Acidity regulator

Acidity regulators are food additives that can impact pH. Food additives are included in food to enhance its taste and appearance while preserving flavor. The pH of a substance characterizes how acidic or basic it is. In the food industry, acidity regulators are used to maintain pH equilibrium in goods which reinforces flavor and shelf life. These alterations enhance the quality of the food. The key functions of acidity regulators are to change and/or maintain pH of food, enhance antioxidant effect, and prevent oxidation (Conto, Francesco. 2017).

pH Impact on Food

Acidity Regulators have become an essential part of the food additive market worldwide. Their ability to affect pH fortifies organic properties of foods. The maintenance of pH enhances the quality of food by prolonging shelf-life, helping control flavor and taste, and strengthening resistance to microbial growth (Presswire 2015).

Antioxidant

Some acidity regulators exist as organic compounds with antioxidant effects. Antioxidants are molecules within the body that reduce or eliminate the presence of free radicals. Free radicals are harmful ions, molecules with unstable charges, that can cause oxidative stress within the body. Antioxidants neutralize oxidative stress with their reduction ability (Varvara, et al. 2016). Reduction occurs when an ion, molecule with a positive or negative charge, gains an electron. Some acids with antioxidant effect used in the food industry are phosphorus, lactic, and citric.

Benefits of acid addition:

control bitterness
maintain flavor
consume antioxidants that can reduce the risk of developing degenerative disorders
maintain organic integrity/slow decay

Prevention

The food additive industry has also found use of acidity regulators as preservative (Conto, Francesco. 2017). They contribute to the healthiness of food by preventing degradation and acting as microbial inhibitors.

References

_{“Acidity Regulators Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2021.” M2 Presswire, Normans Media Ltd, 2015.}

_{Alcolado, Clara I., et al. “Oxidation of Aldehydes Used as Food Additives by Peroxynitrite.” Antioxidants, vol. 12, no. 3, 2023, pp. 743-, https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12030743.}

_{Bacak, A. “Acidity Regulators, Preservatives, and Antioxidants.” In Advances in Dairy Products, F. Conto (Ed.). 2017. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118906460.ch1g}

_{Etwaroo, Dhamawatee H., Dayawatee Goburdhun, and Arvind Ruggoo. "Classes of Food Additives in Food Products Sold in Mauritius." British Food Journal, vol. 121, no. 5, 2019, pp. 1125-1139. ProQuest, https://eznvcc.vccs.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/classes-food-additives-products-sold-mauritius/docview/2233830782/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-10-2018-0705.}

_{Varvara, Michele, et al. “The Use of Ascorbic Acid as a Food Additive: Technical-Legal Issues.” Italian Journal of Food Safety, vol. 5, no. 1, 2016, pp. 4313–4313, https://doi.org/10.4081/ijfs.2016.4313.}

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See also

References