Food Additives
What are three reasons additives are used?
Preservatives
Artificial colors
Artificial flavors or flavor enhancers
Emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agent, or thickeners
Sweeteners
What are two potential side effects of food additives?
Gastrointestinal Problems
Weight gain
Carcinogenic
Hyperactivity
What is the GRAS list?
Additives and ingredients generally recognized as safe
What are three examples of a natural sweetener with calories?
White sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar
What are two examples of a preservative?
Sodium Nitrite
BHA/BHT
Ascorbic Acid
Citric Acid
Sodium Chloride
What is an additive linked with hyperactivity?
Artificial Coloring
What is a concern of food additives?
Potential unknown health hazards
Allergic reactions could occur
Possible link to asthma, hyperactivity, obesity, T2D
What is the difference between a nutritive and non-nutritive sweetener?
Nutritive sweeteners have calories, non-nutritive sweeteners do not.
What is the difference between and ingredient and an additive?
Ingredients: Indicate what has been combined to make a food product
Additives: Substances added to food to cause a desired positive change in the product’s characteristics
What is a preservative that can also provide flavor?
Sodium chloride
What are two benefits of food additives?
Larger low-cost food supply
Reduce risk of foodborne illness
Greater variety of convenience foods
Less time required to prepare food
More job opportunities
What is the primary reason sugar substitutes were created?
To provide a sweet taste to foods without adding calories
What is an example of an additive that's a flavor enhancer?
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
What is a preservative that is considered generally safe and free from side effects?
Citric Acid
What are two ways to reduce the possible risks linked to food additives?
Wash all produce before eating
Choose fresh produce/less refined foods over processed foods
Learn to prepare foods from scratch
Read food product labels
Read reports from FDA on additives
A natural sweetener that has 21 calories per teaspoon and is 1.4x sweeter than sugar.
Agave Nectar
What is an additive that is a thickening and stabilizing agent?
Guar Gum
What is a preservative that can cause liver damage?
BHT/BHA
Describe the Delaney clause and how it has changed.
Originally - Any food additive found to cause cancer in humans or animals cannot be used
Now - FDA considered an additive safe if the risk of cancer is 1 in a million or less
What are the common brand names for aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin?
Aspartame: Equal
Sucralose: Splenda
Saccharin: Sweet N Low