What chemical degradation process is interrupted by antioxidants like BHA and BHT?
Answer
Oxidation causing fats and oils to go rancid
Food quality loss is not exclusively due to living organisms; chemical degradation also plays a significant role, notably oxidation. Oxidation causes fats and oils within food matrices to break down, resulting in undesirable flavors and unpleasant odors known as rancidity. Antioxidants such as Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) are synthetic compounds specifically employed to counteract this process. They function by interrupting the chain reaction inherent in oxidation, thereby slowing down the chemical mechanism that spoils the flavor stability of fats, oils, cereals, and various snack foods over time.
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