Question

Salts and sugar preserve foods because they
a) make them acid
b) produce a hypotonic environment
c) deplete nutrients
d) produce a hypertonic environment.

Answer 1

Salts and sugar preserve foods because they d) produce a hypertonic environment.

What is a hypertonic environment?

• A hypertonic environment is created when water moves out of a cell into the environment.

How do salt and sugar preserve food?

• Salt and sugar cause water to move out of a cell by creating a hypertonic environment.

• When the water constituent of a food is low, microbial growth cannot occur.
• As a result, the food is preserved and remains unspoiled.

Hence, the correct option is d) produce a hypertonic environment

Answer 2

(d) Produce a hypertonic environment

Definition of hypertonic environment;

Hypertonic environment refers to a solution with a high solute concentration in outside cell rather than the inside cell.

Preservation of salt and sugar;

• Salt and sugar have preserve foods because of the high content of salt which have same effects on microbes.
• High salt is toxic to the internal process of microbes that effect the DNA process and enzymes.
• The salt preserved food draws water in a cool dry place environment.
• Whereas , sugar helps to preserve the color, texture, and flavor of the food. Such as sugar in jams and jellies helps to increase the flavor.
• In the way of microbial growth sugar and salt can spoiled the food in a high content.

Therefore, through the hypertonic environment bacteria and fungi are not able to reproduce as the salt and sugar take the water out of the organism.