At present, there are more than 20 kinds of food additives in China, such as preservatives, antioxidants, colorants, bleaches, flavoring agents, coagulants, fillers, thickeners, defoamers, sweeteners, colorants, emulsifiers, quality improvers, antagonists, flavor enhancers, preservatives, enzyme preparations, coating agents, spices, nutritional fortifiers and so on. If used according to the standard, it is harmless to human body.
Preservatives-antioxidants such as sorbic acid, potassium sorbate, benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, sulfur dioxide, calcium propionate, sodium propionate, Nepal gold ethyl ester, Nepal gold propyl ester, p-hydroxybenzene and dehydroacetic acid. Sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sulfur dioxide and lactic acid are commonly used. Used in food processing, such as sauces and preserves.
Antioxidants-similar to preservatives, can extend the shelf life of food. Commonly used are dimensional c, different dimensional c and so on.
Colorants-Commonly used synthetic pigments include carmine, amaranth, lemon yellow, indigo and so on. It can change the appearance of food and enhance appetite.
Color developers-sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite
Bleach-sodium sulfite, sulfur, sodium pyrosulfite, etc.
Quality improvers-trisodium phosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, etc.
Emulsifier-sucrose fatty acid ester, Span 60, Ching Tien gum, etc.
Colorants-brilliant blue, amaranth, lemon yellow, turmeric, beet red, cocoa shell color, Redmi, roselle red, carotene, gardenia yellow, sauce color, etc.
Thickener-agar, edible gelatin, pectin, Arabic gum, etc.
Sweeteners-saccharin sodium, stevioside, sodium cyclamate, etc. Commonly used synthetic sweeteners include saccharin sodium and sodium cyclamate. The purpose is to increase sweetness.
Acidifier-citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, metatartaric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, etc. It is often used to adjust and improve the flavor effect of drinks and sweets.
Coagulant-calcium sulfate, calcium chloride, bittern, etc.
Loosening agent-sodium bicarbonate, potassium alum, calcium hydrogen phosphate, etc. Adding leavening agent to some sweets and chocolates can promote sugar to produce carbon dioxide, thus playing a role in bulking.
Thickeners and stabilizers-can improve or stabilize the physical properties of cold drinks and make the appearance of food smooth and delicate. They can keep frozen foods such as ice cream soft for a long time.
Nutritional fortifier-it can enhance and supplement some nutrients of food such as minerals and trace elements (vitamins, amino acids, inorganic salts, etc.). ). All kinds of infant formula milk powder contain various nutritional fortifiers.
Whitening agent-benzoyl peroxide is the main component of flour whitening agent.
Spices-Spices are both synthetic and natural, and there are many kinds of fragrances. Chocolate with various flavors that consumers often eat is widely used in the production process, which makes it have a unique flavor. In daily life, preservatives are indispensable from soy sauce and jam in condiments to various cakes and drinks, as well as various processed foods and packaged foods. Preservatives can prevent food from spoilage and sometimes food poisoning. These are undoubtedly beneficial to the health and safety of consumers.
In daily life, preservatives are indispensable from soy sauce and jam in condiments to various cakes and drinks, as well as various processed foods and packaged foods. Preservatives can prevent food from spoilage and sometimes food poisoning. These are undoubtedly beneficial to the health and safety of consumers.
Preservatives are all synthetic, and improper use will have certain side effects, and long-term excessive intake will definitely cause harm to health. If you take too many preservatives, it will cause symptoms such as drooling, diarrhea, abdominal pain and rapid heartbeat. In severe cases, it will cause serious harm to the stomach, liver and kidney, and it will also increase the incidence of cancer.
Pigment is not an illegal additive, and adding pigment to food is not a patent of modern people. In ancient China, people knew that monascus pigment was used to brew red wine. The bad influence of the "Sudan Red Incident" that broke out not long ago made people more suspicious of pigments with poor reputation. Of course, Sudan red is actually an industrial dye, not an edible pigment.
As long as the edible pigment is used within the scope and standards allowed by the state, it will not cause harm to health.
