What are food additives? Things to know about food additives

Food additives are often added to foods to preserve or enhance flavor. To learn more about this substance, follow the article below!

What are food additives?

Food additives added to food to preserve food

A food additive is a substance in natural or synthetic form that is added to food to preserve it .

In the second half of the 20th century, with the advent and development of the food processing industry, many food additives were added.

Additives can be of natural origin, or are synthetic or semi-synthetic chemicals such as bicarbonate de sodium. There are also substances synthesized by microorganisms, such as enzymes that make yogurts.

In addition, additives can be vitamins that are added to foods to increase their nutritional value.

People use this additive to intentionally add to foods or drinks to prevent them from spoiling, and to prolong their shelf life without changing the quality and taste of the product.

Or people use to make the product tough, crispy, have a suitable color or taste to attract consumers.

Normally, food additives are not consumed in feed form and used as a specific ingredient of the feed.

For example: People often use additives in some foods such as milk powder, ice cream, cereal powder, fruit jam, …

Currently on the market, there are many commonly used food additives such as preservatives, antioxidants, sweeteners, colorants, flavor enhancers, thickeners, emulsifiers, etc. ..

Benefits of food additives

Benefits of food additives

Create a variety of different products to suit the needs, preferences and tastes of consumers.

Ensure that the quality of the food is preserved until use.

Creating favorable conditions in food production and processing and making products attractive in the market.

The shelf life of food is longer.

Harmful effects of food additives

Harmful effects of food additives

Causes acute poisoning : If we use more than the allowed dose.

Chronic poisoning : In many cases when we use small doses, with regular frequency, some food additives will accumulate in the body, causing long-term damage.

For example: When we eat foods with kerat, according to research experts, 81% of the iron is excreted in urine, 1% in feces, 3% in sweat, and 15% accumulates in fatty tissues. , nerve tissue, leading to protoplasm and assimilation of amino acids, causing some symptoms of chronic poisoning such as loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, hair loss, chronic kidney failure, pale skin , epilepsy, intellectual decline.

Risk of tumor formation, cancer, gene mutation, teratogenicity when using synthetic additives.

Effects on food quality: Destruction of nutrients, vitamins…

Food additives are allowed

Preservative

What are food preservatives?

Preservatives are substances that prolong the shelf life of food and prevent it from spoiling. This substance has the effect of slowing down the growth of microorganisms and delaying natural chemical reactions that make foods lose their palatability or become inedible.

Natural Preservatives

Commonly used in food processing and preservation. In addition to creating colors and delicious flavors for dishes, preservatives also have the effect of preserving food by absorbing excess water, killing bacteria, preventing oxidation and the growth of bacteria. microorganism.

Some natural preservatives such as salt, sugar, cooking oil, oregano, ..

In addition, refrigeration, drying, fermentation, etc. are also some methods to preserve food.

Artificial Preservatives

These are additives that aim to keep food from changing its taste and properties. This type of substance is considered an indispensable raw material in the food industry.

Artificial preservatives are often used as ingredients in canned foods, soft drinks or sauces , on our product labels you will encounter some substances such as BHT, BHA, Sodium nitrate, Sodium Benzoate. , Potassium Nitrate, Benzoic Acid (E210),…

Artificial preservatives are divided into 3 groups , including: The group that is allowed to be used is the common yellow substances for drinks (E104), the food group is the substances with low toxicity to health and the Prohibited are coloring agents and paint preservatives (E103).

Food coloring

Food coloring

Food colors (color additives) are substances that are added to improve the color that has been lost during processing, or to add color to white foods so that they are fresher and more attractive.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have approved the following types of food colorings:

• Red No. 3 (Erythrosine) with cherry red is used in foods such as candy, popsicles, and cake decorating gels.
• 40 (Allura Red) with a deep red color, commonly used in sports drinks, candies, condiments and cereals.
• Yellow #5 (Tartrazine) has a lemon yellow color and is commonly used in products such as candy, soft drinks, chips, popcorn and cereals.
• 6 (Sunset Yellow) with a yellow-orange hue is commonly used in candies, sauces, baked goods and preserved fruit.
• Number 1 blue (Brilliant Blue) with green color is used in ice cream, packaging items such as soup or beans.
• Indigo Blue with a dark blue color is commonly used in candy, ice cream, cereals and snacks.

