Additives
Food Preparation & Nutrition: AQA GCSE, topic 6.2.5
Additives
Additives alter food properties. There are natural and artificial additives.
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.
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.
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.
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
Although additives improve food properties, they also have downsides.
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.
Harmful to health
- Research has shown that some artificial preservatives, like calcium propionate, are problematic.
- Studies have shown that calcium propionate 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.
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).
Test yourself on Additives
Which of the following are examples of natural preservatives?
Which flavouring is commonly found in Chinese cuisine?
Which of these is NOT an artificial preservative?
What number are additives given once they pass a safety test?