What is the role of citric acid in food preservation?

What is the role of citric acid in food preservation?

Step 1: Understand what citric acid is. It is a natural acid found in citrus fruits like lemons and limes.
Step 2: Learn that citric acid can lower the pH of food. pH is a measure of how acidic or basic something is.
Step 3: Know that many bacteria and molds that spoil food prefer a neutral or basic environment to grow.
Step 4: Realize that by adding citric acid, the food becomes more acidic.
Step 5: Understand that this acidic environment makes it harder for harmful microbes to grow, thus preserving the food.
Step 6: Conclude that citric acid helps keep food safe and fresh for a longer time.

No concepts available.