6.2.5
Additives
Additives
Additives
Additives alter food properties. There are natural and artificial additives.
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Preservatives
Preservatives
- Stop bacteria growth. This means they improve shelf life.
- Examples of natural preservatives are lemon juice, lime juice, rosemary extract, sugar and salt.
- Examples of artificial preservatives are calcium propionate, sodium propionate, and potassium propionate.
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Colourings
Colourings
- Improve the appearance of food, either by giving colourless substances colour or giving food its colour back if its natural colour was removed during processing.
- An example of a natural food colouring is spinach, which greens pasta.
- An example of an artificial food colouring is erythrosine, a cherry-red colouring often used in sweets.
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Flavourings
Flavourings
- Enhance the smell or taste of food.
- Examples of natural flavourings are herbs (e.g. chives, coriander).
- Examples of artificial flavourings are artificial sweeteners like saccharin.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is found in a lot of Chinese dishes. It works by enhancing existing flavours in foods and bringing out a savoury taste.
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Emulsifiers and stabilisers
Emulsifiers and stabilisers
- Help food keep its texture and shape.
- Emulsifiers: mix foods that generally don't mix (e.g. oil and water).
- Stabilisers: prevent separation of foods.
- An example of a natural emulsifier is mustard.
- An example of a natural stabiliser is gelatin from cows and pigs.
Disadvantages of Additives
Disadvantages of Additives
Although additives improve food properties, they also have downsides.
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Bad/allergic reactions
Bad/allergic reactions
- People can have nasty reactions or even allergic reactions to additives, for example:
- Aspartame (an artificial sweetener in things like diet coke) can cause seizures and headaches.
- MSG can cause chest problems, headaches and a burning sensation in arms and necks.
- BHA (an antioxidant found in things like crackers, sausages and cured meats) is considered a carcinogen by the World Health Organisation.
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Harmful to health
Harmful to health
- Research has shown that some artificial preservatives, like calcium proportionate, are problematic.
- Studies have shown that calcium proportionate may cause behavioural problems in children. McDonald's used to put calcium propionate into its buns to stop mould growth.
- Excessive amounts of some natural additives (such as salt) can be harmful to our health.
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E numbers
E numbers
- Additives are given an E number after they pass a safety test. EU manufacturers can use them thereafter.
- But some researchers believe these additives cause children to develop hyperactive behaviour:
- Quinoline yellow (E104).
- Allura red (E129).
- Ponceau 4R (E124).
- Sunset yellow (E110).
- Carmoisine (E122).
- Tartrazine (E102).
1Food Preparation Skills
1.1Food Preparation Skills
1.1.1General Practical Skills
1.1.2Knife Skills
1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment
1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine
1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating
1.1.6Dough & Pastry
1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough
1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures
1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1
2Food, Nutrition & Health
2.2Micronutrients
3Food Science
3.1Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer
3.2Functional & Chemical Properties of Food
4Food Safety
4.1Food Spoilage & Contamination
5Food Choice
5.1Factors Affecting Food Choice
5.2British & International Cuisines
6Food Provenance
6.1Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food
6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming
6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops
6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food
6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food
6.1.5Food & The Environment
6.1.6Food & The Environment 2
6.1.7Sustainability of Food
6.1.8Sustainability of Food 2
6.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts
Jump to other topics
1Food Preparation Skills
1.1Food Preparation Skills
1.1.1General Practical Skills
1.1.2Knife Skills
1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment
1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine
1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating
1.1.6Dough & Pastry
1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough
1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures
1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1
2Food, Nutrition & Health
2.2Micronutrients
3Food Science
3.1Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer
3.2Functional & Chemical Properties of Food
4Food Safety
4.1Food Spoilage & Contamination
5Food Choice
5.1Factors Affecting Food Choice
5.2British & International Cuisines
6Food Provenance
6.1Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food
6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming
6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops
6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food
6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food
6.1.5Food & The Environment
6.1.6Food & The Environment 2
6.1.7Sustainability of Food
6.1.8Sustainability of Food 2
6.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts
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