Danger of the chemical and biological additives in foods

Danger of the chemical and biological additives in foods

The use of additives in foods remains both widespread and, for some consumers, controversial. Additives are used for a wide range of purposes, particularly in improving the quality of food products. Whilst valuing products with the right taste, colour and texture and shelf-life, consumers have expressed reservations about the safety of the additives used to enhance these qualities. These concerns have increased the pressure on the food industry to demonstrate the safe use of additives in food. With its distinguished international team of contributors, this important collection reviews both the regulatory context and the methods used to analyse, assess and control the use of additives in food processing.Part one of the book looks at regulation in the EU and the US. Part two discusses analytical issues. There are chapters on the use of risk analysis in assessing the impact of additives on consumer health, quality control of analytical methods, and new more rapid and targeted methods in detecting and measuring additives in foods. There is also an important review of adverse reactions to additives covering such issues as monitoring, trends in reporting and the evidence concerning major additives. Part three of the book looks at some of the key groups of additives, from colorants and flavourings to texturing agents and antioxidant preservatives.Food chemical safety Volume 2: Additives is a valuable reference for all those concerned with the use of additives in food.Reviews both the regulatory context and methods used to analyse, assess and control the use of additives in food processingLooks at regulation in the EU and the USDiscusses the use of risk analysis in assessing the impact of additives on consumer health. Chemical additives are found in many foods you eat, especially if you eat packaged food or visit restaurants a lot. What makes it an additive? Basically, this means it was added to a recipe or perhaps the packaging to confer some benefit to the food. This includes obvious additives, like colorings and flavorings, as well as more subtle ingredients that affect texture, moisture, or shelf life. Here are some of the most common chemicals in your food. Chances are you ate one or all of them sometime today.

Diacetyl

Some additives are considered safe or possibly beneficial. Diacetyl is not one of them. This ingredient is found most often in microwave popcorn, where it imparts a butter flavor. The chemical occurs naturally in dairy products, where it causes no harm, but when it's vaporized in the microwave you can inhale it and get a condition known informally as "popcorn lung". Some popcorn companies are phasing out this chemical, so check the label to see if it's diacetyl-free. Even better, pop the corn yourself.

Carmine or Cochineal Extract

This additive is also known as Red #4. It's used to add a red color to foods. As red food coloring goes, this is one of the better choices, since it's natural and non-toxic. The additive is made from crushed bugs. While you may be able to get past the gross factor, some people are sensitive to the chemical. Also, it's not something a vegan or vegetarian wants to eat. It's commonly found in fruity drinks, yogurt, ice cream, and some fast food strawberry and raspberry shakes.

Dimethylpolysiloxane

Dimethylpolysiloxane is an anti-foaming agent derived from silicone found in a variety of foods, including cooking oil, vinegar, chewing gum, and chocolate. It's added to oil to prevent it from bubbling up when frozen ingredients are added, so it improves the safety and life of the product. While the risk of toxicity is considered low, it's not a chemical you'd ordinarily consider to be "food". It's also found in putty, shampoo, and caulk, which are products you certainly wouldn't want to eat.

Potassium Sorbate

Potassium sorbate is one of the most common food additives. It is used to inhibit the growth of mold and yeast in cakes, jellies, yogurt, jerky, bread, and salad dressing. For most products, any risk from the ingredient is considered to be lower than the health risk from ingesting mold. However, some companies are trying to phase out this additive from their product lines. If you find a product free of potassium sorbate, your best protection against yeast and mold is refrigeration, although refrigerating baked goods may change their texture.

Brominated Vegetable Oil

Brominated vegetable oil is used as a flavoring, to keep ingredients suspended evenly in a liquid, and to impart a cloudy appearance to some beverages. You'll find it in soft drinks and energy drinks, although it also found in non-food products, such as pesticide and hair coloring. Although considered relatively safe in small amounts, consuming multiple products (e.g., several sodas a day) can cause health problems. Elementalbromine is toxic and caustic.

BHA and BHT

BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are two related chemicals used to preserve oils and fats. These phenolic compounds likely cause cancer, so they have been among the most reviled food additives for several years. They have been phased out of some foods, such as many potato chips, but are common in packaged baked foods and fatty frozen foods. BHA and BHT are sneaky additives because you'll still find them in packaging for cereal and candy, even if they aren't listed on the label as ingredients. Vitamin E is used as a safer substitute to preserve freshness.

What is a food additive?

A substance added to food to enhance its flavor or appearance or to preserve it. Some old school additives are okay like salting or pickling, unfortunately these days most additives are artificial, chemical cocktails. Dangerous food additives can be found in most processed foods which make up the majority of American diets. The best ways to avoid food additives is to cut back on eating processed foods and instead focus your meals on whole, natural foods. If you decide to eat processed foods, choose organic varieties and make sure to read the label and avoid foods that contain additives.

