Types of food additives

my country's "Hygienic Standards for the Use of Food Additives" divides them into 22 categories: (1) Preservatives (2) Antioxidants (3) Color-developing agents (4) Bleach (5) Sour agents (6) Coagulants (7 ) Loosening agent (8) Thickening agent (9) Defoaming agent (10) Sweetener (11) Coloring agent (12) Emulsifier (13) Quality improver (14 ) Anti-caking agent (15) Flavor enhancer (16) Enzyme preparation (17) Coating agent (18) Foaming agent (19) Preservative (20) Spices (21) Nutrition Strengtheners (22) Other additives.

Simply put, commonly used additives can be classified into the following categories according to their functions:

(1) Pigments, spices, bleaching agents, flavor enhancers, sweeteners, loosening agents, etc. added to improve quality

(2) Antioxidants and preservatives added to prevent food spoilage

(3) Stabilizers, emulsifiers, defoaming agents, etc. added to facilitate processing

(4) Nutritional fortifiers added to increase the nutritional value of food, such as vitamins, trace elements, etc.

What principles should be followed when using food additives?

In order to ensure the safety of food additives, the following principles should be followed when using food additives:

(1) Evaluation through the prescribed food toxicology safety evaluation procedures proves that it is safe and harmless to the human body when used for a long time within the use limit;

(2) It does not affect the sensory properties and original taste of the food, and should not have a damaging effect on the nutritional content of the food;

(3) Food additives should have strict quality standards, and their harmful impurities should not exceed the allowable limit;

(4) Good processing practices and hygiene requirements must not be reduced due to the use of food additives;

(5) Food additives shall not be used to cover up defects in food or as a means of counterfeiting;

(6) Food additives may not be added to infant and children’s food without permission from the Ministry of Health.

Are food additives necessarily harmful?

In fact, except for real natural wild foods, there is probably nothing in all foods processed by humans that does not contain added ingredients. Without food additives, there would not be such a wide variety of foods; without food additives, food cannot be properly prepared or preserved.

Nowadays, most of the problems caused by food additives are caused by improper and illegal use. Food additives and illegal additives are two different concepts, so the statement that "food additives have become the biggest threat to food safety" is inaccurate.

China, like most countries, implements a strict approval system for food additives. Currently, there are more than 1700 food additives approved for use in China and more than 2,500 in the United States. Anything that has been approved for use has absolutely no problem with its safety. It is often some illegal additives that confuse people's attention, such as the "Sudan Red No. 1 Incident", "Diaoxiang Incident" and "Clenbuterol Incident" that have occurred in the past, all of which have caused a very bad impact on society. . These are caused by illegal additives that are strictly prohibited by the state and have nothing to do with normal food additives.

Is it dangerous to add too much?

What harm will there be if so many food additives enter the human body? Take the additive contained in the buns - benzoyl peroxide as an example. After the benzoic acid generated after the decomposition of benzoyl peroxide enters the human body, it can combine with glycolic acid to form hippuric acid from the urine after 9 to 15 hours. It is excreted and will not accumulate in the body.

However, excessive use of benzoyl peroxide will destroy the nutrients in the flour and produce benzoic acid. Benzoic acid needs to be decomposed in the liver. Long-term excessive consumption will damage liver function. According to the provisions of GB2760-2007 (Hygienic Standard for the Use of Food Additives), the maximum dosage of benzoyl peroxide is 0.06g/kg.

Don’t misunderstand food additives

I don’t know since when, the term “pure natural” suddenly became very fashionable. Food and health products are "purely natural", medicines are also "purely natural", and even cosmetics and shampoos are advertised as "purely natural". In shopping malls, many food products state in their instructions that “this product does not contain preservatives or additives”, and such products are particularly popular.

In fact, the popularity of the term "purely natural" is due to the lack of scientific understanding of food additives by many people. They always believe that chemically synthesized substances will affect health and are not good for the body if eaten. In fact, food additives are a very important part of food production. Some experts once said: "Without food additives, there would be no modern food industry, and there would be no strong men, slender women, smart children and tough old people." Therefore. Food additives are essential for food. Soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, salt, etc. in every household actually belong to the category of food additives.

When people choose food, they should pay attention to choosing products from manufacturers with high quality and good reputation, because these products can strictly comply with the national management regulations on food additives. A considerable number of products produced by low-quality underground workshops are caused by misuse or excessive use of food additives. If the human body consumes large amounts of these ingredients for a long time, it will be harmful rather than beneficial. Finally, it is worth noting that patients with liver and kidney dysfunction are not suitable for eating foods with a lot of preservatives and additives. Therefore, it is best for these patients not to eat (or drink) too much instant noodles, ham sausages, canned food, drinks and other fast foods. product to avoid adverse reactions caused by accumulation.