Synthetic antioxidants are chemically synthesized petroleum based antioxidants used primarily to retard lipid oxidation, in order to preserve and stabilize the refined oils and fats within a food product/ food system.
They find applications in the various categories of the food industry, including, Bakery, Meat, Spices, Cereals, Dehydrated Foods, Beverages, Desserts, Vitamins, Vegetable Oils, Processed Cheese, Butter, Margarine, Chewing Gum, Snack Foods, Frozen Foods
The widely used synthetic antioxidants are:
- BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)
- BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
- PG (propyl gallate)
- TBHQ (tert-butylhydroxyquinone)
- THBP (tri-hydroxybutyrophenine)
- Erythorbic acid (D-ascorbic acid)
- Ascorbyl palmitate
- Ethoxyquin
- Thiodipropionic acid
- Dilauryl thiodipropionate
The beneficial properties of synthetic antioxidants are:
- Anti-carcinogenic properties
- Anti-mutagenic properties
- Inhibition of cholesterol oxidation
- No cancer or other health hazard risks
- Inhibition of foodborne pathogens
The key characteristics for the utilization of synthetic antioxidants in the food industry can be summarised as below:
- Synthetic antioxidants are totally safe when used at the appropriate and legal concentration
- They have synergistic abilities with each other
- They can withstand certain food system processing techniques, such as high heat during frying processes without degrading
- They can be carried throughout food systems in preserving fat or oil within a food product
- They are cheaper in price compared to pure forms of natural antioxidants