The Danger of Food Additives

Research about the danger of food additives was published in the medical journal, The Lancet, in 2007 and revealed what anyone with a modicum of brain activity should have known already – there was a clear link between food and drink additives and hyperactive behavior in children. Scientists from the University of Southampton conducted the research on nearly 300 three-year old and eight year old children, none of whom suffered from hyperactivity disorder.

They drank a mixture of additives that reflected the average daily additive intake of a British child, and afterwards they were observed to become “ boisterous and lose concentration. ” They were not able to play with one toy or complete one task and they exhibited what was called “ impulsive behavior. ” The eight year olds were not able to complete a 15 minute computer exercise. Look at these findings in their entirety: the observed effects after drinking these chemical cocktails included hyperactive and compulsive behavior, making the children become boisterous and lose concentration, and not be able to play with one toy or complete one task.

GRAS Substances

Many of the substances on the FDA list were allowed on without testing because of long-standing use. Others are designated as GRAS (generally accepted as safe) and are therefore not tested but allowed in food processing. Many GRAS foods are inherently safe but the safety of many is uncertain. In the past substances, such as cyclamates, have been removed from the list when after years of use it became clear that they were unsafe.

Often the food industry gets to decide for itself what is a GRAS additive and tells the FDA that a substance is safe for use in foods and need not show proof. There are substances in your foods that have never been submitted to the FDA. The U. S. General Accountability Office in 2010 reported that there was inadequate oversight of these additives.

Risk of Additive Effects

A single additive or preservative may be low risk but no one is exposed to just a single or a few chemicals. Together, substances can potentially be additive or interact with each other and produce side chemicals which may be more hazardous to your health.

There may be multiple substances in just one product, not to mention the many processed foods that you may consume. Given this, it is may not be possible to tell in the long which specific food substance caused your health problem. The lower the grade of a food, the more likely that there are multiple additives to try to enhance it and make it more appealing.

Read Food Labels

Given that few people can grow their own food, additives and preservatives prevent spoilage from microorganisms, moisture, air and natural aging of foods and extend shelf life. Added nutrients, such as folic acid, benefit the public's health. However, with the long list of synthetic and natural substances added to appeal to consumers, many lack benefit to your health and the risks may be unknown.

Because there is not enough information on the health risks of many of these substances, eat a healthy diet of whole foods, preferably locally grown, and limit processed or convenience foods. If you choose to consume some of these foods, read the bottom of food labels and learn about what you are eating or drinking. Be aware of additives disguised under different names and research any that you don't recognize.

Danger of the chemical and biological additives in foods

The use of additives in foods remains both widespread and, for some consumers, controversial. Additives are used for a wide range of purposes, particularly in improving the quality of food products. Whilst valuing products with the right taste, colour and texture and shelf-life, consumers have expressed reservations about the safety of the additives used to enhance these qualities. These concerns have increased the pressure on the food industry to demonstrate the safe use of additives in food. With its distinguished international team of contributors, this important collection reviews both the regulatory context and the methods used to analyse, assess and control the use of additives in food processing.Part one of the book looks at regulation in the EU and the US. Part two discusses analytical issues. There are chapters on the use of risk analysis in assessing the impact of additives on consumer health, quality control of analytical methods, and new more rapid and targeted methods in detecting and measuring additives in foods. There is also an important review of adverse reactions to additives covering such issues as monitoring, trends in reporting and the evidence concerning major additives. Part three of the book looks at some of the key groups of additives, from colorants and flavourings to texturing agents and antioxidant preservatives.Food chemical safety Volume 2: Additives is a valuable reference for all those concerned with the use of additives in food.Reviews both the regulatory context and methods used to analyse, assess and control the use of additives in food processingLooks at regulation in the EU and the USDiscusses the use of risk analysis in assessing the impact of additives on consumer health. Chemical additives are found in many foods you eat, especially if you eat packaged food or visit restaurants a lot. What makes it an additive? Basically, this means it was added to a recipe or perhaps the packaging to confer some benefit to the food. This includes obvious additives, like colorings and flavorings, as well as more subtle ingredients that affect texture, moisture, or shelf life. Here are some of the most common chemicals in your food. Chances are you ate one or all of them sometime today.

Diacetyl

Some additives are considered safe or possibly beneficial. Diacetyl is not one of them. This ingredient is found most often in microwave popcorn, where it imparts a butter flavor. The chemical occurs naturally in dairy products, where it causes no harm, but when it's vaporized in the microwave you can inhale it and get a condition known informally as "popcorn lung". Some popcorn companies are phasing out this chemical, so check the label to see if it's diacetyl-free. Even better, pop the corn yourself.