Expert: J. Peter Clark - 8/8/2006

Question
Hi
Great site! My husband I are working on a hot sauce line...we have been trying to keep it with no preseratives.. but it seems we need one...
we have read a lot of lables and find sodium benzoate to be a very popular one. so a couple of question..where can we purchase this product.
how do we know the amount to use,how long does using this product add to shelf life of your product.cost wise can you give us an idea
we also are needing to find a company IN canada and costa rica the does the nutriional brakdown of food products..for labeling and such..
thank you
adie


Answer
First, you probably do not need a preservative for hot sauce. Most of those in my refrigerator do not have one on the label. Hot sauces are usually acidic enough that they are preserved by hot filling. If this is not done correctly, they may be subject to mold and preservatives added to prevent the mold. Sodium benzoate is one of several possible antimicrobials that are food approved. Some suppliers include: Cargill Acidulants, Naperville, IL 800-535-1443; KIC Chemicals, Armonk, NY 914-273-6555; and Premium Ingredients Group, Carol Stream, IL 630-868-0300. There are others. These are advertisers in Food Master. I do not know costs. Doses depend on the product, but are usually quite low. Shelf life extension depends on the product, conditions of storage and contamination.  I believe if one is careful about mixing, heating and filling, one does not need preservatives for acid products.

A source for nutrition labeling in Canada is Guelph Food Technology Center  519-821-1246. I do not know of one in Costa Rica, but Guelph could probably serve you there as well.