TyPes Of AdditIveS ^_^

Types of Additives and example:

•  Food preservative have been used since ancient times. Ancient civilization used salt to preserve meat and fish, herbs and spices to improve the flavor of food.

• additives are chemicals that are added to food in small quantities for specificpurposes such as protection against bacterial attack or restoring the colour of food destroyed during food processing.

• Food additives are used :
• a)To retard food spoilage and to preserve food (longer shelf life).
• b)To make food taste better or smell better.
• c)To add colouring to food so that the food looks fresher, more interestingor more appealing.

• There are two main groups of food additives :

• a)Preservatives and antioxidants to protect food from being spoiled by bacterial attact or atmospheric oxidation. In this way, the food can be kept longer.

• b)Flavouring agents, stabilizers, thickening agents (thickeners), and dyes(colouring agents) to enhance the taste, smell and appearance of the food.

• Example of food additives:

A)Preservations


functions
* slow down / prevent the growth of microorganisms/bacteria/fungi
* extend food storage life

Preservatives	Functions	Example	Side effect
Salt	Draws the water out of the cells of microorganisms. Retards the growth of microorganisms.	Salted vegetables	Increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases
Sugar	Draws the water out of the cells of microorganisms. Retards the growth of microorganisms.	Fruit jam	Tooth decay, diabetes and obesity
Vinegar	Inhibits the growth of microorganisms.	Pickled cucumber
Sodium nitrite / sodium nitrate	Slows down the growth of microorganisms. Stabilise red colour in meats.	Sausage	Carcinogenic
Benzoic acid / sodium benzoate	Slows down the growth of microorganisms.	Tomato sauce
Sulphur dioxide	Slows down the growth of microorganisms.	Grape juice	Asthma and allergies

B) Antioxidant


Functions:
* prevent oxidation ( causes rancid fats and brown fruits)

Antioxidant	Functions	Example	Side effect
Vitamin E	Prevent oils from turns rancid	Palm oil & sunflower oil	No
Vitamin C	Preserve the colour of fruit juice and the formation of nitrosamines	Fruit juice & cured meat	No
Sodium citrate	Stop rancidity in fats	Ice-cream	-
BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)	Retard rancidity in fats, oils and oil-containing foods	Margarine & cereal	Carcinogenic

C) Flavouring


Functions:
* improve the taste
* improve the smell
* restore taste loss due to food process

Flavouring	Functions	Example	Side effect
MSG (monosodium glutamate)	Bring out the flavor	Salad dressing & canned soup	Headache, thirsty, nausea & chest pain.
Aspartame (non-sugar sweetener)	Sweeten food (about 180 – 200 times than sugar)	Soft drinks & diet drinks	Increase the risk of leukaemia, cancer and neurological problems
Synthetic essences (esters)	Produce artificial flavours = natural flavour. Cheaper to use than the real fruits	Methyl butanoate (apple flavour) & octyl ethanoate (orange flavour)	-

D) Stabilisers


Functions:
* prevent an emulsion from separating out

Stabilisers	Functions	Example
Monoglycerides of fatty acids	Mix oil and water	Ice-cream, chewing gum, beverages, whipped topping and margarine
Acacia gum	Mix two liquids that do not mix together. Forms an emulsion.	Marshmallow, gumdrop, edible glitter, carbonated drink syrup & gummy candies
Lecithin	Reduces viscosity. Replaces more expensive ingredients. Controls sugar crystallisation and the flow properties of chocolate. Helps in the homogeneous mixing of ingredients. Uses as a coating.	Margarine, dough, candy bar & cocoa powder
Gelatin	Mixture of peptides and proteins of collagen extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals	Fruit jam, jelly babies, shells of pharmaceutical capsules, margarine & yogurt

E) Thickeners


Functions:
* thicken food
* give the food dense , smooth , and uniform texture

Thickeners	Functions	Example	Side effect
Acacia gum	Reduces the surface tension of liquid. Leads to increased fizzing. Mix two liquids that do not mix together. Forms an emulsion.	Marshmallow, gumdrop, edible glitter, carbonated drink syrup & gummy candies	-
Gelatin	Mixture of peptides and proteins of collagen extracted from the boiled bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals	Fruit jam, jelly babies, shells of pharmaceutical capsules, margarine & yogurt	-
Pectin	Dietary fiber	Fruit jam	-
Starch	Thicken food	Soup, custard, pudding, noodles and  pasta	-
Modified starch	Increase their visco-stability	Instant soups & cheese sauce granules	-
Xanthan gum	Helps to prevent oil separation. Increase in the viscosity of a liquid	Sauce & salad dressing	Allergies

F) Dyes or Colourings


Functions:
* add colour vanished during food processing
* replace colour vanished during food processing
* make food appear more attractive

Dyes / Colourings	Function	Examples	Side effect
Tartrazine E102 / Sunset yellow E110 (artificial dye)	Yellow azo dye	Orange drinks, sweet & custard powder	Hyperactive in children
Brilliant blue  FCF Blue 1 (artificial dye)	Blue triphenyl dye	Ice-cream, beverages, jellies & blue raspberries flavoured product.	Allergic
Carmosine E122/ Azorubine (artificial dye)	Red azo dye	Sweet, jellies & confections	Carcinogenic & allergic
Anthocyanin (natural dye – red grape, red cabbages, sweet potatoes and tomatoes)	Natural red colouring	Ice-cream & sweet	-
Carotenoids / saffron (natural dye – carrots, sweet potatoes and palm oil)	Natural red colouring	Cooking oil & confections	-
Paprika	Natural red colouring	Dessert food	-
Butterfly pea (clitoria ternatea)	A blue food dye	Dessert food & confections	-
Pandan (pandanus amaryllifolius)	A green food dye	Noodles & confections	-