Best antimicrobial??

[moxion]

Hi there,

I am making a Tiramisu-flavored frappuccino (milk coffee) pudding - I know, dont ask - and need to find out which (combination of) acid would best help me reduce my pH (currently at 5.9 per my own $400 pH meter) to reasonable 3.8 levels while acting as a natural preservative.

I have 4 favorites in mind: citric, lactic, ascorbic and acetic acids.

Do you recommend a combo (like citric/lactic) or is just one milder organic acid fine? (I am watching the aftertaste too).

The dessert will be air-sealed (like any glass-bottled fruit juice) and could be stored either at room temp or in the fridge.

 

Any thorough answer appreciated...

 

Thank you,

 

Matt

[John Cuthber]

I think you will have a problem. Milk curdles when acidified and I don't know if you can get it that acidic without curdling. Certainly when it turns sour the stuff denatures and that's due to bacterial action producing lactic acid so it's not acid enough to be bacteriostatic.

[moxion]

Thank you for the reply.

I forgot to mention I am using rice milk. Also, I noticed that the Starbucks bottled frappuccino uses ascorbic acid but I somehow always thought lactic and citric acids (whether mixed or not) would be more effective.

[CaptainPanic]

Citric acid is (I think) the most widely used preservative. If not, at least it is very easy to get.

 

Btw, it is known as "E330" in the European food industry.

[moxion]

It also seems that critic acid is favored in fruit-based products whereas milder ascorbic is found in other finer recipes. Correct?

[John Cuthber]

I think ascorbic acid is much more likely to be added as an antioxidant than as a microbicide. Much of it is made commercially by fermentation; it can't be that good at killing bugs if they make it.

Unfortunately, the same goes for the other acids you mention. They may supress some moulds and bacteria but I don't think you could rely on them for long