BJM CARMEL ACADEMY

SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHEMISTRY PROJECT
2018-2019

A PROJECT ON
“TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF POTASSIUM
BISULPHITE AS FOOD PRESERVATIVE”
SUBMITTED BY:- PURVANSH SHUKLA
GUIDED BY:- MRS. SUMITA SHARMA
MAAM
CLASS:- XI
ROLL NO.:-09

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 BJM CARMEL ACADEMY
SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL,
CHANDRAPUR

2018-2019

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this a complete project report on

chemistry titled “to study the effect of potassium
bisulphite as food preservative”, submitted by Purvansh
Shukla in partial fulfillment of requirement for XI standard
of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New
Delhi which is a record of work carried out by them under
my guidance for the session 2018-2019.

Subject Teacher sign Principal sign

Date: Roll No. :-09
External sign:-

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 BJM CARMEL ACADEMY
SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, CHANDRAPUR

2018-2019
DECLARATION

To,
The Principal,
BJM Carmel Academy,
Chandrapur.

Respected Principal,

I Mas. Purvansh Shukla, hereby declare that I am submitting the

project report entitled “to study the effect of potassium bisulphite
as a food preservative”. This project is accomplished under the
guidance of our chemistry teacher
Mrs. Sumita Sharma maam. I would like to thank her for all the
lectures, for giving us a bright opportunity and for inspiring us to
complete our project. I sincerely declare that the project made by
me has been carried out on my own initiative and has not been
duplicated or copied from any other source.

Thanking you
Purvansh Shukla

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project is an acknowledgement to the
intensity drive and competence of the individuals
who have contributed to it.
The project “to study the effect of potassium
bisulphite as food preservative” is an effect of
team work. It involves the co-ordination of many
people around me. The project was a challenging
task for me.
The expert guidance of our chemistry teacher Mrs.
Sumita Sharma changed the complexity of our
project into a perfect and smooth result. We also
give special thanks to her for her suggestions and
inspirational personality.
I am thankful to our principal Rev. Fr. Binoy
Chekonthayil, for enlightening us and for providing
us the lab facility for the accomplishment of the
project.
At last but not the least we are thankful to all our
group members for their direct as well as indirect
help in completing this project successfully.

Purvansh Shukla

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 INDEX

1. Introduction
2. Aim
3. Theory
4. Benefits
5. Methods of food preservation
a) Physical method of preservation
b) Chemical method of preservation
6.Procedure
7.Effect of concentration of sugar
a) Effect of concentration of sugar
b) Effect of temperature
c) Effect of time
8. Conclusions
9. Bibliography

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1. INTRODUCTION
Growth of microorganisms in a food material can be inhibited by adding certain
chemical substances. However the chemical substances should not be harmful to
human beings. Such chemical substances which are added to food materials to
prevent their spoilage are known as chemical preservatives. In our country, two
chemical preservatives which are permitted for use are:

1. Benzoic acid (or sodium benzoate) 2. Sulphur dioxide (or potassium bisulphate)
Benzoic acid or its sodium salt, sodium benzoate is commonly used for the
preservation of food materials. For the preservation of fruits, fruit juices, squashes
and jams sodium benzoate is used as preservative.

2. Potassium bisulphate’s used for the preservation of colorless food materials such
as fruit juices, squashes, apple and raw mango chutney. This is not used for
preserving colored food materials because Sulphur dioxide produced from this
chemical is a bleaching agent. Potassium bisulphate on reaction with acid of the
juice liberates Sulphur dioxide which is very effective in killing the harmful micro-
organisms present in food stuffs and thus prevents it from getting spoilt.

HSO3(aq) +H+(aq) +H2O(l) + SO2(g)

The advantage of this method is that no harmful chemical is left in the food. The
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives reports that this product works to’
prevent the growth of mould, yeast and bacteria in foods. It is also an additive for
homemade wine. Potassium bisulphate is found in some cold drinks and fruit juice
concentrates. Sulphites are common preservatives in smoked or processed meats
and dried fruits. In spray form, it may help prevent foods from discoloring or
browning.

AIM
The aim of this project is to study the effect of potassium bisulphate as food
preservative.

THEORY

Food materials undergo natural changes due to temperature, time and enzymatic
action and become unfit for consumption. These changes may be checked by
adding small amounts of potassium bisulphite. The effectiveness of KHSO3 as
preservative depends upon its concentration under different conditions which may
be determined experimentally. An ideal method of food preservation has the
following characteristics:-
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1.It improves shelf-life and safety by inactivating spoilage and pathogenic
microorganisms.

2. It does not change organoleptic (smell, taste, colour, texture, etc.) and
nutritional attributes. 3.It does not leave residues.

