How do Campden tablets affect the fermentation process when making mead?

Campden tablets, also known as potassium metabisulfite, are used in mead making to kill off wild yeast and bacteria that could interfere with the fermentation process. By adding Campden tablets before pitching the yeast, it helps create a clean environment for the desired yeast strain to thrive and ferment the honey into mead without competition from other microorganisms.