However, currently there are still some colorants banned in other countries such as green No. 3 while FDA allows use but banned in Europe . Or Quinoline Yellow, Carmoisine and Magenta are allowed in the EU but banned in the US.

Stabilizers

What is a stabilizer?

A food stabilizer is a substance that maintains the structure and uniformity of a product, preventing the separation of emulsions into separate components such as oil and water when mixed together.

Stabilizers are commonly used in canned products such as milk, soft drinks, instant noodles, condiments and confectionery.

Common Stabilizers

• E471 and E418 work to prevent separation between milk powder (milk fat) and water. Or this substance will cause the proteins to be suspended in the milk instead of being separated and floating on the surface.
• E410 : Has a sweet taste and is often used in sweet products such as chocolate.
• E409 : Commonly used as a thickener in foods such as chewing gum, bread, chocolate, confectionery, sauces, frozen fish, mustard and sugar-free foods.
• E401 : Commonly used in baked goods, dairy, sauces, and meat products.

Expansion agent

Expansion agent

Raising agents are substances that cause dough and dough mixtures to expand by releasing gas and creating porous bakery products , commonly used in baking.

Classification of expanders:

• Baking powder (Baking powder) : Contains baking soda and a certain amount of acid and a little starch.
• Yeast : A substance with live microorganisms with the ability to produce substances that make the dough fermentation faster.
• Baking soda (baking soda, bicarbonate of soda, salt medicine) : Belongs to the ingredient of baking powder and works to help cakes rise.

Flavoring agent

Flavoring agent

Flavoring agents (flavoring agents) are often used to add to foods to replace or enhance natural flavors that have been lost during processing.

• Natural flavoring agent : Extracted from plants or animals through physical, microbiological and enzymatic processes, used directly and in its natural state. Natural flavorings can make things edible such as fruit, eggs, milk, animal meat, seafood, etc.
• Flavoring agent with natural characteristics : Made through the process of synthesis and concentration of substances by physico-chemical treatment, organic chemical characteristics are the same as natural flavoring agents and does not contain ingredients of artificial flavoring agent.
• Artificial Flavors : Made from non-edible materials such as petroleum or coal tar through a chemical process to create a scent that resembles the natural smell of food.

In addition to the above substances, sweeteners, antioxidants, acidity regulators, coagulants, and emulsifiers are also allowed.

Harmful food additives

Harmful food additives

Antibiotics in dairy foods

Except for organic dairy products, milk, yogurt and cheese are made from cows’ milk that has been injected with antibiotics, according to registered dietitian Ashley Koft.

The daily intake of this antibiotic kills the good bacteria in the intestines in the body’s immune system, along with harmful bacteria in the digestive area that will also cause swelling and enlargement of the waist.

To limit the consumption of dairy products containing hormones and antibiotics, consumers should read the information on the product label before consuming and should consume dairy products that say “no hormones and antibiotics” on the package.

Chemicals in canned foods

According to the results of a study conducted by the Consumer Reports Program (USA) 19 brands of canned products contain chemicals that cause breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

In addition, according to Dr. Urvashi Rangan, said that even if we use only a small amount of these substances, it is very dangerous. Therefore, we avoid eating canned food and instead use vegetables, fresh foods and reheated foods in glass containers.

Sodium in seasoning for salads

In coleslaw having a higher percentage of salt in spices will lead to weight loss because it retains water and makes us feel bloated.

According to experts, it is recommended to use 1,500-2,300mg of sodium in the above seasoning or use this spice with olive oil or vinegar in a ratio of 2:1.

As we all know, salt is an additive that affects health. Therefore, we should use a small amount of salt for the body and beneficial to the preservation of food.