4. It is cheap and convenient to apply

5. It encounters no objection from consumers and legislators. ‘‘FOOD PROCESSING’’

Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients, by physical or chemical
means into food, or of food into other forms. Food processing combines raw food
ingredients to produce marketable food products that can be easily prepared and
served by the consumer. Food processing typically involves activities such as
mincing and macerating, liquefaction, emulsification, and cooking (such as boiling,
broiling, frying, or grilling); pickling, pasteurization, and many other kinds of
preservation; and canning or other packaging. (Primary-processing such as dicing or
slicing, freezing or drying when leading to secondary products are also included.)

BENEFITS
Benefits of food processing include toxin removal, preservation, easing marketing
and distribution tasks, and increasing food consistency. In addition, it increases
yearly availability of many foods, enables transportation of delicate perishable foods
across long distances and makes many kinds of foods safe to eat by de-activating
spoilage and pathogenic micro-organisms. Modern supermarkets would not exist
without modern food processing techniques, and long voyages would not be
possible. Processed foods are usually less susceptible to early spoilage than fresh
foods and are better suited for long distance transportation from the source to the
consumer. When they were first introduced, some processed foods helped to
alleviate food shortages and improved the overall nutrition of populations as it
made many new foods available to the masses. Processing can also reduce the
incidence of food borne disease. Fresh materials, such as fresh produce and raw
meats, are more likely to harbor pathogenic micro-organisms (e.g. Salmonella)
capable of causing serious illnesses. The extremely varied modern diet is only truly
possible on a wide scale because of food processing. Transportation of more exotic
foods, as well as the elimination of much hard labourives the modern eater easy
access to a wide variety of food unimaginable to their ancestors. Drawbacks:-Any
processing of food can affect its nutritional density. The amount of nutrients lost
depends on the food and processing method. For example, heat destroys vitamin C.
Therefore, canned fruits possess less vitamin C than their fresh

Changes have been to develop less severe or minimal preservation and processing
technologies with less intensive heating or use of less chemical preservatives.
However, minimal technologies tend to result in a reduction in the intrinsic
preservation of foods, and may, therefore, also lead to a potential reduction in their

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microbiological safety.. A major trend is to apply these techniques in new
combinations, in ways that minimize the extreme use of any one of them, and so
improve food product quality.

‘Methods of Food Preservation

1. Physical methods of preservation

The foods to be preserved are physically processed or treated in such a way that
the metabolic activity of microorganisms and their spores either slowed down.

2.Chemical methods of preservation

In food industries, contamination is prevented by packaging foods in a wide variety

of artificial coverings ranging from a loose carton or wrapping to the hermetically
sealed containers of canned foods. Moreover, practicing sanitary methods during
the processing and handling of foods reduces total microbial load and thus improves
the keeping quality of food. Both flexible. Many chemicals will kill micro-organisms
or stop their growth but most of these are not permitted in foods; chemicals that are
permitted as food preservatives . Chemical food preservatives are those substances
which are added in very low quantities (up to 0.2%) and which do not alter the
organoleptic and physico-chemical properties of the foods at or only very little.
Preservation of food products containing chemical food preservatives is usually
based on the combined or synergistic activity of several additives, intrinsic product
parameters (e.g. composition, acidity, water activity) and extrinsic factors (e.g.
processing temperature, storage atmosphere and temperature). This approach
minimizes undesirable changes in product properties and reduces concentration of
additives and extent of processing treatments. The concept of combinations of
preservatives and treatments to preserve foods is frequently called the hurdle or
barrier concept. Combinations of additives and preservatives systems provide
unlimited preservation alternatives for applications in food products to meet
consumer demands for healthy and safe food.

Chemical food preservatives are applied to foods as direct additives during

processing, or develop by themselves during processes such as fermentation.
Certain preservatives have been used either accidentally or intentionally for
centuries, and include sodium chloride (common salt), sugar, acids, alcohols and
components of smoke. In addition to preservation, these compounds contribute to
the quality and identity of the products, and are applied through processing
procedures such as salting, curing, fermentation and smoking.

PROCEDURE:

1) Take fresh fruits, wash them thoroughly with water and peel off their outer cover.

2) Grind it to a paste in the mortar with a pestle.

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3) Mix with sugar and coloring matter.

4) The material so obtained is fruit jam.

It may be used to study the effect of concentration of sugar and KHSO3,

temperature and time.

