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Food Additives Food additives have been used for thousands of years. ... They also used extracts from beetles for food coloring. Vegetable dyes from juniper fruits or beech-root juice were popular colorings in the Middle Ages, although wary kings began to employ “garglers” to test their meals—perhaps for additives that did not originate in the kitchen (Editors of Prevention Magazine 1993). Today, salt, sugar, and corn syrup are by far the most widely used additives. The role of food additives has become more prominent in recent years, due in part to the increased production of prepared, processed, and convenience foods. ... Although limited amounts of food additives are necessary to guarantee adequate food supplies for a growing population, their use is strictly controlled by laws that assure consumers that foods are safe to eat and accurately labeled (FDA/IFIC 1998). ... A food additive is a substance or mixture of substances, other than basic foodstuffs, present in food as a result of any aspect of production, processing, storage, or packaging (Winter 1984). Salt, baking soda, vanilla, and yeast are all food additives and are commonly used in processed foods today. By law, the label must identify the food product in a language the consumer can understand. ... The useful functions of food additives are often taken for granted, but their purpose is as varied as the foods in which they are used. Additives prevent salad dressings from separating, salt from becoming lumpy, and packaged goods from spoiling on the grocery shelf. ... Since most people today are concentrated in big cities and their suburbs, additives help keep the nutritional and aesthetic quality of food from degrading while en route to markets. Additives also improve the nutritional value of certain foods and can make them more appealing by improving their taste, texture, consistency, or color (FDA/IFIC 1998). Some additives could be eliminated if we were willing to grow our own food, harvest and grind it, spend many hours cooking and canning, or accept increased risks of food spoilage. Most people have come to rely on the many technological, aesthetic, and convenience benefits that additives provide in food (FDA/IFIC 1998). ... Food purveyors are only responding to the changes in society (Winter 1984). Additives are used in foods for five main reasons. ... Many substances added to food may seem odd when seen listed on the ingredient label, but these chemicals that sound so intimidating are actually quite familiar. It is helpful to remember that all food is simply made of Carbon, Hydrogen and other chemical elements like Oxygen and Nitrogen.
Approximate Word count = 2072
Approximate Pages = 8.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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