Hidden in Your Food: An Overview of Food Additives
Hidden in Your Food: An Overview of Food AdditivesAs awareness about food safety grows around the globe, consumers spend more time reading food labels and trying to decipher some of the unfamiliar names listed as ingredients. Usually, those names belong to food additives, defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as “substances that become part of a food product when added (intentionally or unintentionally) during the processing or production of that food.
Additives are added in small amounts (commonly less than 1%) to maintain or improve important characteristics of the food, such as nutrient value, safety, freshness, consistency, taste, texture, and appearance. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists many different types of food additives that serve specific purposes, such as preservatives, colors, flavors, stabilizers, nutrients, sweeteners, fat replacers, firming agents, enzymes, and others. Here is a brief description of the most common additives found in processed food, classified by their desired function.
– Preservatives:
they prevent or slow food spoilage caused by air, bacteria, fungi or yeast. They maintain the quality and freshness, help control contamination, delay rancidity of fats and prevent enzymatic reactions. Preservatives are mostly used in beverages, fruit jams, baked goods, cured meats, oils and margarine, fruits and vegetables, among others. The most common names found in labels are ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, calcium sorbate, BHA, BHT, and EDTA.
– Stabilizers:
they serve a wide variety of functions, such as prevent separation, form emulsions, add thickness, allow smooth mixing of ingredients, control crystallization, etc. Some of these ingredients also give foods the texture and consistency expected by consumers and help maintain the taste and appeal of foods with reduced fat content. Stabilizers are widely used in salad dressings, frozen desserts, dairy products, sauces, and cakes. Generally found in food labels are soy lecithin, polysorbates, gelatin, pectin, carrageenan, and xanthan gum.
– Enhancers:
spices, natural and artificial flavors, salt and sweeteners are added to enhance the taste of food, imparting a taste or aroma. Appearance is maintained or improved by food colors, in the form of dyes, pigments or other coloring substances. Many processed foods include this type of additives, such as candies, soft drinks, jams, snack foods, ice cream, dessert mixes, and fillings. Some well-known enhancers are monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy protein, sucrose (sugar), fructose, sorbitol, corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine), Red No. 40, Blue No. 1, annatto extract, carmine, saffron, and caramel color.
– Nutrients:
vitamins, minerals, and fiber are added to enhance the nutritional quality of food, to make up for nutrients lost in processing (enrichment) or to add nutrients that may be lacking in the diet (fortification). In an effort to reduce malnutrition, these additives have been added to flour, bread, cereal, rice, salt, milk, fruit beverages, energy bars, etc. Some common names include thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin, niacin, niacinamide, folic acid, potassium iodide, ascorbic acid, vitamin D and amino acids.
Food additives are approved and regulated by the FDA, considering the properties of the substance, the amount to be ingested, health effects and safety factors. After scientifically determining that there is no harm to consumers when the additive is used as proposed, the FDA approves it. Regulations are issued regarding the types of food in which it can be used, the maximum permitted amount and proper label identification. There are also ingredients listed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS), including sugar, salt, and vinegar.
Although the words “food additive” have modern-day connotations, these ingredients have been used for centuries, to preserve or improve foods. This has helped reduce nutritional deficiencies among consumers and ensure the availability of safe, tasty and affordable food, all year round. Food additives are regulated and reviewed continuously by federal agencies, in order to let consumers feel safe about the food they eat.
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