natural preservatives
Food's botanical guardians
Natural preservatives are substances derived from plants, animals, or minerals that slow spoilage in food or other products.
Salt, sugar, vinegar, and certain herbs have preserved foods for millennia.
The term often appears in marketing to contrast with synthetic preservatives: The label says it contains only natural preservatives.
What counts as "natural" is loosely defined and sometimes contested.
- saltSodium chloride compound
- honeyBees' viscous nectar product
- clove oilAromatic spice extract
- smokeAirborne combustion byproduct
- smoke curingPreserving food with fumes
vinegar · ferment · antioxidants · cure · antimicrobials · acetic acid · pickle · garlic · sugar · herbs · spice blend · food safety · food spoilage · ginger · essential oils · brine · lemon juice · shelf life
natural preservativeschemical preservatives
Substances preventing decay in products
nitrites · potassium sorbate · sulfites · sodium nitrate · parabens
natural preservativespreservative-free
Without decay-preventing chemicals
no preservatives · fresh food · perishables · refrigeration · freezing
natural preservativeschemical additives
Supplementary synthetic ingredients