Food and nutrition.pdf

Food Additive 253• To improve or maintain nutritional value. Vitamins and mineralsare added to many common foods such as milk, flour, cerealand margarine to make up for those likely to be lacking in aperson's diet or lost in processing. Such fortification andenrichment has helped reduce malnutrition among the U.S.population. All products containing added nutrients must beappropriately labeled.• To maintain palatability and wholesomeness. Preservativesretard product spoilage caused by mold, air, bacteria, fungi oryeast. Bacterial contamination can cause foodborne illness,including life-threatening botulism. Antioxidants arepreservatives that prevent fats and oils in baked goods and otherfoods from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavour. Theyalso prevent cut fresh fruits such as apples from turning brownwhen exposed to air.• To provide leavening or control acidity/alkalinity. Leaveningagents that release acids when heated can react with baking sodato help cakes, biscuits and other baked goods to rise duringbaking. Other additives help modify the acidity and alkalinityof foods for proper flavour, taste and colour.• To enhance flavour or impart desired colour. Many spices andnatural and synthetic flavors enhance the taste of foods. Colors,likewise, enhance the appearance of certain foods to meetconsumer expectations. Examples of substances that performeach of these functions are provided in the chart "Common Usesof Additives."Many substances added to food may seem foreign when listed onthe ingredient label, but are actually quite familiar. For example, ascorbic_acid is another name for Vitamin C; alpha tocopherol is another name forVitamin E; and beta-carotene is a source of Vitamin A. Although thereare no easy synonyms for all additives, it is helpful to remember that allfood i~ made up of chemicals. Carbon, hydrogen and other chemicalelements provide the basic building blocks for everything in life.Food AdditiveIn its broadest sense, a food additive is any substance added to food.Legally, the term refers to "'any substance the intended use which resultsor may reasonably be expected to result-directly or indirectly-in itsbecoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of anyfood." This definition includes any substance used in the production,processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food.If a substance is added to a food for a specific purpose in that food, it