Food additives are substances that make foods last longer, taste better, look more appetising, and have a smoother consistency; some even enhance the nutritional value of food. The most common are salt, sugar and corn sweeteners.
Have you ever wondered why some peanut butters don’t separate? Or why most breakfast cereals have so many vitamins and minerals? It’s all due to food additives. A food additive is any substance that is used for a specific purpose in the production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food.
For food preparation: Some additives help bread rise, keep chocolate suspended in chocolate milk, and keep seasoning blends from clumping. For example, emulsifiers give products a consistent texture and prevent them from separating.
For nutritional value: Vitamins and minerals are added to many common foods, such as milk, flour, cereal and margarine, to make them more nutritious and prevent possible health problems. Some foods are enriched with nutrients that are lost in processing. Other foods are fortified; meaning nutrients not present before processing are added. For example, vitamin A and D in milk, folic acid in some grain products, and calcium in orange juice.
For freshness and safety: Preservatives slow product spoilage caused by mould, air, bacteria, fungi or yeast. Bacterial contamination can cause food borne illness, such as botulism and salmonella poisoning. Preservatives such as antioxidants help baked goods preserve their flavour by preventing the fats and oils from becoming rancid. They also keep fresh fruits from turning brown when exposed to the air.
Many food additives contain anti-microbial agents, which inhibit the growth of micro-organisms. Flavouring and flavour enhancers may be natural substances such as salt, sugar, and spices or synthetics such as ethyl vanillin (a vanilla substitute).
For cosmetic value: Food colourings give foods a more appealing and consistent appearance. Stabilises, thickeners, and emulsifiers ensure smooth consistency and keep ingredients from spreading.
Some of them control the acidity and alkalinity, and provide leavening. Specific additives assist in modification of the acidity or alkalinity of foods to obtain a desired taste, colour, or flavour. Leavening agents that release acids when they are heated react with baking soda to help biscuits, cakes and other baked goods rise.
Most aren’t. One of the most common food additives used by us is Aji-no-moto or Mono sodium glutamate. It is used to enhance food flavour, mainly in Chinese cuisine. People sensitive to MSG may have mild and transitory reactions when they eat foods that contain large amounts of MSG (such as would be found in heavily flavour-enhanced foods). Because MSG is commonly used in Chinese cuisine, these reactions were initially referred to as “Chinese restaurant syndrome.”
Sulfites are used primarily as antioxidants to prevent or reduce discoloration of light-coloured fruits and vegetables, such as dried apples and potatoes, and to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms in fermented foods, such as wine. Though most people don’t have a problem with sulfites, they are a hazard of unpredictable severity to people, particularly asthmatics, who are sensitive to these substances
Concern about the safety of additives has led some food processors to find safer substitutes for questionable additives. The list of controversial additives include artificial sweeteners
Limit your intake of additives. Choose freshly or minimally processed foods over additive laden products. Eat a variety of foods to avoid ingesting too much of any single additive. Read food labels carefully; restrict your intake of foods containing artificial colours. And to keep matters in perspective, remember that too much fat or salt in your diet can be far more damaging to your health than any of the synthetic additives, currently approved for use, in our foods. The use of food additives should especially be controlled where children are concerned.
