“No preservatives” is a claim that the manufacturer has not added any preservatives, the additives such as sorbates, benzoates, propionates or sulphites that slow the growth of moulds, yeasts and bacteria. It does not mean the snack contains no additives at all: emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, colours and acidity regulators may still appear on the list.
Chips and other dry snacks can make this claim easily because they hardly need preservatives: with so little water, microbes cannot grow. Their main enemy is fat turning rancid, which is handled through packaging. Many chips, such as Lay’s Flat Potato Chips Chili Lime Flavor, are packed with nitrogen to keep oxygen out, and antioxidants, a separate class of additive, may also be used.
For moist foods such as cakes and fillings, the claim says more, since those products otherwise often rely on preservatives or very high sugar levels to keep.
