Question

What is the role of following chemicals in food?
1. Saccharin
2. Sodium benzoate

Answer 1

The chemical that prevents food from spoilage due to microbial growth is known as food preservatives. Sodium saccharin also known as benzoic sulfimide and the word saccharine means sugary and in ${19^{th}}$ centuries in industrialized food production one of the chemicals used was sodium benzoate.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
(1.) Saccharin is an artificial sweetener with a white crystalline appearance having molar mass $183.18g.mo{l^{ - 1}}$ and melting point ${228^\circ }C$ to ${229^\circ }C$ . It can be prepared in the laboratory by oxidizing the o-toluene sulfonamide or phthalic anhydride.
Saccharin is widely used in food industries as it is about 550 times sweeter than sugarcane.
Saccharin is used to sweeten products like drinks, cookies, medicines, chewing gums, jams, and many more. It is also used with aspartame in diet carbonated (beverages containing dissolved $C{O_2}$ ) soft drinks.
Saccharin has a long shelf life and no nutritional value.
(2). Sodium benzoate ( ${C_7}{H_5}Na{O_2}$ ) is an extensively used food pickling agent (preserving food in an edible antimicrobial liquid) having an E number of E211. It can be produced by the reaction of sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid.
Sodium benzoate is used as a preservative, in medicines and cosmetics.
In food preservation, the first step of the mechanism involves the absorption of benzoic acid into the cell. The anaerobic Fermentation of Glucose through phosphofructokinase decreases when intracellular pH falls to 5 or lower. This in turn inhibits the growth and survival of microorganisms that cause food spoilage.

Note:
Saccharin is the oldest sugar substitute and lacks effective food energy. On sensitive individuals, saccharin causes swelling, rashes, and burning sensations in the mouth. Diabetic patients usually use a small amount of saccharin because it directly goes to the digestive system (humans do not have the ability to digest it.)