What do preservatives taste like?

[Kent Wang]

So that I can identify when a product has preservatives in it, how would you describe the way preservatives such as sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite affect taste?

[SuzySushi]

I don't think you can detect sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite by taste alone. They taste salty from the sodium component. These two preservatives are most common in sausages, ham, bacon, and other cured meats and help preserve a pink color (otherwise the products would tend to be brownish-gray). Sodium nitrite is naturally present in vegetables like beets and even lettuce.

[takadi]

Anything with potassium sorbate has a very distinct flavor (or rather, a sensation). It has a tingly numbing sensation.