1. Food Additives
Science Ace Secondary 1 2012 term 2.
Rio Tang (22) class 1i3

2. What are the most
common type of
food additives?

3. Caffeine
Caffeine occurs naturally in some beverages and is added to some soft drinks. It is not added to any food. Caffeine, a
drug, is a stimulant to the nervous system and is mildly addictive.

4. Caramel
Caramel, produced by cooking sugar, is one of the most common additives. In one form, manufactured with ammonia
as a chemical agent, tests have shown caramel may cause health problems.

5. Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is used to boost or adjust acid in cheese and olives and to add tartness to ice creams and beverages.
Nonacidic lactates prevent discoloration of fruits and vegetables. It is considered safe.

6. Monosodium
glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer, may cause temporary allergic discomfort to some adults and has been
banned in baby food. It should be avoided by pregnant women and those on a low sodium diet.

7. EDTA
EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) is considered a safe additive and is used to trap metal impurities that cause
clouding in beverages; in other foods, it is used to retard staling and discoloration.

8. Niacin
Niacin, or vitamin B-3, is added to many processed foods, particularly cereals. It is safe, and is
often cited by food companies in nutritional claims.

9. Yellow Dye
No.5
Yellow dye No. 5, widely used in processed foods, is known to cause
allergic reactions in some people.

10. Sugar
Sugar, from the standpoint of consumption, tops the list of food additives by a wide margin. Some breakfast cereals,
for example, get nearly half their calories from added sugar and it is the main ingredient in many soft drinks.

11. Sugar part 2
Refined sugar, from which the nutrients have been removed, makes up 10 to 20 percent of the American diet. Sugar is linked to dental cavities. - Sulfites, often found as sodium bisulfite, are commonly used to retain
color and prevent bacterial growth in foods and beverages. Some people are allergic to sulfiting agents, and it is the only additive known to have caused deaths in humans.

12. Polysorbates
Polysorbates are emulsifiers used to preserve texture and freshness in such things as bread, rolls and doughnuts. They are generally considered safe, but the FDA placed
limits on the amount of contamination with dioxane after this known carcinogen was found in polysorbates.

13. Sodium
Sodium, listed on food labels as salt (sodium chloride) and other sodium compounds, is widely
used in processed and fast foods and is a factor in high blood pressure.

14. Sodium Nitrate
Sodium nitrite is used to treat billions of pounds of meat annually to preserve color and prevent spoilage and bacterial growth. Some research
shows bacon containing nitrites, if cooked at high temperatures, can produce cancer- causing nitrosamines.

15. Why do foods include so
many additives?

16. Convenience
Buying pre-made foods is far easier and less time-
consuming than making your own meals from
scratch. Making your own whipped cream takes
time, patience, skill, and knowledge, and the result
of the labor will spoil quickly.

17. Emulsifying
Additives allow two substances that are
different in density, to stay in a mixed
state, or in scientific terms, emulsified.
One example is whip cream, where
polysorbate 60 is a common emulsifier
to keep the oil and water in whip
cream from separating .

18. Taste and “mouthfeel”
Additives are normally added, to give a food item
it’s taste. For example, sugar is added to give a
food its sweetness. This is one of the benefits of
additives, because without the additives, the food
will taste bland. Additives are also added so as to
enhance the wanted texture of a certain food. For
example, if you want whipped cream to have a
better “mouthfeel”, more Sodium caseinate is
added to the food.

19. Should we be worried
about the health risks
of food preservatives?

20. YES

21. Although food preservatives
have many benefits such as:
• Preventing the growth of bacteria, fungi and yeasts
• Maintaining quality of foods
• Maintaining palatability of foods after long periods of time

22. The dangers outnumber the
benefits by more than 3 times!
Can trigger allergies such as skin rashes and asthma (e.g.
Benzoates)
Destroys most of nutrients in foods. (e.g. Bromates)
Can give rise to nausea and diarrhea (e.g. Butylates)
Can have diuretic, stimulant properties, triggering
occasional heart defects (e.g. caffeine)
Can cause toxic reactions + allergic response, affecting
skin, gastrointestinal tract and heart. May cause tumors
and bladder cancer. (e.g. saccharin)
Some suspected to cause certain birth defects (e.g. Red
Dye 40)

23. Can cause genetic changes and cancer (e.g. di-
glycerides)
Can cause vitamin B6 deficiencies (e.g. caramel)
Can cause high blood pressure, kidney failure, stroke
and heart attack. (e.g. Sodium Chloride)

24. 4th point
Find a common food.
Cake and brownies (mix)

25. Betty Crocker Super Moist
Click to edit Master text styles
Second level
Third level
Fourth level
Fifth level

26. Meijer moist select
Sugar, Enriched Bleached Flour
Click to edit Master text styles
(Bleached Flour, Niacin, Iron,
Second level Thiamine Mononitrate,
Third level Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Cocoa
(Processed with Alkali), Partially
Fourth level Hydrogenated Vegetable
Fifth level Shortening (Contains Soybean
oil).

27. Meijer moist Betty
select Crocker
super moist
Price $1.35 $1.90
Taste 3.8/5
(average after visiting
4.9/5
(average after visiting
serveral websites where serveral websites where
people vote) people vote)
Nutritional Less additives Much more additives
value