FOOD ADDITIVES

FOOD ADDITIVES

Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.

What is food additives?

1. As Preservatives>It can reduce food spoilage, therefore keep the food fresh

>reduce the loss of food and

>reduce the risk of food poisoning

Advantages of food additives

2. As Food flavourings>It can increase the flavour (taste or smell) of food,

>restore the loss of flavour during food processing and

>add flavour to tasteless food

3. As Food colourings>It can replace the colour lost during food processing

>make the food product more attractive and

>give the food product a consistent colour

Some food additives are toxic if a large amount is used, e.g. sodium benzoate and benzonic acid

Some food additives may be carcinogenic, e.g. sodium nitrate has been shown to cause cancer to mice and may also cause cancer to human beings; many colourings used 50 years ago were shown to be carcinogenic

Disadvantages of food additives

3. Some additives may have side effects such as allergies and hyperactivity,e.g.MSG may be responsible to the famous "Chinese restaurant syndrome" -- headaches, thirst, chest pains and digestive troublesThe yellow colouring tartrazine (E102) may cause hyperactivity in childrenSulphur dioxide and sulphites can cause allergies and breathing difficulty to people suffering from asthma

However, not all people taking these food additives will have these side effects.

These side effects differ from person to person and will also vary under different circumstances.

Therefore food additives are necessary!

Benzoates (used to kill microorganisms)

Potassium Sorbate (used for killing mold)

Carrageenan (used to create a smooth texture and thicken foods)

Propylene Glycol (thickener and texturizer, also used as antifreeze for cars and airplanes)

Some common additives found in many processed foods.

Calcium Pantothenate (calcium supplement)

Thiamine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B supplement)

Aspartame (sweetener)

Disodium Guanylate (flavor enhancer)

Cochineal (Red coloring)

Titanium Dioxide (white coloring)

You can avoid food additives and health problems they may cause by eating fresh, unprocessed foods grown by local farmers.

Since these foods are not transported thousands of miles, they don't need to be packaged or pumped full of preservatives before reaching you.

And since they are whole and unprocessed, they won't contain colorings or artificial flavors.

What You Can Do

The time you spend preparing an additive-free meal will pay off in fresh flavor and increased food safety for you and your family.

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