Food additives!

Sweeteners Natural or artificial sources Sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, beet sugar, invert sugar, glucose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, etc. Sugar-free/non-caloric sweeteners Sugar alcohols (xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, mannitol…) High-intensity sweeteners

High-intensity sweeteners Do not have any caloric value Are 200-10,000 times sweeter than sucrose Only some are allowed for use in food by the FDA Aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame postassium (Ace K), neotame, etc.

Aspartame 200-300x sweeter than sucrose Bitter aftertaste Dipeptide: aspartic acid and phenylalanine Phenylketonurea: sensitivity to phenylalanine. Must label all products that contain aspartame! Stable at acid pH (used a lot in diet sodas – pH 3-5) Controversial – many believe it causes cancer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame

Saccharin 300-400x sweeter than sucrose Bitter, metallic aftertaste Heat-stable – can be used for baking! 1980s: found correlation between high saccharin consumption and bladder cancer in rats Now we must label saccharin as “linked to bladder cancer in rats” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharin

Sucralose 300-1,000x sweeter than sucrose Stable to heat and pH – good for cooking and baking Chlorinated sucrose molecule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose

Sugar alcohols Not very sweet on their own – usually combine with another high-intensity sweetener Some calorie content – usually 1.5-2.5 kCal/g May cause bloating and diarrhea if consumed in excess https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_alcohol

Nutrient addition 3 legal categories of nutrient addition for nutritional purposes Restoration – restores original nutrient content in a food lost from processing Not common Fortification – addition of a nutrient to a level higher than in the original food Nutrient may or may not have already been present Ex: adding vitamins to breakfast cereal, calcium Enrichment – add a specified amount of certain nutrients Meet a Standard of Identity set by the FDA

Nutrient enrichment Addition of thiamin (B1), niacin (B3), riboflavin (B2), iron and folate (B9) to white flour Removing bran and germ removes thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin Iron and folate are added for public health reasons All nutrients added exceed the original level Addition of iodine to salt Public health reasons – prevention of goiter Addition of vitamin A and D to low-fat milk Removed during removal of milkfat (A and D are fat-soluble vitamins) Both added back to exceed the original concentration in milk Minimum and maximum levels set by the FDA

Colors FDA regulates the use of color in all foods (and cosmetics, drugs, and more!) Only certain manufactured colors are allowed to be used in food

Other colors Caramel color (from sugars) Natural sources (beet juice, carrot juice, spinach juice, ube, matcha, turmeric, saffron, etc.)

Preservatives Maintain product quality or safety Prevent microbial growth, extend shelf life, prevent oxidation… Must be approved by the FDA – usually have some sort of regulatory limit on them Common in most shelf-stable products Most are classified as food additives (have undergone rigorous testing) or GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe – not known to cause harm in the levels they’re ingested)

Some preservatives Preservative Function Examples in food Benzoic acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sorbic acid, Prevent mold growth Salad dressing, baked goods, jellies and jams Sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate Prevent growth of C. botulinum, maintain freshness and color Lunch meat, bacon Vitamin C, Vitamin E Prevent oxidation Breakfast cereals, oily products, etc. BHA, BHT

Flavor enhancers Added to foods to enhance flavor and umami Monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inositate Common in most processed foods MSG:

Emulsifiers Prevent separation of emulsified products Contain hydrophobic (lipid-loving) and hydrophilic (water-loving) components Act at water/oil interfaces Also maintain dispersion of ingredients, prevent crystallization, etc. Common in salad dressings, mayonnaise, chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream Examples: lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbates… Egg yolks and dijon mustard are good sources of emulsifiers (lecithin)

Stabilizers/thickeners Added to improve mouthfeel, maintain dispersion, prevent moisture or oil migration Commonly found in salad dressings, thickened beverages, ice cream, jams and jellies, chocolate milk Examples: carrageenan, guar gum, gelatin, locust bean gum, pectin, starches, carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, etc.

Leavening agents Produce gases that allow products to rise during cooking/baking Baking powder: Mixture of sodium bicarbonate and weak acid salt (monocalcium phosphate, etc.) Gases produced by acid-base reaction in product, does not require acid to be present Double-acting: contains fast-acting (work immediately, at room temp) and slow-acting (requires the heat of the oven to rise) Baking soda: Sodium bicarbonate Requires acid to be present in order to work Yeast: Living eukaryotic organism Gases produced by fermentation – yeasts ferment glucose and produce CO2 and H2O

Other additives Dough conditioners (azodicarbonamide, L-cysteine) Produce a more stable dough, prevent staling Bread doughs, etc. Humectants (sorbitol, glycerin) Bind water to prevent stickiness/caking Shredded coconut, confections, marshmallows Firming agents (calcium chloride) Maintain crunch in processed/canned fruits and ve Anti-caking agents (Calcium silicate, iron ammonium citrate, silicon dioxide) Keep products flowing easily out of the container Salt, powders, boxed cake mix, baking powder

Tomato soup Potassium chloride = salt substitute (this product is probably low sodium) Monopotassium phosphate = flavor enhancer

Milk chocolate Ingredients: Sugar, cocoa solids, cocoa butter, milk, lecithin, PGPR, vanilla Lecithin and PGPR are emulsifiers! Chocolate = #1 user of lecithin in the world! PGPR = emulsifier used to help chocolate bars retain their shape