Formalin Substitute Natural Preservative: What?

Actually, the problem of illegal use of additives in food has long been didengungkan by many, both from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency, Higher Education and the Foundation Board Consumer. But,
community because consumers are unfamiliar with the use of dangerous illegal materials, coupled with the law does not explicitly trapping troubled manufacturer, the manufacturer the problem can still use this illegal substance anyway because consumers do not mempermasalahkannya.

Commotion around the use of formalin in the food supply shows that there is friction values ​​held by consumers of food in Indonesia. Level of awareness of the importance of health, coupled with the continued publication of the mass media about the dangers of the use of illegal substances, causing mass consumers who allegedly refuse food added with illegal substances, including many of formalin in the current trial. This is a great hit for ditenggarai industries often use formalin in the products. At this time also many preservatives promoted alternative formalin substitute. Most disodorkan alternative is a natural preservative.

But, actually there are many questions diseputar preservatives, so that its use does not trigger new problems in the future. Antimicrobial compound is a preservative which functions to inhibit food damage due to microbial activity. History of the use of preservatives in the food supply itself from the use of salt, smoke and acid (fermentation process) to preserve food. A total of antimicrobial material is then expanded in order to inhibit or kill microbial pembusuk (cause damage to food) and microbial pathogens (cause of food poisoning). Antimicrobial right can still extend reserves and ensure food security. Selection and use of antimicrobial should consider many factors, and all back in the balance of risk and profit. Factors considered to choose the right antimicrobial is a chemical and antimicrobial properties of compounds; the nature and composition of the product; other curing systems used in addition to antimicrobial; types, characteristics and amount of microbes in the product; aspects of legality and security of the antimicrobial; economically use and guarantee that does not impair the quality of antimicrobial products. In addition, the effectiveness of the use of an antimicrobial compound in the food supply depends on the condition of food products such as pH (acidity), the polarity, the composition of nutrients in foods, also depends on other factors such as temperature and processing conditions, packaging and post-processing.

Has long been realized that many natural substances have inhibiting microbial activity, caused by a specific component that is in it. The oldest report mentions that in 1550 BC the ancient Egyptians used spices as food preservatives and pembalsem mummy. Research on the potential of a natural preservative that comes from plants spices (like ginger, cinnamon, andaliman, leaves, etc.) or from animal products (such as lisozim, laktoperoksidase, Chitosan, etc.) itself has actually done much in various universities in Indonesia. Results of the research done in general show that in vitro, some natural materials antimicrobial future potential. But, the way to the application of the material into the food is still very long. It takes a lot of further research before concluding that natural preservatives or antimicrobial material can be commercially produced and safe for consumers if applied into the food supply. In the material that showed antimicrobial activity further identification is needed to determine the active components antimikrobanya, antimikrobanya spectrum and how much concentration of the components