Food Additives : Preservatives, Anti-oxidants, Surface active agents, Flavouring agents, Maturing agents, Coloring agents

This blog is about Food Additives and its classification. I hope it will very usefull for students those who study food science and technology as well as food handlers instead of downloading food additives pdf files or watching food additives slideshare. You can use these information to make a good food additives ppt.

FOOD ADDITIVES

Food additives are the substance or mixture of substance, which present in food other than a base food ingredients. It present in food as a result of any aspects of production processing packaging or storage
this definition of food additives include both intentional and unintentional food additives.

• Unintentional food additives are non added into food to achieve any spacial effect It may accidentally enter into food as a result of agricultural production feeding of animal food processing or packaging
• Intentional food additives are the substance which may added to food for spacial purpose it include preservatives,anti-oxidants,thickening agents,leavening agents,stabilizing agents,flavouring agents, flavouring enhancers,coloring agents,non nutritive dietary sweeteners,nutrient supplements,..
• Examples of food additives: MSG, BHT, BHA, sodium benzoate, SO2, salt, sugar, vinegar, lecithene, PG,.. 

Classifications of Food Additives

Food additives classification include preservatives,anti-oxidants,thickening agents,leavening agents,stabilizing agents,flavouring agents, flavouring enhancers,coloring agents,non nutritive dietary sweeteners,nutrient supplements,..

Food Preservatives

These are the substance which retard or arrest the growth of micro organisms there by increasing keeping quality. it further classified into Natural and Chemical

Natural preservatives or Class 1 Preservatives

Sugar, salt, vinegar 

Salt

Salt is effective as a preservative because it reduces the water activity of foods.salt act by dehydration and inhibits bacterial growth and prevent the spoilage. Salt also inhibit the growth of micro organisms by drawing water out of inner cells through osmosis.use of salt alone gives a harsh dry salty product that is not palatable. Also salt alone results in a dark, undesirable colored product due to some undesirable effect, due to this reason salt is used in combination with other ingredients. 

Sugar

by acting as a humectant (maintaining and stabilizing the water content in foods) sugar helps to prevent or slow the growth of bacteria, moulds and yeast in food like jam and preserves. Sugar also enhances flavour in foods.

Vinegar 

Vinegar is made from fermentation of sugar and water solutions and it acts as an effective natural preservative. The acetic acid present in vinegar kills microbes and inhibits food spoilage. Adding common vinegar in your food can not only preserve foods but also help enhance their taste.

Chemical preservatives 

Sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid,..

Sulphur dioxide

Sulphur dioxide or SO2 is a widely used presevatives throughout the world mainly in juices, nectar, pulp, crush, cordial and other product.

It has a good presevative action against bacteria,mould and also it inhibit enzymatic actions.The main advantage of SO2 is the combination of anti oxidative activity with its ability to inhibit polyphenol oxidase, which is catalysing browning of food products.

It is generally used in the form of its salts such as sulphate, meta sulphate, bysulphate. Potassium meta by sulphate is commonly used as a stable source of SO2.

Benzoic acid and Sodium benzoate 

Benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are used as food preservatives and are most suitable for foods, fruit juices, and soft drinks that are naturally in an acidic pH range. Their use as preservatives in food, beverages, toothpastes, mouthwashes, dentifrices, cos- metics, and pharmaceuticals is regulated.

Anti oxidants

These are the substance which added into fat or fat containing substance to retard oxidation to enhance palatability, sometimes to enhance keeping quality. 

Natural Anti oxidants 

Vitamin C and D

Synthetic Anti oxidant 

BHA- Beutilated Hydroxy Anisole

BHT- Beutilated Hydroxy Toluene

PG- Propile Galain

Surface active agents

These are the substance which helps to stabilize the emulsion. 

Increase surface meting. 

Prevent separation of water and oils. 

Along with thickeners and fat it give a smooth sensation in the mouth. 

Foods used; chocolate, cheeses, cake batter 

Flavouring enhancers 

These are the substances which helps to enhance or modifies the original flavour or aroma of food without contributing flavours of their own. 

Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) is widely used for this purpose for Chinese cookery and soft drinks

Recently it was reported that brain of mouse is damaged when MSG is injected. 

Maturing agents 

The baking quality of flour is improved when it keep for several months. This improvement can be brought about rapidly by using certain substances called maturing agents or flour bleaching agents. 

Normally oxides of nitrogen or chlorine is used as maturing agents. 

Common Food Additives

Sodium Benzoate 

Sodium benzoate is a common food preservative used in many processed food products and drinks to prevent spoilage. Sodium benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid. It is used as an anti fungal preservative in pharmaceutical preparations and foods. Sodium benzoate is often added to acidic food products such as sauerkraut, jellies and jams, and hot sauces; however some foods, like cranberries, cinnamon, prunes and apples, naturally contain it. It has been suggested that it may help treat hyperammonemia in terms of medication. 

Potassium bromate 

It is a common food additive that is used to strengthen bread and cracker dough, helping it rise during baking; however, California and and the international cancer agency lists it as a carcinogen. Potassium bromate has been labeled as causing tumors, toxic to the kidneys and may even cause DNA damage. Though once baked, it converts to potassium bromide which has been deemed as non-carcinogenic, some residues exist.

Sodium nitrite 

It is usually found in preserved meat products like sausages, cured meats and canned meats. Concerns of this preservative are that too much may cause pancreatic cancer and other health problems. A study reports that methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder in which an abnormal amount of methemoglobin is produced, was found in in an adolescent girl and her father after ingesting homemade beef jerky that contained sodium nitrate.

