Question

The most commonly used food preservative is:
A.Sodium cyclamate
B.Sodium benzoate
C.Sodium acetate
D.Vanillin

Answer 1

Hint: Preservatives are the substances which when added to the food items prevents them from being spoiled, it increases the storing life of an item and makes it suitable for longer use. The preservatives nowadays used can be man made of natural products.

Complete step by step answer:
Sodium cyclamate: It is the chemical compound which is known for its extra sweetness property than the sucrose available, making it the least preferred product for commercial use. It is referred as the artificial sweetener but due to some of its harmful effects and safety concern it has been banned in few countries
Sodium benzoate: It is a manmade chemical compound which is known for its preserving property, and is commercially used as a famous preservative. It is commonly being used in many packed products to increase their shelf life such as cosmetics, jellies, pickles, medicines, sauces, and even the already prepared juices. It is a FDA approved product and is approved internationally as a food preservative and is known as E211 i.e. the assigned identity number.
Sodium acetate: It is an organic chemical compound and is categorized as the sodium salt. It is a powdered substance which shows high solubility in water. It has its application in textile industries as a neutralizer of the acidic waste materials and in the production of synthetic rubber. It is rarely used as preservative in food items but has its major application in manufacturing industries.
Vanillin: It is an artificial flavour extracted from the vanilla beans as its primary component. It has its major application in the food industry where the flavour of vanilla is required.

So, the correct answer is OptionB ”.

Note:
The process of preservation is basically done for items that cannot be found annually or throughout the year, or for the materials that are packed and have some expiration date with them. With the added preservative the items can be used with increased shelf life in comparison to its natural form.