Project by: Csurka Bettina Gáspár Andrea Metzner Dávid Ulmer Péter Group 3

Origins  Started with the discovery that salted meat lasted longer  The Egyptians used colurs and flavourings  Romans used saltpetre (potassium- nitrate)  Discovery of many new substrances over the last 50 years

What are food additives and why are they necessary?  Chemical substances that are added to food  Direct additives/Indirect additives  Naturally/Synthatical made  Mantaining food qualities and characteristics

How are food additives regulated in Europe?  Demonstrated useful purpose  Rigorous scientific safety  Reviews of all available toxicological data  NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect- level)  ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake)

Main types of additives  Antioxidants →Prevent fats and oils from spoiling  Colorings → Improve color of processed foods

Main types of additives  Stabilizers/Emulsifiers →Increase smoothness, volume and improve the food texture.  Preservaties →Prevent the growth of spoilage organisms

Food additives-Disadvantages  May cause allergic reactions  Some of the vitamin contents are destroyed  Caffeine causes palpitations, nervousness  Saccharin causes tumors, cancer, heart and skin damage

Food additives-Advantages  More acceptable taste  Prevents food from becoming stale  Prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi  Essential nutrients lost during cooking can be provided

Conclusions  It cannot be avoided  Read the labels carefully  Contact your doctor