A solid composition for the preservation of food includes a source of potassium cations selected from at least one of potassium carbonate and potassium hydrogen carbonate； and at least one of a source of ascorbate ions and a source of isoascorbate ions, wherein the source of ascorbate ions is selected from at least one of ascorbic acid, a salt of ascorbic acid and acerola or from any other suitable ascorbic acid rich source, wherein the source of isoascorbate is selected from at least one of isoascorbic acid and a salt of isoascorbic acid, and wherein a molar ratio of potassium cations to ascorbate anions and/or potassium cations to isoascorbate anions in the solid composition is within the range from 1.00:0.95 to 1.00:0.50, preferably 1.00:≤0.78 to 1.00:0.50.
