Food aditives

Food additives are substances added to food. Food additives may be natural or synthetic.

Most bread and grain products are fortified with added B vitamins, plus iron and other essential minerals to

replace what’s lost when whole grains are milled into white flour for white bread. Some nutrients also are useful preservatives. For example, vitamin C is an antioxidant that slows food spoilage and prevents destructive chemical reactions. Manufacturers must add a form of vitamin C (isoascorbic acid) to bacon to prevent the formation of potentially cancer-causing compounds.

Coloring agents make food look better. An example of a natural coloring agent is beta carotene, the natural yellow pigment in many fruits and vegetables. Beta carotene is used to make margarine (which is naturally white) look like creamy yellow butter.

Artificial flavoring agents reproduce natural flavors. Flavor enhancers intensify a food’s natural flavor instead of adding a new one. The best-known flavor enhancer is monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is widely used in Asian foods. MSG may trigger headaches and other symptoms in people sensitive to the seasoning.

All preservative techniques (cooking, chilling, canning, freezing, drying) prevent spoilage either by slowing the growth of the organisms that live on food or by protecting the food from the effects of oxygen. Chemical preservatives do essentially the same thing:

• antimicrobials are natural or synthetic preservatives that protect food by slowing the growth of bacteria, molds, and yeasts.

• antioxidants are natural or synthetic preservatives that protect food by preventing food molecules from combining with oxygen (air).

The safety of any chemical approved for use as a food additive is based on whether it is toxic, carcinogenic or allergenic.

Allergens are substances that trigger allergic reactions. Some foods, such as peanuts, contain natural allergens that can provoke fatal allergic reactions.

The best-known example of an allergenic food additive is sulfites, a group of preservatives that:

• keep light-colored fruits and vegetables (apples, potatoes) from browning when exposed to air

• prevent shellfish (shrimp and lobster) from developing black spots

• reduce the growth of bacteria in fermenting wine and beer

• bleach food starches

• make dough easier to handle

The following is a list of foods that may contain sulfites: beer, maraschino cherries, cakes, cookies, pies, molasses, cider (hard), potatoes (dehydrated, pre-cut, peeled fresh), condiments, shrimp, dried fruit, soup mixes, fruit juices, tea, jams and jellies, vegetables (canned), gravy, vegetable juices, wine.

Sulfites are safe for most people but not for all. For people sensitive to sulfites, even infinitesimally small amounts may trigger a serious allergic reaction, and asthmatics may develop breathing problems by simply inhaling fumes from sulfite-treated foods.