Food additives

Food manufacturers often use food additives. Food additives are substances
added into food in small quatities allocated. These substances are added to food
we eat to:

• improve flavour or colour

• improve the texture

• preserve, that is slow down the speed at which food goes off.

Important groups of additives are acidulants, anti-caking agents,

antioxidants, colours, emulsifiers and stabilisers, flavourings,
preservatives and sweeteners.

Food manufacturers must:

• test all food additives to show that they are safe to eat

• show that an additive is really needed in a product before the additive is

allowed on the list of permitted additives.

Certain additives, like certain foods, can cause a small number of people to react
badly to them. Such people need to avoid the food or food additive to which they
are sensitive. To do this they must learn how to read the labels on food packages.

Food additives can be from natural sources or chemically made (synthetic).

Natural Food Additives

Since hundreds of years ago, man has been using food additives from natural
sources which are spices.

Food consists of organic substances. Therefore, freshness of food cannot be

maintained for a long period of time because organic substances decay. The
decay of organic substances is due to the chemical reactions which occur due to
the action of microorganisms. Microorganisms which can damage food include
bacteria, yeast and mold.

The decay of food can be prevented through preservation

The function of preservatives used in the preservation of food is to destroy or

prevent growth of microorganisms in food.
Examples of natural food additives used in the preservationmof food include salt,
sugar and vinegar. They are used to preserve food such as salted fish, jam,
canned food and prawn paste.

Synthetic Food Additives

In the modern era, rapid development in the field of food tehnology causes the
food industry to continually function towards satisfying the demands of
consumers for a large variety of food which is cheap, easily acquired and fast to
cook.

To achieve this purpose, most of our foods have been processed. Processing food
makes the food more durable, more easily consumed, have a higher quality,
more easily distributed, more easily prepared,more easily cooked and tastier.

Food additives are added to food at all stages of production, processing, and
distribution of the food.

Type of food Additives and Their Function

Preservatives

The food we eat can also be ‘eaten’ by tiny organisms (microbes or

microorganisms) such as bacteria and fungi. These microbes can make poisons
(toxins) which can harm us. You have probably heard of food poisoning caused by
a bacterium called salmonella.

Many different sorts of food contain preservatives. Preservatives are used to

destroy bacteria and fungi or to slow down their growth. Some preservatives are
simple substances such as vinegar (E260 - acetic acid). This is a natural
substance. You may add it to chips! Other preservatives such as nitrates and
nitrites (E249 - E252) have a slight chance of causing some people health
problems. People may choose not to eat products containing these substances.
However, if they were not used, more people would certainly die from food
poisoning. The nitrates and nitrites are used in meat products to prevent the
growth of very dangerous bacteria.

Acidulants

Many foods we eat are acidic, so they have a sharp, sour taste. Fruit such as
lemons contain a lot of citric acid. Cheese and yoghurt contain lactic acid.
Acidulants are added to food, such as soft drinks, desserts, jams, sweets, soups
and sauces to give a better taste. They also act as a preservative.
Antioxidants

The oxygen that we breathe is essential for life. However, it can also be
destructive, for example, it makes iron rusty! Our food will also react with oxygen
and will be very unpleasant to eat if it does so. Substances called antioxidants
are used to stop our food reacting with oxygen in the air. Foods that contain fats
and oils are particularly affected by oxygen. When this happens the fats and oils
go rancid. Rancid foods taste and smell horrible. They can also be harmful.

Flavourings

If food does not taste very nice, you will not want to eat it. The substances that
give food a recognisable flavour are often a complicated mixture of chemicals.
Food manufacturers try to copy the taste of natural flavours so that the food
tastes good. If you are making a dish at home you often add substances such as
herbs and spices to give the dish a good flavour. Flavours are added to
manufactured foods in very small quantities.

Emulsifiers and stabilisers

What happens if you try to add oil (such as cooking oil) to water? You will find
that they do not mix together. They form two separate layers. Some of the foods
we eat, like ice cream and margarine, are mixtures of oil and water. However,
they are not in two separate layers. Substances called emulsifiers are used to
make the oil and water in these products mix together evenly.

Stabilisers are also used to give products like yoghurt a smooth, even texture.

Colours

We are more likely to eat food which looks good. Some processed foods lose their
natural colour as they are being made, so colours are added to make them look
appetising again. Some sweets would be colourless if the manufacturer did not
add colour. However, some people do believe colour additives are not needed.

Labels On Food Package

Labels on food packages gives information about:

The ingredients

Types of food additives

General nutritional facts likes types of minerals and vitamins in the food

Expiry dateof the food.

Address of the manufacturer.

Labels printed on the food packaging should be read carefully when purchasing
food to ensure the contents. This includes the list of food additives used in the
food.

The food additives are commonly printed on the food label using the code E. For
example, E330 = ascorbic acid.

We should avoid buying food without labels because the ingredients and food
additives are unknown and maybe potentially harmful.

The Rationale for the use of Food Additives

Food additives may cause harmful side effects to human. Therefore, research is
done from time to time to ensure all food additives approved are safe to be
consumed

Although there are harmful side effects, usage of food additives in food is
inevitable and is allowed because each additivehas different functions in different
food.

Consumers’ health would not be affected if all food manufacturer follow strictly to
the Acts enforced.

Additive Effect

Sugar Cause of obesity and diabetes in many

people.

Salt High blood pressure.

Sodium Nitrite React with proteins in the stomach or

during cooking to form carcinogenic N-
nitrosamines

Nitrates, sorbic acid Some people develop various allergic

reactions to these additives.

Sulphur dioxid, sodium benzoate Cause wheeziness and tight chests in

asthmatics. Other develop sore, scrathy
throats, or skin rashes and hives.

Tartrazine Is an azo dye. Cause reactions in some

people especially asthmatics. Can
cause hyperactivity, asthma and rashes
in children.

Aspartame Some of the reactions include itching

without a rash, hives, respiratory
allergies, headaches, dizziness, nausea,
numbness and muscle spasms.