The plus factor
Dr A Sivakumar highlights the types of food additives and
their increasing significance in the industry
Do you know that French fries are only
86 per cent potato; the other 11
ingredients include partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil, rice flour,
dextrose, corn syrup solids and salt. Chicken
grills contain 19 food ingredients. Cheddar
cheese slices include 'cheese flavouring',
trisodium citrate, diphosphates,
polyphosphates and sorbic acid as food
additives. This is just a sample of the impact
of food additives in our food consumption.
After liberalisation, Indian dietary habits have
changed a lot and also diversified. This is
greatly due to increased imported food and
diversified processed food. Changes in dietary
habits and diversified food, can affect food
additive intake to a large extent. Hence, it is
necessary to identify the current additive
intake for safety evaluation.
Any substance added to food that changes
its characteristics is called a 'food additive'.
These are used in the production, processing,
treatment, packaging, transportation or
storage of food. Additives may be direct or
indirect. Direct additives are those, which the
manufacturer intentionally adds, such as
sugar, salt, citric acid and more. Indirect
additives are those that have accidentally
entered the food such as pesticides, lead and
those from packaging materials. Ethical food
manufactures use food additives that are
generally recognised as safe. The various types
of additives are colours, preservatives and
food acids, antioxidants, mineral salts and
food acids, emulsifiers, humectants, vegetable
gums and processing aids, anti caking agents,
firming agents, stabilisers and processing aids,
flavour enhancers, sweetening agents,
bleaching agents, propellants, antifoaming
agents, thickeners, sequestrants and solvents.
Most people are unaware of the variety of
useful functions performed by food additives.
Additives aid preservation and prevent
spoilage of food en route from the farm to the
store. Some additives are also capable of
increasing the nutritional value of certain
food as well as improving food taste, texture,
and consistency. If certain additives were to be
eliminated, the food preparation process
would become more laborious at each
individual procedural level. Without additives,
everyone would become responsible for the
planting, harvesting, cooking and canning of
their own food. The risks of food spoiling
would also be dramatically increased.
Therefore, for health and convenience
purposes, food additives are the pragmatic and
beneficial choice for the vast majority of
the public. Additives are used in food for five
main reasons:
• To improve the texture or consistency of a
product through the addition of emulsifiers
and stabilisers
• To improve or maintain nutritional value
by adding vitamins and minerals to enrich or
fortify products
• To maintain palatability and
wholesomeness: by adding preservatives to
retard spoilage, antioxidants to prevent fats
from becoming rancid and to prevent fresh
cut fruits and vegetables from browning
• To provide leavening or control pH with
leavening agents added to help dough and
mixes rise during baking
• And finally, to enhance flavour or impart a
desired colour with the addition of spices; to
enhance the flavour of food; and dyes to
enhance appearance.
....C
O N T D
TO
READ FURTHER... SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR
COPY TODAY!!!
