Food ingredients and colors. Updated November, Accessed April 06, Updated by: Stuart I. Editorial team. Food additives. Natural food additives include: Herbs or spices to add flavor to foods Vinegar for pickling foods Salt, to preserve meats "Indirect" food additives are substances that may be found in food during or after it is processed.
Food additives serve 5 main functions. They are: 1. Give the food a smooth and consistent texture: Emulsifiers prevent liquid products from separating.
Stabilizers and thickeners provide an even texture. Anticaking agents allow substances to flow freely. Improve or preserve the nutrient value: Many foods and drinks are fortified and enriched to provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Examples of commonly fortified foods are flour, cereal, margarine, and milk. This helps make up for vitamins or minerals that may be low or lacking in a person's diet. All products that contain added nutrients must be labeled. Maintain the wholesomeness of foods: Bacteria and other germs can cause foodborne illnesses.
The color of food may be natural or artificial. Natural plant pigments - such as carotene, chlorophyll, and lycopene - help impart hues of orange, green and red, respectively. Without adding vegetable dye, Cheddar cheese would not have its orange color. Animal pigments, including myoglobin and heme, exist and serve to incorporate color in products such as meat. There are many sources of naturally occurring colors, but many are not cost-effective.
The use of artificial colors may be more economical. Synthetic colors generally excel in coloring power, color uniformity and color stability. Flavoring agents are both natural and synthetic compounds to add flavor to food products. Examples of natural flavors include plant extracts, essential oils, herbs, spices and others. A variety of synthetic flavor additives are also available. Examples of synthetic flavors include methyl salicylate and benzaldehyde which give wintergreen and cherry flavoring, respectively.
Modifying recipes can be a challenging project. Replacing ingredients to reduce fat and calories, for example, can drastically change the texture, mouth-feel and other sensory properties. The food manufacturer utilizes countless approved ingredients and chemicals to help modify texture. A simple compound, such as sucrose or table sugar, can be used in varying concentrations to achieve a variety of results.
One study also found that carrageenan contributed to an earlier relapse of ulcerative colitis. Sodium benzoate is a preservative often added to carbonated drinks and acidic foods like salad dressings, pickles, fruit juices and condiments.
It has been generally recognized as safe by the FDA, but several studies have uncovered potential side effects that should be considered For example, one study found that combining sodium benzoate with artificial food coloring increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old children Another study showed that a higher intake of beverages containing sodium benzoate was associated with more symptoms of ADHD in college students When combined with vitamin C, sodium benzoate can also be converted into a benzene, a compound that may be associated with cancer development 43 , Carbonated beverages contain the highest concentration of benzene, and diet or sugar-free beverages are even more prone to benzene formation One study analyzing the concentration of benzene in a variety of foods found cola and cole slaw samples with over ppb of benzene, which is over 20 times the maximum contaminant level set by the EPA for drinking water To minimize your intake of sodium benzoate, check the labels of your food carefully.
Avoid foods that contain ingredients like benzoic acid, benzene or benzoate, especially if combined with a source of vitamin C such as citric acid or ascorbic acid. Sodium benzoate may be associated with increased hyperactivity. If combined with vitamin C, it may also form benzene, a compound that may be associated with cancer development.
Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that have undergone hydrogenation, which increases shelf life and improves the consistency of products. It can be found in many types of processed foods like baked goods, margarine, microwave popcorn and biscuits.
A number of potential health risks have been associated with trans fat intake, and the FDA even recently decided to revoke their GRAS generally recognized as safe status In particular, multiple studies have linked a higher intake of trans fats to a higher risk of heart disease 47 , 48 , One study found that eating foods high in trans fats increased several markers of inflammation, which is one of the major risk factors for heart disease Cutting processed foods out of your diet is the easiest and most effective way to decrease your trans fat intake.
You can also make a few simple switches in your diet, like using butter instead of margarine and swapping out vegetable oils for olive oil or coconut oil instead. Eating trans fats has been associated with many negative effects on health, including inflammation, heart disease and diabetes. Xanthan gum has been associated with several health benefits. One study found that consuming rice with added xanthan gum resulted in lower levels of blood sugar than consuming rice without it Another study also found that eating xanthan gum for six weeks reduced levels of blood sugar and cholesterol, plus increased feelings of fullness Furthermore, consuming large amounts of xanthan gum may also be linked to digestive problems, such as increased stool output, gas and soft stools Xanthan gum may help reduce levels of blood sugar and cholesterol.
In large amounts, it may cause digestive issues like gas and soft stools. They can be used to imitate a variety of different flavors, from popcorn and caramel to fruit and beyond. Animal studies have found that these synthetic flavors could have some concerning effects on health. One study found that the red blood cell production in rats was significantly reduced after they were fed artificial flavorings for seven days.
Not only that, certain flavors like chocolate, biscuit and strawberry were also found to have a toxic effect on their bone marrow cells Similarly, another animal study showed that grape, plum and orange synthetic flavorings inhibited cell division and were toxic to bone marrow cells in mice However, keep in mind that these studies used a much more concentrated dose than you might find in food, and further research is needed to determine how artificial flavoring in the amounts found in foods may affect humans.
In the meantime, if you want to limit your intake of artificial flavoring, check the ingredients label of your foods. Some animal studies have found that artificial flavoring may be toxic to bone marrow cells. More research is needed to evaluate the effects in humans. Yeast extract, also called autolyzed yeast extract or hydrolyzed yeast extract, is added to certain savory foods like cheese, soy sauce and salty snacks to boost the flavor.
Yeast extract contains glutamate, which is a type of naturally occurring amino acid found in many foods. Much like monosodium glutamate MSG , eating foods with glutamate may cause mild symptoms like headaches, numbness and swelling in people who are sensitive to its effects.
Additionally, yeast extract is relatively high in sodium, with about milligrams in each teaspoon 8 grams Reducing sodium intake has been shown to help decrease blood pressure, especially in people who have high blood pressure However, most foods only contain a small amount of added yeast extract, so the glutamate and sodium in yeast extract are unlikely to cause much of a problem for most people.
As of , yeast extract is still recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration If you do experience negative effects, consider limiting your intake of processed foods with yeast extract and adding more fresh, whole foods to your diet.
Yeast extract is high in sodium and contains glutamate, which may trigger symptoms in some people. While certain food additives have been linked to some pretty scary side effects, there are plenty of others that can be safely consumed as part of a healthy diet.
Additionally, try cutting back on processed and packaged foods and incorporating more fresh ingredients into your diet to minimize your intake of food additives.
Nutrition labels can be confusing and misleading. This article sets the record straight about how to avoid falling into some of these consumer traps. Natural flavors are often marketed as better than artificial ones. Is it true?
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