(A)Effect of concentration of Sugar:-

1. Take three wide mouthed reagent bottles .Put 100 gms of fruit jam in each bottle.

2. Add 5.0 gms, 10.0 gms and 15.0 gms of sugar to bottle No. I, II and III
respectively.

3. Add 0.5 gm of KHSO3 to each bottle.

4. Mix contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.

5. Close the bottle and allow them to stand for one week or 10 days at room
temperature.

6. Observe the changes taking place in Jam every day.

Result:

(A)The increase in concentration of sugar causes fast decaying

(B) Effect of concentration of KHSO3 :–

1. Put 100 gm of Jam in each bottle.

2. Add 5.0 gm of sugar to each bottle.

3. Take bottles labeled as I, II, III.

4. Add 1.0 gm, 2.0 gm and 3.0 gm of KHSO 3 to bottle No. I, II and III respectively.

5. Mix the contents thoroughly with a glass rod.

6. Keep all the bottles at room temperature for about 10 days and observe the
changes every day.

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RECORD:-

Bottl Wt. of Wt. of Wt. of

1 2 3 4 5
e No. jam sugar KHSO3

100 OBSERVATION (DAYS)

I 5.00 gms 0.5 gm NO NO NO NO NO
gms

100 10.00
II 0.5 gm NO NO NO NO FEW
gms gms

100 15.00
III 0.5 gm NO NO NO NO NO
gms gms

Observations
Bottle No. Wt. of jam Wt. of sugar Wt. of KHSO3
(Days) 1 2 3 4 5

I 100 gms 5gms 0.5gm no change

Few more
II 100 gms 10.00 gms 0.5gm
Change after

II 100 gms 15.00 gms 0.5gm Few Change More

Result:

The increase in concentration of KHSO3 increase more time of preservation

(C)Effect of temperature:–

1. Take 100 gm of Jam in three bottles labeled as I, II and III.

2. Add 10.0 gm of sugar and 2.0 gm of KHSO 3 to bottle No. I, II and III respectively.

3. Mix the contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.

4. Keep bottle No. I in the refrigerator at 0˚C, bottle No. II at room temperature
(25˚C) and bottle No. III in a thermostat at 50˚C. Observe the changes taking place
in the jam for 10 days.

RECORD:-

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Bottl Wt. of Wt. of Wt. of
1 2 3 4 5
e No. jam sugar KHSO3

100 OBSERVATION (DAYS)

I 5.00 gms 1.0gm NO NO NO FEW MORE
gms

100
II 5.00 gms 2.0 gm NO NO NO NO FEW
gms

100
III 5.00 gms 3.0 gm NO NO NO NO NO
gms

Result:

The increase in temperature causes faster fermentation of jam.

(D)Effect of time

1. Take three bottles and label them as I, II and III.

2. To each bottle add 25 g of Jam and 1 g of potassium bisulphite.

3. Keep bottle I for 7 days, bottle II for 14 days and bottle III for 21 days at

RECORD:-

Bottl Wt. of Wt. of Wt. of

1 2 3 4 5
e No. jam sugar KHSO3

100 10.00 OBSERVATION (DAYS)

I 2 gms NO NO NO NO NO
gms gms

100 10.00 SLIGHT

II 2 gms NO NO NO NO
gms gms CHANGE

SLIGHT
100 10.00 CHANGE
III 2 gms NO NO NO NO
gms gms MORE
THAN II

Result:

With increase of days, the quality of the jam deteriorates. RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS
AND SUGGESTIONS From the experiment, we can conclude that KHSO3 acts as a
viable food preservative whose increased concentration can increase time for
preservation. But increase in concentration of sugar content in the food material
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causes fast decaying. Also, the

experiment shows that rate of fermentation of food stuffs is directly proportional to

temperature conditions. On passage of time, even in the presence of KHSO 3,the
food gets spoiled. Though potassium bisulphite is a good food preservative (class II
preservative), it can trigger lung irritation and asthma. So, our suggestion is that the
usage of food preservatives must be reduced to the extent possible. Food
containing more amount of sugar is not favorable to keep for a long time, Potassium
bisulphite is a good preservative.

Name :- Potassium bisulfite

IUPAC name :-

Potassium hydrogen sulfite

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Other names: - Potassium bisulfite, potassium bisulphite solution, sulfurous acid,
monopotassium salt, monopotassium sulfite

Structure for KHSO3

Properties

Chemical formula: - KHSO3

Molar mass: - 120.1561 g/mol

Appearance: - White crystalline powder

Odor: - SO2

Melting point: - 190 °C (374 °F; 463 K) (decomposes)

Solubility in water: - 49 g/100 mL (20 °C) 115 g/100 mL (100 °C)

Solubility: - Insoluble in alcohol

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Chemistry textbook
 Chemistry practical book
 www.wikipedia.com
 www.google.com

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