Controversial Food Additives

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

It is no surprise that MSG is on the list. MSG is created by a naturally occurring chemical called glutamate and looks similar to salt or sugar crystals. While glutamate is tasteless, it has the ability to enhance flavors. It is typically found in Chinese food, canned foods, and processed meats. MSG has the GRAS Classification by the Food & Drug Administration which means it is "generally recognized as safe." But due to the controversy surrounding MSG, the FDA requires that it be listed on the label.

Food Additives and Food Adulteration

Food additives are connected with food adulterant. When food is adulterated it is done with the motive to enhance profits, when food contains an additive it is done to preserve it. Spices have a certain level of additives to them, in the form of non-invasive chemicals or food coloring to enhance the look of the product. Unfortunately, they also contain a lot of adulterants which damage the actual texture and alter the flavour of the spice. They get adulterated at a grass root level, literally, as the amount of pesticides used on crops is way beyond what is allowed by the food association of India. This gets absorbed by the soil, ground water and then continues to spill over for a long time, over and above which adulterants like brick powder, saw-dust, chalk powder and other colouring agents are added to these spices.

What is the difference between additives and adulterants? 

An additive, on the other hand, is permissible and in many cases an essential ingredient added to certain foods. Additives improve the general quality of the food or preserve the product in the same condition for a longer duration, or they help counteract undesirable properties. Additives also enhance flavor and appearance besides lending safe keeping to the product and continue to garner more popularity with the rise in demand for packaged foods. Additives range from simple table salt to chemicals and they reduce spoilage from sources like air or bacteria, many additives also absorb radiation.

Pros and Cons of Food Additives

Why Food Additives are Added to Food?

Additives perform a variety of useful functions in foods that consumers often take for granted. Some additives could be eliminated if we were willing to grow our own food, harvest and grind it, spend many hours cooking and canning, or accept increased risks of food spoilage. But most consumers today rely on the many technological, aesthetic and convenient benefits that additives provide.

Following are some reasons why ingredients are added to foods:

1. To Maintain or Improve Safety and Freshness: Preservatives slow product spoilage caused by mold, air, bacteria, fungi or yeast. In addition to maintaining the quality of the food, they help control contamination that can cause foodborne illness, including life-threatening botulism. One group of preservatives -- antioxidants -- prevents fats and oils and the foods containing them from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor. They also prevent cut fresh fruits such as apples from turning brown when exposed to air.
2. To Improve or Maintain Nutritional Value: Vitamins and minerals (and fiber) are added to many foods to make up for those lacking in a person's diet or lost in processing, or to enhance the nutritional quality of a food. Such fortification and enrichment has helped reduce malnutrition in the U.S. and worldwide. All products containing added nutrients must be appropriately labeled.
3. Improve Taste, Texture and Appearance: Spices, natural and artificial flavors, and sweeteners are added to enhance the taste of food. Food colors maintain or improve appearance. Emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners give foods the texture and consistency consumers expect. Leavening agents allow baked goods to rise during baking. Some additives help control the acidity and alkalinity of foods, while other ingredients help maintain the taste and appeal of foods with reduced fat content.

Food Additive Disadvantages

Some food additives can potentially cause harmful side effects. For example, butylated hydroxyanisole, commonly known as BHA, is a preservative used in foods including potato chips, crackers, beer, baked goods and cereal. It has been classified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a preservative "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." Sulfites, which are added to baked goods, wine, condiments and snack foods, could cause hives, nausea, diarrhea and shortness of breath in some people.

How Are Additives Approved for Use in Foods?

Today, food and color additives are more strictly studied, regulated and monitored than at any other time in history. FDA has the primary legal responsibility for determining their safe use. To market a new food or color additive (or before using an additive already approved for one use in another manner not yet approved), a manufacturer or other sponsor must first petition FDA for its approval. These petitions must provide evidence that the substance is safe for the ways in which it will be used. As a result of recent legislation, since 1999, indirect additives have been approved via a premarket notification process requiring the same data as was previously required by petition.

Food Additives and FSSAI

Food Safety Standard Authority of India describes food additives and its permitted levels in their official site. You can download a detailed food additives pdf from this site.it include food additives classification, qualitative and quantitative test of food additives. FSSAI has food safety standards and laws to regulate the usage of food additives.

Food Additives QnA 

• Are food additives good or bad? 

Additives are not necessarily bad. Most foods require them to prevent spoilage and maintain their nutritional value.

• Are food additives safe? 

When all is said and done, additives are believed to be safe for most people most of the time. Some, like ascorbic acid, can even enhance our health. This additive, used to provide color in meat and nutrition in beverages, is nothing more than vitamin C, which might reduce the severity of colds.

• Are food additives healthy? 

When all is said and done, additives are believed to be safe for most people most of the time. Some, like ascorbic acid, can even enhance our health. This additive, used to provide color in meat and nutrition in beverages, is nothing more than vitamin C, which might reduce the severity of colds.

• Are food additives addictive? 

A new study shows that processed foods can be addictive because the added chemicals trigger the same kinds of brain activity seen in substance dependence.

• Are food additives are costly? 

Many of these additives were expensive, and only the rich were able to afford them.but some food additives are naturally available. 

• Are food additives cause headache? 

Things that are put in foods for taste, color, or to keep them fresh can sometimes trigger headaches.

• Are food additives allergenic? 

Some food additives are more likely than others to cause reactions in sensitive people. It is often the additives that are used to give a food a marketable quality, such as color, that most commonly cause allergic reactions.

Food additives are non nutritive substances added in to food for achieve spacial effect.it divided into different categories based on purpose. Food additives have lots of merits as well as demerits. Now days chemically synthesized food additives cause many health problems. Food safety management systems of each countries responsible to regulate the artificial food additives. I hope this blog is very use full for food tech students as well as food handlers. Thank you