Additive
Additives are defined by the national Research Council as "a substance or mixture of substances other than a foodstuff, which is present in food as a result of any aspect of production and processing, storage or packaging."
There are two types of additives: intentional and incidental.
Intentional additives are added to foods to perform specific functions. They may be used to increase nutritional content, improve sensory appeal (i.e., with color, flavor, aroma, texture), preserve or facilitate processing of a particular food.
Some of the better known intentional additives are: carotene, which is used as a coloring agent in margarine; calcium proprionate, which is used to retard the growth of mold on baked products; and vitamin A, which is added to milk to replace the vitamin A lost during the production of skim milk and milk - 2% fat.
Incidental additives are contained in foods in minute quantities as an unintended consequence of production, packaging, processing or storage.
Some examples of incidental additives are: pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, which are used to ensure maximum agricultural yields; hormones and antibiotics, which are used to regulate plant and animal growth; various chemical substances which enter food from plastic packaging materials.
Certain additives are natural components of food: corn and soybeans, for example, contain lecithin, an emulsifier.
References
Howe, P.S. 1981. Basic Nutrition in Health and Disease, 7th ed. W. B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia.
| Signup Free Applied Health Journal |
||||
|
FREE Sample Issue Your email address is all we need to start you on a better path to health. We respect your privacy.
|
