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Currently, on store shelves you can find an abundance of various products with long shelf life. Most often, the product can be stored for months and not deteriorate due to the large amount of various chemicals in the composition. One of these additives is the preservative E252 - potassium nitrate, which does not always benefit the body.
What is the additive E252
The preservative is a fine crystalline white or yellowish powder. Has no smell, tastes slightly salty and leaves a cool sensation on the tongue. Potassium nitrate is highly soluble in water, resistant to high temperatures. Above 400 degrees, the white powder releases oxygen. Manufacturers pack E252 preservative in paper or propylene bags.
Other names for potassium nitrate:
- potassium nitrate;
- potassium nitrate;
- potassium salt of nitric acid;
- potassium nitrate.
The main purpose of E252 is a preservative or antioxidant in the food industry, potassium nitrate is also used in medicine, in the agricultural industry, in the cosmetic business. The substance is practically insoluble in alcohols. Reacts with solvents and combustible substances in the form of an oxidizing agent.
What potassium nitrate preservative is made of
In nature, potassium nitrate occurs in the form of a mineral called nitrokalite, a large amount of the substance is mined in places of salt deposits. But natural reserves are not enough, therefore the preservative is made in a laboratory way, for example, using the synthesis of potassium chloride and nitric acid.
In industry, the preservative is made from sodium nitrate, nitric acid or potassium chloride. Chemical formula - KNO3. Among the major suppliers and manufacturers there are several firms in Russia: OOO Kondor, OOO Neftegazkhimkomplekt, OAO Uralkhim. Due to the high hygroscopicity, containers for storing nitrate powder should be polypropylene or paper, but with a polyethylene lining.
Previously, the preservative was obtained from more natural products - ash, manure, limestone. The first mention of potassium nitrate dates back to the XIV century, then the substance was obtained from human feces. But this method was extremely ineffective, the output was only about 0.3% of the finished raw material. Now potassium salts are used for production, from which chemical fertilizers are also obtained. To make the final product marketable, the wet crystals are melted, then the substance is granulated in air.
The benefits and harms of potassium nitrate (E252)
There is no need to talk about the benefits of potassium nitrate, because there is practically none.The preservative is digested and broken down into nitrites, which have a negative effect on the human reproductive system. Potassium nitrate is harmful to health if consumed in large doses. But it should be noted that among such preservatives, it is potassium nitrate that is the safest, since it does not contain its own nitrites.
Many manufacturers deceive the buyer - they do not indicate the full composition of the product on the labels. On sausages or sausages you can find the inscription "Children". This is dangerous, an excess of preservative provokes severe headaches, choking, allergic reactions, problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Potassium nitrate negatively affects the circulatory system, disrupts oxygen metabolism. Foods with a high content of E252 can cause suffocation, anemia and acute renal failure in a person, as well as headache, nausea, muscle weakness and arrhythmia.
Dangerous or not E252 food additive
In small doses, the substance does not pose a great danger, so you cannot eat a lot of sausages, cheeses, sausages and other foods with a high content of preservatives. Many manufacturers significantly exceed the amount of E252 in their products in order to increase the shelf life. But this greatly changes the color of meat products, so in addition to preservatives, flavor enhancers and colorants have to be added, which makes food even more hazardous to health.
A person should be wary of foods with a lot of nitrites - substances that prevent the growth of bacteria. Many countries have long abandoned the use of potassium nitrate in food production. An excess of preservative causes headaches, negatively affects the psyche, provokes inflammation of the kidneys and other vital organs.
Most often, the body receives harm from E252 not from industrial semi-finished products or meat, but from fruits or vegetables. To accelerate growth, a large amount of nitrate-based fertilizer is added to the soil. Products grown on such land become dangerous to humans. Nitrites can accumulate in the body, causing cancers and chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
Where and why add
Potassium nitrate has become known to the world since the invention of gunpowder. Since then, potassium salts have a wide range of applications:
- Food industry... The additive in the form of a white powder, odorless and tasteless, is used in the manufacture of cheese, to increase the shelf life of meat and fish products, in smoked meats, semi-finished products, pickles in sausages and sausages. Long transportation would not have been possible without the addition of a large amount of preservatives. In cheese making, the substance is designed to protect the product from swelling, from the formation of unwanted voids.
- Agrarian industry... Nitrates are used to fertilize the soil before planting vegetables and fruit crops, they accelerate plant growth, affect photosynthesis and increase frost resistance.
- Pyrotechnics... Saltpeter is one of the components of gunpowder and other combustible mixtures.
- Medicine... Potassium nitrate can be found in many laxatives and vasodilators. Also, saltpeter is used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning.
- Other industries... E252 is often added to toothpaste, glass and optical products.
The additive is considered a substance of average toxicity; it is not prohibited to use it in industry in the recommended doses. The preservative E252 is allowed in Russia, Ukraine, in the CIS countries. For sausages, indicators should not exceed 250 mg / kg. For cheese - no more than 50 mg / kg.
Conclusion
The E252 preservative will not do much harm to the body if you limit the use of foods high in this substance.You should carefully read the composition on the package, eat more vegetables and fruits, drink clean filtered water and lead a healthy lifestyle.
