I have a question.
Potassium Sorbate is a common (and organic) food additive and mold inhibitor. It's commonly used in wine (pretty much all wines) and can be sprayed onto snack sticks & jerky in a mild solution. You spray or dip the sticks/jerky and allow it to air dry on a rack before vacuum packing. Ratio I was given was 3 1/4 ounces to a gallon of water to make the spray/dip. For spraying I make a pint (16oz) of solution. That works out to 11.5 grams for a pint (3.25 ounces per gallon and 8 pints per gallon = 3.25 ounce to grams or 92.14 grams per gallon, so 92.14 divided by 8 = 11.5 grams per pint).
So would this not also work on cheese?
Ah-ha... I found my answer in Wikipedia. It lists potassium sorbate as:
Potassium sorbate is used to inhibit
molds and
yeasts in many foods, such as
cheese,
wine,
yogurt,
dried meats,
apple cider, soft drinks and fruit drinks, and baked goods. It is used in the preparation of items such as hotcake syrup and
milkshakes served by
fast-food restaurants such as
McDonald's. It can also be found in the ingredients list of many
dried fruit products. In addition, herbal dietary supplement products generally contain potassium sorbate, which acts to prevent mold and microbes and to increase shelf life.
Butcher & Packer has potassium sorbate in 1 pound powder bags for $6.25. I've been using it on sticks and jerky so I may have to try it on cheese this year. They recommend a 2.5% solution for sticks.
I found another FAQ page about potassium sorbate that listed the common % for various food products
Items %
Cheese and its products 0.2 - 0.3
Beverage (Syrups) 0.1
Margarine (Unsalted) 0.1
Wine 0.02 - 0.04
Dried Fruits 0.02 - 0.05
Vegetable Salads (prepared) 0.02 - 0.1
Cider 0.05 - 0.1
Confections 0.05 - 0.1
Pie fillings 0.05 - 0.1
Pet food (semi-moist) 0.1 - 0.3
Uses of Potassium Sorbate
# In wine making, as mentioned, 0.02 - 0.04 % of potassium sorbate is mixed in the wine, before it gets bottled.
# For preserving food items such as cheese, 0.2 - 0.3 % of the product is sprayed on natural cheese, and for processed cheese, it is applied directly.
# Fish products are usual dipped in the solution of potassium sorbate, before getting smoked or dried.
# When it comes to preserving bakery products, the preservative is used in low dosages, as such products are leavening ones thus, require yeast. So even when potassium sorbate is used in lower amounts, it is enough for inhibiting mold, yeast and bacterial growth.
# When used in cured meats, potassium sorbate can avoid mold invasion for up to a month. Also, meats dipped in the preservative solution attain double shell life.