This video, we're going to begin our lesson on organic acids used in food preservation. And so organic acids, as their name implies, are going to be any organic compound that is going to have acidic properties. Examples of these organic acids that serve as antimicrobial agents to kill microbes include benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and propionic acids. Benzoic acid, sorbic acid, and propionic acids are all weak organic acids that can be added to food products such as bread and juices in order to prevent microbial growth. And what they do is they create an acidic environment. This acidic environment that these acids create is going to prevent the growth of most bacteria and molds by affecting their cell membranes.
If we take a look at our image down below, we can see we're showing you the structure of a specific organic acid, and this is benzoic acid, the structure of benzoic acid. Notice that it is an organic molecule that contains carbon and hydrogen, and it is containing a carboxylic acid group right here, so it has acidic properties. Notice here we're showing you some bread that has been treated with organic acids, and it looks pretty safe and healthy to eat. And notice over here on the right, what we're showing you is some bread that has no organic acids in it. Notice that lots of mold and microbes are able to grow on that bread, and this bread is not really safe to eat. This shows how organic acids can be used as chemicals for preserving foods.
This here concludes our brief lesson on organic acids used in food preservation, and we'll be able to talk about the nitrates and the nitrites in our next lesson video. So I'll see you all there.