substance is needed to inhibit food spoilage, thereby producing antioxidants.
Antioxidants are an important measure to ensure food safety. If antioxidants are added to food, they can not harm human health but promote it, which will open a new era for the development of functional food antioxidants.
The antioxidants permitted for use in our country, GB2760-86, include oil soluble butylhydroxyanisole (BHA), dibutylhydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl gallate (PG), and tea polyphenols. Commonly used in animal and plant fats and oily foods. Water soluble antioxidants include sodium isoascorbate, which is commonly used in fruits, vegetables, aquatic products, fruit wine, fruit juice beverages, etc. GB2760-96 includes the preservative phytic acid as an antioxidant, and adds several antioxidants such as tert butyl hydroquinone.