FOOD ACIDS

INTRODUCTION

Definition:
• Acidulants- Food acids contribute to functions that leads to
enhancement of quality, palatability, nutritive value, sensory appeal
of processed foods.
• In addition to its main role i.e. lowering the pH, carries out
numerous functions like Flavour enhancer, preservative, colour
protecting agents, chelating agents (antioxidants), and coagulating
agents.
 Functions in food system

As pH Control agents:
• Acidulants - important food additives for controlling pH during the
processing of different food system.
• Optimum pH essential for processing and stabilizing a food system.

• Particularly essential in gel-type products such as jams, jellies and jellied

candies.
• E.g. Optimum development of gel character and strength formed by
pectin- pH range between 2.9 and 3.4 is critical, even slight variation have
profound effect on product quality.
• In formulation of such food products- amount of acid required to give
desired physical properties (determining factor).
• Baking applications (Leavening)- Acidifying agents- important
additive to be used along with leavening agents
As Preservatives and Anti-browning agents:
• Low-acid foods (pH- below 4.6)- less susceptible to microbial spoilage.
• If product does not contains sufficient natural acids- acidulants need to be
added- which can exert the preservative effect by lowering pH of product.
• As a preservative (Benzoates, Sorbates, and Propionates)- when added to
the food maintains the pH between 3-5  bacteriostatic- reproduction and
growth of bacteria inhibited in acidified medium- can improve the shelf-life
of foods.
• Acidic pH of foods- permits shortening of sterilization time- in turn results
in quality nutritive products (minimizing the loss of micronutrients).
• Though fruits contains natural organic acids- addition of acidulants may be
required for proper sterilization during canning- since drought, growth
conditions and plant variety often leads to lowered acid content.
Browning is the main physiological disorder that impairs sensory properties and
discourages consumer purchase of fresh-cut produce.
• Enzymatic browning reactions in fruit are primarily catalyzed by polyphenol
oxidase (PPO) in the presence of oxygen.
• Acidulants- one of important categories of Anti-browning agents (reducing
agents, chelating agents, complexing agents, acidulants, enzyme inhibitors) -
plays key role in preserving the quality of fruits and vegetables during canning
and dehydration process.
• Prior to processing- fruits and vegetables are often soaked in acid solutions.
• Tends to inhibit the oxidation reactions (Enzymatic and non-enzymatic
browning reactions)- by displacing Redox equilibrium in direction of reduction.
Chelating agents/Antioxidant synergists:
• Auto-oxidation reactions results in undesirable reactions- discoloration,
rancidity and instability of nutrients- promoted by catalytic action of
certain metallic ions- iron, nickel, manganese, cobalt, chromium, copper
and tin.
• Presence of even low levels of metal ions can make significant
contributions to metal-mediated oxidative pathways.
• Certain acidulants- citrates and phosphates- capable of chelating metal
ions – form of antioxidant activity.
• Can act synergistically with synthetic primary antioxidants like BHA,BHT-
combined activity of two antioxidants will be greater.
In water treatment :
• Sequestering ability of acidulants, especially the phosphates- used in
treatment of water used in food processing.
• Mineral constituents of natural water have devastating effects on foods
processed with those natural water.
• Common practice to treat the waters “to soften them”- involves the
addition of phosphates to complex metal ions (iron, copper, calcium
and magnesium).
Flavor Adjuncts:
• Important function of most foods (besides supplying nutritive value) is to impart
pleasure during eating and to leave a feeling of statisfaction.
• Flavor contributes significantly to attractiveness of food
• Flavor – net effect of several physiological reactions involving various combinations
of taste, odor, mouth feel.
• Food acidulants- play an important role in enhancement of food flavors, without
them, foods such as hard candies, carbonated and non-carbonated beverages,
jellies, preserves that would taste flat.
• Acidulants add tartness required to balance excessive sweetness of products.
• If there is no balance between tartness and sweetness- flavor cannot be developed.
• Ratio of sweetness to tartness (brix acid ratio) can be adjusted to give primary
flavor and secondary flavor notes otherwise masked by excessive
sweetness/tartness.
• Influence of an acid on overall flavor- governed by its own
characteristic flavor and degree of tartness it imparts.
• Characteristic flavor of some acids make them particularly useful with
certain flavours.

E.g. 1. Tartaric acid in combination with grape flavor and phosphoric acid
with cola flavors.

2. Citric acid, fumaric and malic acids- have broad spectrum of utility-
compatibiltiy with most of fruits and berry flavors.
Maintaining nutritive value:
• Nutritive value of certain foods, enhanced by addition of acidulants
when they contain ascorbic acid as one of their components.
• When present in less amount- ascorbic acid preferentially oxidized to
dehydroascorbic acid with rapid loss of vitamin activity.
• High acidity tends to reverse this reaction by maintaining low redox
potential especially during initial stages of oxidation.
 Properties to be considered for selection of acidulants

Flavor profile:
• Refers to perceived sharpness or blandness contributed by acid.
E.g. Tartaric acid and citric acid- provides sharp taste compared to lactic acid (bland taste).
Fumaric and tartaric acid – provides greater degree of sourness.
• Comparing acids relative to similarity of taste to citric acid.
• Relative equivalents:
citric acid- 100

Fumaric acid – 55
Tartaric acid – 70

Malic acid – 75
Succinic acid – 87
Lactic acid - 107
pH:
• At equal concentrations, acidulants vary in their ability to depress pH and
degree/intensity of tartness produced.
• Percentage required to replace anhydrous citric acid varies from 55% to
60%- phosphoric acid, 67-72%- fumaric acid, 80-85%- tartaric acid, 78-
83%- malic acid.

Solubility rate:
• Determines how rapidly the acid dissolves and contributes towards flavor
profile.

E.g. In beverage powder dissolved in cold water, rapid solubility is required to

impart tartness- citric acid would be used.
Solubility:
• Solubility of acid refers to quantity soluble in solution.
• Cream of tartar, fumaric acid- have low solubilities- makes them suitable
for bakery applications in controlling leavening systems.
• Phosphoric acid (liquid)- miscible with water- used in beverage syrup

Hygroscopicity:
• Tendency to absorb moisture- property needs to be considered when
application in dry mixes.
• If high hygroscopic acids- citric/tartaric acids used in dry mixes- proper
packaging material should be used.
• Less hygroscopic acids- fumaric acid, adipic acids can be used.
Classification of Food acids