JAWAHAR higher SECONDARY SCHOOL

NEYVELI
(AFFLIATED TO C.B.S.E)

SESSION

2014-2015

CHEMISTRYPROJECT

INVESTIGATORY
ON

Study of effect of Potassium

bisulphite as a food preservative

Submitted to
Submitted by
MRS.D.SANGEETHA
N.R.ARUN KAUSHIK

Chemistry Teacher,

S.BALAJI

CLASS 12, JHSS

V.MANOJ PREVEEN

Class-12, Section-A
Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of
true education.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify
that
the project
work titled
Study of effect of Potassium
bisulphite as a food preservative submitted by
S.BALAJI (class XIIth - PCM group)
in partial
fulfilment of the credit for the chemistry project
evaluation from JAWAHAR HIGHER SECONDARY
SCHOOL, NEYVELI , is the bonafide work of the
student
done
under
the
guidance
and
supervision of Mrs.D.Sangeetha, Chemistry
Teacher,JHSS during session 2014-2015, as a
project report.
NAME:
REGISTRATION NO. :
DATE:

INTERNAL EXAMINER

SUBJECT:
CLASS:
PLACE:

EXTERNAL EXAMINER

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Our project can never begin without you, dear
GOD. Rather than saying thank you to you, you
know that we feel like saying I love you, to you,
always.

We must say thanks to our parents who provided

us sufficient money and help in making of this
project.
Mrs.D.Sangeetha, you are the real foundation of
the project done by us. Thank you very much. Special
thanks to our Principal, our Vice Principal and our
chemistry
teachers,
Mr.C.H.Anil
Reddy
and
Mr.G.Venkatesh who gave support to us and library
which provides all useful books related to this
project.
Next on our thank list are our friends, teachers
who really showered constructive feedbacks and
suggestions without which this project would not
have been in present form.

N.R.ARUN KAUSHIK
V.MANOJ PREVEEN
S.BALAJI

DECLARATION

We hereby declare that the project work entitled Study of

effect
of
Potassium
bisulphite
as
a
food
preservative submitted to the JAWAHAR HIGHER
SECONDARY SCHOOL, NEYVELI is a record of original
work done by us, except for quotations and summaries
which have been duly acknowledged, under the guidance of
"Mrs.D. Sangeetha, Chemistry Teacher, JHSS ". The project
has not been accepted for any credits based on
investigatory projects previously.
N. R. ARUN KAUSHIK
V. MANOJ PREVEEN
S. BALAJI

INDEX
SL.N
O.

TOPIC

PAG
E
NO.

OBJECTIVE

INTRODUCTION

AIM

APPARATUS REQUIRED

MATERIALS & CHEMICALS

THEORY

PROCEDURE
EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION OF
SUGAR
EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION OF
KHSO3

10

10

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE

11

11

12

12

EFFECT OF TIME
RESULTS,CONCLUSIONS &
SUGGESTIONS

13

BIBLIOGRAPHY

14

14

NOTES

14

8
9

13

OBJECTIVE
Concentrati
on

The objective of this

project is to study the
effect of Potassium
Conditio
bisulphite
as
a
food
ns
preservative under
Temperatur
various
conditions.
Time
e

INTRODUCTION
Growth of microorganisms in a food
material can be inhibited by adding certain
chemical substances. However the chemical
substances should not be harmful to human
beings. Such chemical substances which are
added to food materials to prevent their
spoilage
are
known
as
chemical
preservatives. In our country, two chemical
preservatives which are permitted for use
are:

1. Benzoic acid(or sodium benzoate)

2. Sulphur
dioxide(or
potassium
bisulphite)
Benzoic acid or its sodium salt, sodium
benzoate
is
commonly
used
for
the
preservation of food materials. For
the
preservation of fruits, fruit juices, squashes
and jams sodium benzoate is used as
preservative because it
is soluble in
water and hence easily mixes with the food
product.
Potassium bisulphite is used
for the preservation of colourless
food
materials such as fruit juices, squashes,
apple and
raw mango chutney. This is not
used
for
preserving
coloured
food
materials because Sulphur dioxide produced
from this chemical is a bleaching agent.
Potassium bisulphite on reaction with acid of
the juice liberates Sulphur dioxide which is
very effective in killing
the harmful
micro-organisms present in food stuffs and
thus prevents it from getting spoilt.
HSO3(aq) + H+(aq)

H2O(l) + SO2(g)

The advantage of this method is that no

harmful chemical is left in the food. The
Manitoba
Agriculture,
Food and
Rural

Initiatives
reports that this product
works to
prevent the growth of mould,
yeast and bacteria in foods. It is also an
additive
for
homemade wine. Potassium
bisulphite is found in some cold drinks
and fruit juice concentrates. Sulphites are
common
preservatives
in
smoked or
processed meats and dried fruits. In spray
form, it may help prevent foods from
discolouring or browning.

AIM
The aim of this project is to study the
effect of potassium bisulphite as food
preservative.
i. At different temperatures.
ii. At different concentrations and

iii. For different intervals of time.

APPARATUS

Requiremen
ts

MATERIALS AND
CHEMICALS

Requireme
nts

THEORY
Food materials undergo natural changes due
to temperature, time and enzymatic action
and become unfit for consumption. These
changes may be checked by adding small
amounts of potassium bisulphite. The
effectiveness of KHSO3 as preservative
depends upon its concentration under different
conditions which may be determined
experimentally. An ideal method of food
preservation has the following characteristics:

#1.It improves shelf-life and safety by

inactivating spoilage and pathogenic
microorganisms,
#2.It does not change organoleptic
(smell, taste, colour, texture, etc.) and
nutritional attributes,
#3.It does not leave residues,
#4.It is cheap and convenient to apply
and

#5.It encounters no objection from

consumers and legislators.

PROCEDURE:

1. Take fresh fruits, wash them

thoroughly with water and peel
off their outer cover.
2. Grind it to a paste in the
mortar with a pestle.
3. Mix with sugar and colouring
matter.
4. The material so obtained is
fruit jam. It may be used
to study the effect of
concentration of sugar and
KHSO , temperature and
time.
3

(A)Effect of concentration of Sugar: 1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Take three wide mouthed reagent bottles labeled as I II

III.Put 100 gms of fruit jam in each bottle.
Add 5.0 gms, 10.0 gms and 15.0 gms of sugar to bottle No.
I, II and III respectively.
Add 0.5 gm of KHSO3 to each bottle.
Mix contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.
Close the bottle and allow them to stand for one week or
10 days at room temperature.
Observe the changes taking place in Jam every day.

Bottle

Wt. of

Wt. of

Wt. of

No.

jam taken

sugar

KHSO3

added
100 gms

5.00 gms

0.5gm

NO

NO

NO

Few

Change

Change

Change

Change

NO

NO

Few

Some

Few

Change

Change

Change

Change

more

II

100 gms

10.00 gms

0.5 gm

Observations (Days)
2
3
4

5
Few
More
Change

Change

III

100 gms

15.00 gms

0.5 gm

NO

Few

Few

Some

More

Change

Change

Change

Change

Change

RECORD:
Result: The increase in concentration of sugar
causes fast decaying

(B)Effect of concentration of KHSO3 :

1.
2.
3.
4.

Put 100 gm of Jam in each bottle.

Add 5.0 gm of sugar to each bottle.
Take bottles labeled as I, II, III.
Add 1.0 gm, 2.0 gm and 3.0 gm of KHSO3 to bottle No. I,

5.
6.

II and III respectively.

Mix the contents thoroughly with a glass rod.
Keep all the bottles at room temperature for about 10

Bottle

Wt. of

Wt. of

Wt. of

No.

jam taken

sugar

KHSO3

added

Observations (Days)
1

100 gms

5.00 gms

1.0gm

no

no

no

few some

II

100 gms

5.00 gms

2.0gm

no

no

no

no

few

III

100 gms

5.00 gms

3.0 gm

no

no

no

no

no

days and observe the changes everyday.

RECORD:

Result: The increase in concentration of KHSO3

increase more time of preservation

(C)Effect of temperature:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Take 100 gm of Jam in three bottles lebelled as I, II and

III.
Add 10.0 gm of sugar and 2.0 gm of KHSO3 to bottle No.
I, II and III respectively.
Mix the contents thoroughly with a stirring rod.
Keep bottle No. I in the refrigerator at 0C, bottle No.
II at room temperature (25C) and bottle No. III in a
thermostat at 50C. Observe the changes taking place in
the jam for 10 days.

RECORD:
Bottle

Wt. of

Wt. of

Wt. of

No.

jam

sugar

KHSO3

Observations (Days)

taken

No

No

No

No

No

change

change

change

change

change

No

No

No

No

Slight

change

change

change

change

change

No

No

Slight

Some

Some

change

change

change

change

more

added
I

100 gms

10.00

2.0gm

gms
II

100 gms

10.00

2.0 gm

gms
III

100 gms

10.00
gms

2.0 gm

change

Result: The increase in temperature causes

faster fermentation of jam.

(D)Effect of time:
1.

Take three bottles and label them as I, II and III.

2.
3.
4.

To each bottle add 25 g of Jam and 1 g of potassium

bisulphite.
Keep bottle I for 7 days, bottle II for 14 days and bottle
III for 21 days at room temperature.
Note the changes taking place in each bottle and record
the observations.

Observations(Days)
14
21

Bottle No.
I

No

******

******

II

No

Taste

******

changes

III

No

No

Unpleasant smell
develops

RECORD:
Result: With increase of days, the quality of the
jam deteriorates.

RESULTS, CONCLUSIONS
AND SUGGESTIONS
From the experiment, we can conclude
that KHSO3 acts as a viable food
preservative
whose
increased

concentration can increase time for

preservation.
But
increase
in
concentration of sugar content in the
food material causes fast decaying.
Also, the experiment shows that rate
of fermentation of food stuffs is
directly proportional to temperature
conditions. On passage of time, even
in the presence of KHSO3, the food gets
spoiled. Though potassium bisulphite
is a good food preservative (class II
preservative), it can trigger lung
irritation
and
asthma.
So,
our
suggestion is that the usage of food
preservatives must be reduced to the
extent possible.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Reference books:

 NCERT CLASS 12 CHEMISTRY BOOKSPART I, II

CONCISE INORGANIC CHEMISTRY BY J.D.LEE
NCERT LABORATORY MANUAL CLASS 12 CHEMISTRY

Reference websites:

www.google.co.in
en.wikipedia.org
www.ncert.nic.in
www.livestrong.com

NOTES