Does Store-Bought Fresh Pasta Contain Preservatives?

Fresh pasta is an excellent main dish ingredient because it's quick and easy to prepare. Boil the noodles for a few minutes, drain, add sauce, and dinner, as they say, is served. These days, you can find a wide variety of fresh egg pasta in your local grocery store's refrigerator section, from long shapes like fettuccine or linguine to tortellini or ravioli stuffed with fillings. 

If you've ever wondered whether a store-bought fresh pasta brand contains preservatives — probably because you didn't use up the whole package — the answer is that it depends. Some fresh egg pasta is preservative-free, while other types contain stabilizers or preservatives. The ingredient list should provide the information you need. Flip your pasta package over and scan the ingredient list, and note the unfamiliar words. They are probably stabilizers (likely) or preservatives (possible, but less likely). Some brands — like Giovanni Rana's –give you the answer right away. "No preservatives" is clearly written on the front of the bag. Regardless of ingredients, when you store fresh noodles in the fridge, it is best to cook them within three days for freshness and quality. 

Fresh pasta has a high moisture content and is quite prone to mold and bacteria growth. Preservatives help prevent spoilage by inhibiting the effects of bacteria, moisture, light, and air on our food. For example, Artisola Organic Non-GMO Basil & Ricotta Ravioli contain ascorbic and citric acid, two common preservatives that help curb discoloration and spoilage. Ascorbic acid may also be used to create a better dough texture.

Glucono delta-lactone sounds like a fancy Italian additive, but it's actually an acidifier. Acidifiers are preservatives that change the pH of food, which lowers the risk of bacteria growth. They can also be flavor enhancers. Some products, like the Trader Joe's store-bought fresh pasta with the tomato and burrata filling, contain sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), an ingredient used for pH control.

Stabilizers, on the other hand, are used to ensure the texture. You are more likely to see stabilizers added to stuffed pasta, such as ravioli or tortellini, in which dough is wrapped around a filling. For example, carrageenan is sometimes used as a stabilizer in cheese fillings. Sodium phosphate, powdered cellulose, and tartaric acid are anti-caking agents used to keep pasta filling from forming clumps. Tara gum, a thickener and stabilizer, can also be found in store-bought fresh pasta, and gluten-free fresh pasta often contains xanthan gum, which helps hold the dough together in the absence of gluten.