1. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Food additives Foundation

2. © Food – a fact of life 2009 What are food additives? Food additives are substances added to products to perform specific technological functions. These functions include preserving, i.e. increasing shelf-life or inhibiting the growth of pathogens, or adding colouring and flavouring to food for interest and variety. There are over 300 permitted additives that can be used in the UK. