How much do you know about Food Additives?

food additives

What are Food Additives?

Food additives are synthetic or natural substances added to food to improve the quality, color, aroma and taste of food, as well as to meet the needs of antisepsis, preservation and processing technology. Flavors for food, base substances in gum-based candies, and processing aids for the food industry are also included.

What are the Basic Requirements for the use of Additives?

“National Food Safety Standards – Standards for the Use of Food Additives” (GB 2760-2014) clearly stipulates:

It should not cause any health hazard to the human body.
Food spoilage should not be covered up.
Food additives should not be used to cover up quality defects in the food itself or during processing, or to use food additives for the purpose of adulteration, adulteration, or counterfeiting.
The nutritional value of the food itself should not be reduced.
Reduce the amount used in food as much as possible while achieving the desired effect.

Why use Food Additives?

For modern life, food additives are not only important but also necessary. Because, without them, our lives would cause unnecessary trouble. Without leavening agents, breads and cakes will be difficult to be fluffy, soft, and crispy; without emulsifiers, the properties of candies and ice cream will be difficult to stabilize; without antioxidants, the shelf life of edible oils will be greatly shortened, and strange smells will quickly develop; Without preservatives, food will quickly spoil and become contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms.

It can be said that our lives are inseparable from food additives. It is precisely because of the development of food additives that there is a large supply of convenient food, which brings great convenience to people’s lives.

Common Food Additives

Preservatives: Prevent food deterioration and fermentation, such as sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, etc.
Antioxidants: Prevent food from deteriorating due to oxidation, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, BHA, BHT, etc.
Starter: used to promote food fermentation, such as yeast in bread.
Colorants: make food more colorful and beautiful, such as monascus pigment, carmine, titanium dioxide, etc.
Flavors and spices: increase the aroma and taste of food, such as onions, ginger, garlic, MSG, herbs, etc.
Sweeteners: Adjust the sweetness of food, such as sucrose, glucose, stevia, etc.
Thickeners: increase the viscosity of food, such as gelatin, carrageenan, etc.
Flavoring agents: improve the texture and taste of food, such as chicken essence, soy sauce, vinegar, etc.

It should be noted that the use of food additives should comply with relevant national standards and regulations, and should not exceed certain usage amounts and safety standards. At the same time, when choosing foods, people should also choose foods with no additives or fewer additives as much as possible.

Misconceptions about Food Additives

Myth 1: Sudan red, melamine, and plasticizers are food additives?
Sudan red, melamine, and plasticizers are all illegal additives, and illegal additives cannot be equated with food additives. Any substance that is not in the “National Food Safety Standards – Standards for the Use of Food Additives” (GB 2760) and the list of food additives allowed for use announced by the National Health and Medical Commission are not food additives.
Misunderstanding 2: More than a dozen food additives are often added to food. Is it necessarily bad to eat them for a long time?
When the country formulates the standards for the use of food additives, it not only takes into account the consequences of long-term, large-scale consumption, but also takes into account the safety of mixed use, so it is safe to use it in accordance with national standards.
Misunderstanding 3: “Zero-added” food is safer?
“Zero additives” are not necessarily related to food safety. Without food additives to maintain quality and freshness, food can easily spoil. Some foods have added food additives precisely because of the necessity of the process, so their quality and safety are better. Assure.

Finally, it needs to be emphasized that food additives are not good or bad. They are all good partners of the food industry. Only the people who use them are good or bad. Regardless of illegal additions (Sudan red, melamine, etc.) or misuse of food additives (such as dyeing steamed buns), we should severely crack down.

References

Codex Alimentarius. “Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives.food additives” (PDF).
Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Applied (2020-02-20). “Overview of Food Ingredients, Additives & Colors”. FDA.

Shandong Look Chemical Co., Ltd.

Shandong Look Chemical Co., Ltd. is a branch of Zhishang Chemical, mainly engaged in the research and development, production and sales of food additives, flavors and fragrances, pigments and dyes. Shandong Look Chemical Co., Ltd. is located in Jinan, Shandong. The company’s R&D laboratory is located in Yinfeng Biopharmaceutical Industrial City, Yaogu Industrial Park, Jinan City. The laboratory covers an area of 1,500 square meters and employs many senior R&D personnel with strong R&D capabilities. , mainly serving domestic and foreign pharmaceutical raw material manufacturers, undertaking CRO and CDMO business of intermediates.

Rock Chemical focuses on product research and development and technological innovation in the spirit of “one meter wide, ten thousand meters deep”. While meeting customer needs, it strictly controls product quality and can provide customers with testing methods and produce inspection reports, COA, mass spectrum and other related information.

Since its establishment nearly 5 years ago, Shandong Look Chemical Co., Ltd. has been determined to become the most trustworthy chemical supplier in the world. We look forward to having customers all over the world. We always adhere to the concept of customer first, win-win cooperation, and look forward to common development and progress with our customers. !

We know that cooperation is a huge driving force for enterprise innovation. Enterprise cooperation will rationally allocate everyone’s wisdom, strength, experience and other resources, so as to produce the greatest scale benefits, which can be intuitively described by an economic formula. For: 1+1>2, so we cherish the cooperation opportunities provided by every customer!

All employees of our company hope that in the next development process, we can further cooperate with you, work together for a win-win situation, and seek new development opportunities together!