Besides, we need to limit the use of salt in excess because it can be dangerous to health, affect cardiovascular function, increase blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

How harmful are additives?

Fructose in soft drinks and packaged products

For foods and drinks with sugar leads to an increased risk of blood pressure diseases . According to the results of a study by the University of Denver, people who consume about 74mg of sugar per day have a higher risk of blood pressure than those who eat less.

The amount of fructose in soft drinks or cakes is very high, which is why it reduces the production of nitric oxide, a gas that helps blood vessels relax and widen. Therefore, instead of using soft drinks, cakes, we should use fruits or use cereals.

Besides, we must also be careful with foods with added sugar such as baked goods, cereals, crackers, sauces and other processed foods. Although they are not toxic, if used with a lot of sugar, it will affect our health.

Many experts recommend that, daily, we should not consume more than 10% of total calories. Overconsumption of sugar not only causes tooth decay or blood sugar spikes in diabetes, but it also destroys beneficial nutrients.

To feed these unnecessary calories, you need to absorb nutrients to metabolize the sugars so that they can take away valuable vitamins and minerals.

There are toxic additives in baked goods

Acesulfame – K

Acesulfame – K is an artificial sugar, licensed for use in soft drinks by the US Food and Drug Administration . In addition, it is also found in baked goods, desserts.

The “K” in Acesulfame – K is the chemical element Potassium, this amount of potassium is 200 times sweeter than regular sugar. According to some studies in rats, this substance can cause cancer.

Soft drinks can cause bladder cancer

Olestra

Olestra (Olean) is a form of synthetic fat, often found in some types of french fries, which prevents the absorption of fat by the digestive system, leading to acute diarrhea, flatulence, and indigestion.

When you eat fats with Olestra, the fat goes straight to you and prevents the absorption of carotenoids. Olestra can cause heart disease and cancer because it blocks the absorption of fats and vitamins.

Food coloring (Blue #1, Blue #2, Red #3, Green #3 and Yellow 6)

Most of the artificial food colors are toxic and have been banned by the FDA for a long time, but the above 5 are still available in the market . Many animal experiments have shown that these substances can cause cancer.

Some dyes can cause cancer if the right conditions are met.

• Blue #1 and #2 are often found in soft drinks such as tea, milk, wine, beer, candy, baked goods, and low-risk pet foods.
• The red number 3 commonly used to make cherries, cocktails, candy, and baked goods can cause thyroid tumorigenesis in mice.
• Green number 3 often found in candy and soft drinks causes bladder cancer.

According to many studies, red number 6 is the most commonly used substance in soft drinks, hot dogs, baked goods and candies, causing tumors in the kidneys and adrenal glands.

Potassium bromated

Potassium bromated is approved for use in the United States as an additive to increase the volume of flour and bread. Bromated degrades to a non-toxic form, but it is a carcinogen in animals and can be harmful to humans.

In the state of California, USA, labels of products containing potassium bromated are required to have a cancer warning.

Principles of using food additives

Principles of using food additives

The use of food additives must ensure no harm to the health of consumers at the level of use.

Food additives may only be used when the manufacturer warrants that they do not pose a health hazard and do not mislead consumers or that the food additive is intended to serve one or more of the following human needs. Technology demand :

• Maintain the nutritional quality of food.
• Provide some necessary ingredients for food to consumers with dietary needs.
• Improve storage quality or stability of food
• Assist in the processing, packaging, transportation or storage of food

All food additives are used under good manufacturing conditions (GMP) , such as:

• The amount of additives added to the food will be limited to a minimum to match the desired effect.
• An additive that may become an ingredient of a food during the production, processing or packaging of the food and is not intended to exert any other technical or physical effect in the food, is reduced to the extent reasonably possible.
• All additives are prepared and handled similarly to a food ingredient.

Tnhelearning.edu.vn hopes that the above article will help you understand more about food additives as well as the benefits and harms of this substance in life!

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