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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FOOD ADDITIVES

Definition

Food additives are substances that are intentionally introduced directly to food to improve quality, presentation (texture, consistency, appearance), flavor, odour, taste and storage life but does not include vitamins and minerals. It also has technological function in the preparation or processing of a food.

Food additives should not be confused with contaminants, which are not intentionally added to food. Contaminants include such substances like heavy metals and pesticide residues.

Background

For hundred of years it has been common practice to add to food in various ways to help preserve, flavor, blend, thicken or color food. Our ancestors have long used salt to preserve fish and meat, spice to add taste to food, while egg yolks have been frequently used as a means of combining water and oil. Vinegar and sugar have been used as food additives to preserve fruit and for making pickles.

In more recent times the range of additives in common use has been increased for a number of reasons:

• To offer consumers a wider choice of food
• To ensure that food food stays wholesome until it is eaten
• To make food look more appetizing and easier to prepare
• To keep prices down by prolonging shelf life

Without food additives the system for marketing food as we know today could not exist.

Types of Food Additives

Preservatives

Preservatives are used to control the growth of mould, bacteria and yeast and therefore increase the shelf life of food. Some preservatives are traditional such as sugar, vinegar and salt and these are widely used in the food industry. In addition, permitted preservatives help to protect consumers from micro-organisms that causes food poisoning.

Colouring substances

Colour make food appealing and help to stimulate appetite. When natural color are lost in the preserving process, as it often is, manufacturers choose from a range of permitted colors to improve the appearance of their products. Most food colors are derived from natural substances.

Flavouring enhancers

Herb and spices have been used for centuries to flavour food. In the food industry, many flavours, either natural or nature identical, are added in minute amaouts. This include the flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is used mainly in savoury foods such as dried soup, stock cubes, sauces and etc.

Antioxidants

When any food containing fat or oil is exposed to air for a long period, the oxygen in the atmosphere will make it go rancid unless antioxidant is used. Besides helping to keep food fresh, antioxidants have an important role to play in conserving vitamins, in particular vitamin A.

Food Conditioners

Food conditioners are added to food for a technological purpose to obtain the desired food. This includes:

• Emulsifiers and stabilizers

Emulsifiers are used to make smooth mixture ingredients such as oil and water which normally separate. While stabilizer prevent them from separating again. They are used in products such as low fat table spread, ice cream, mayonnaise, sauces and instant dessert. Some emulsifiers and stabilizers also function as thickeners. Without these, nutritionally desirable products such as low fat table spread could not be made.

• Antifoaming agents – to stop liquids from becoming frothy
• Acidity regulators – to control the acidity and alkalinity of food
• Anticaking agents – to stop powder from going lumpy

Misconceptions About Food Additives

Concerns about chemicals – Some people believe that food additives are chemicals and therefore they should be banned. In the context of food science, the term ‘chemical’ is meaningless because air and water; glucose and salt are chemicals in the same way food additives are. The important point to note is that many of the food additives used occur naturally. For example :

• Pectin which is used to set jams is taken from plant
• Lecithin which is used to prevent food separation is obtained from egg yolk
• Other natural additives include caramel as color, vitamin C as antioxidant, agar from seaweed as stabilizer etc.

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Source: FQCD, MOH, JICA