However, there are always some unscrupulous traders who add too much pigment in pursuit of profits. Consumers should avoid buying too bright food when choosing food, and remember not to be confused by that gorgeous coat.
Because food additives are not natural ingredients of food after all, a small amount of long-term intake may also be potentially harmful to the body. With the development of food toxicology methods, in recent years, it has been found that food additives that were originally considered harmless have chronic toxicity and teratogenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic hazards.
What food additives are harmful to health?
Sodium cyclamate, the scientific name of sodium cyclamate, is a non-nutritive sweetener. As a common sweetener, sodium cyclamate is used in most foods. If the food with excessive sodium cyclamate content is eaten frequently, it will cause harm to the liver and nervous system of human body due to excessive intake, especially to the elderly, pregnant women and children with weak metabolic detoxification ability. More than 40 countries in the world, including the United States, Britain and Japan, prohibit the use of sodium cyclamate as a food sweetener.
Benzoic acid, also known as benzoic acid, is odorless or slightly benzoin-like, and is widely used as a food preservative. It naturally exists in cranberries, prunes, cinnamon and cloves. It is an aromatic acid and can also be added as a spice. Undissociated acid has antibacterial activity, and its activity is the best in the range of PH 2.5-4.0. In order to ensure the absolute safe use of food additives, countries all over the world have strict regulations on whether various food additives can be used, the scope of application and the maximum dosage. According to GB2760-2007, the maximum residue of benzoic acid in candied products is 0.5g/kg.
Saccharin, also known as sodium saccharin, is the oldest sweetener. The commercially available saccharin sold in the market is actually the soluble sodium salt of phthalimide, which is called saccharin sodium for short. The sweetness of saccharin sodium is about 450 to 550 times that of sucrose, so its1100000 aqueous solution has a sweet feeling, and it will be bitter when the concentration is high. Saccharin sodium is a synthetic product of organic chemical industry, and it is a food additive rather than a food. Except for sweetness, it has no nutritional value to human body. On the contrary, eating too much saccharin will affect the normal secretion of gastrointestinal digestive enzymes, reduce the absorption capacity of small intestine and reduce appetite. The main raw materials for making saccharin are toluene, chlorosulfonic acid and o-toluidine. When ingested in large quantities, it will cause acute poisoning and do great harm to human health. Chlorosulfonic acid is very easy to absorb water and decompose to produce hydrogen chloride gas, which is very harmful to human body.
Acesulfame K is a food additive and a chemical, similar to saccharin. Soluble in water, the solubility is 27g at 20℃. It is the fourth generation synthetic sweetener in the world, which has the characteristics of increasing food sweetness, no nutrition, good taste, no calories, not being absorbed by human metabolism (it is an ideal sweetener for middle-aged and elderly people, obese patients and diabetic patients), and good stability to heat and acid. The average daily intake (ADI) recommended by FAO/ WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives is 0- 15mg/kg. 1988, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of acesulfame in food, and the daily intake (ADI) was 0- 15mg/kg.
The safety of synthetic additives has been proved by many studies at home and abroad. As long as manufacturers label food correctly in strict accordance with national standards, it will not endanger the health of consumers. But if it is used in excess, it will endanger human health.
In order to improve the sensory effects of products such as color, fragrance and taste, some enterprises overuse food additives, which harms the interests of consumers. These reasons can be avoided. Therefore, consumers should pay attention to: carefully check the label, especially the production date, shelf life and food additives; At the same time, try to go shopping in large supermarkets.
I majored in food, and later I went to a food factory as an intern. After I come back, I communicate with my classmates and come to a conclusion that if I do it myself, I won't eat anything. Maybe that's an exaggeration. Well, I personally like cookies. Although I know they are junk food, I still can't refuse them. They contain sugar, grease, loosening agent, emulsifier, essence and so on. Sometimes I eat too much (actually only a dozen tablets) and my throat is a little hoarse. My mouth smells of that unknown seasoning. I can imagine what my stomach looks like. Eating too much is definitely harmful to my gastric mucosa. This is what people do.