Food additives

Compiled by Dr.Mrs. Vandana Mahajani 1

A food additive is defined as any substance or mixture of substances, other than base foodstuff, which is present in the food as a result of any aspect of production, processing, storage or packing.

An expert committee on Food Additives made up of representatives of FAO and WHO has defined food additives as nonnutritive substances added intentionally to food , generally in small quantities , to improve its appearance flavour texture or storage properties. This definition excludes substances added primarily for their nutritive value, such as vitamins and minerals.

Food additive


There are two types of additives:

• Intentional additives: Those which are added with the purpose of increasing or improving or simply changing the food in such a way as to make it better.

• Unintentional additives: These may accidentally enter food as a result of their use in agricultural production, raising animals, food processing or packing, are not additives in the technical sense of the term but they are food contaminants.

Types of additives


NEED FOR FOOD ADDITIVES

They are used for a number of reasons:

• To provide protection against food spoilage during storage, transportation, distribution or processing.

• The convenience food revolution would not have been possible without the use of food additive. The use of ready –to-cook, instant, heat and serve foods has gone up. They make up for nearly 60% of the food that the Americans buy. Such foods result in a large amount of saving of time and effort.

• “Fortified” and “enriched” foods are possible to make today because of food additives. Vitamins and minerals are important to maintain good health. Potassium Iodide added to common salt, bread enriched with B –complex are examples of food helping in maintaining good nutrition.


• Preservatives in the form of additives help in safeguarding the food against microbial decomposition due to presence of moisture.

• Rancidity in foods containing fats can also be prevented.

• Additives improve the colour of the food. Even those colours that are not available in nature are available now with the help of chemicals.

• They improve the flavour of the foods.

• They impart firmness to the foods and retard chemical reaction in the foods.Compiled by Dr.Mrs. Vandana Mahajani 5

1. AntioxidantsAn antioxidants a substance added to fats and fat

containing substances to retard oxidation and thereby prolong their wholesomeness, palatability and sometimes keeping time

They should not contribute to objectionable odour, flavour or colour to the fat

Examples of antioxidants are: Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)Propyl Gallate (PG)Butylated Hydrooxytoluene ( BHT)Tertiary butyl hydroquonine (TBHQ)Naturally occurring substances are Tocopherols,

they are expensive and thus not used as additives


2. Colouring agents

These include colour stabilizers, colour fixatives, colour retention agents,etc

Originally many colour additives were natural pigments or dyes

Spinach juice , grass, marigold flower, seed coat of lipstick pod plant ,saffron, turmeric and caramel have been used as natural colouring agents

Synthetic colour include coal tar dyes, iron oxide (for redness) titanium dioxide (for whiteness)


3. Curing agents

These are used to preserve (cure) meats , give them desirable colour and flavour, discourage growth of microorganisms and prevent toxin formation

For egSodium nitrite .


4. EmulsionsEmulsifiers are a group of substances used to

obtain a stable mixture of liquids that otherwise would not mix or would separate quickly. They also stabilize gas-in –solid and gas –in –liquid mixtures

They are widely used in dairy and confectionary products salad dressings, margarine and shortenings

Lecithin found in milk and soya bean is the most commonly used emulsifiers

The synthetic ones are glycol monostearate, sorbitan monostearate and polysorbates


5. Flavour and flavour enhancers

There are about 2,100 flavour and are the largest class of food additives

Natural flavouring substances are herbs ,spices, roots, essences and essential oils

The agents responsible for flavour are esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols and ethers

Monosodium glutamate or MSG is the most commonly used flavour enhancer and is used in Japanese and Chinese foods


6. Flour improvers.These are bleaching and maturing agents used to

bleach and mature the flourAgent used for flour bleaching is benzoyle

peroxideMaterials used for both leaching and improving are

chlorine gas , chlorine dioxide, nitrocyle chloride nitrogen di and tetra oxides

Oxidizing agents used only for dough improvement are potassium bromate, potassium iodate , calcium iodate, and calcium peroxide


7. Leavening agentsLeavening agents produce light and fluffy baked

productsOriginally yeast was used for this purposeToday baking powder is used for this purpose


8. Nutrient supplementsNutrient supplements replace the values lost in

processing and storage, or ensure higher nutritional value than what nature may have provided

Thiamine, nicotinic acid, iron and calcium are added to the flour

Vitamin A and D is added to fatsCereals, baby foods and fruit juices are fortified

with vitamins


9. Nonnutritive sweetenersSucrose is an ideal sweetener in many ways but for

its high calorie contentThe first synthetic sweetening agent used was

saccharin, but it leaves a bitter after tasteToday cyclamates are used a sweetening agents in

most soft drinksNonnutritive sweetening agents are also available

now and use din tobacco products, confectionaries and beverages


10. ph control agentsThese include acids alkalis and buffersThey not only control the acid and the alkali level

but also food properties like flavor, texture, cooking qualities etc.

1 Acetic acid and sodium acetate mixture2 Citric acid and sodium citrate mixture These 2 act as buffers in food which help to resist

the change of pH on addition of acids and alkalies to foods


11. PreservativesPreservatives are used to inhibit, retard or arrest

the growth of microorganismsSodium chloride, sugar, sulphur dioxide, nitrate

and nitrite, sorbic acid, acetic acid are widely used as preservatives


12. Stabilizers and thickenersThese substances inhibit crystallization, stabilize

emulsions and foams, reduce the thickness of icings on backed products and enhance flavours

Substances used as stabilizers are gum, agar, starch and its derivatives

Gravies, pie fillings , cake toppings, chocolate milk drinks, jellies, puddings and salad dressings are among the many food that contain stabilizers and thickeners


• Food Science and Nutrition by Sunetra Roday

• Nutrition for food service professional by Drummond

• Catering Science by O.P.G. Kilgns

• Food microbiology by Frazier and Woltoft

REFERENCES


Education

Food additives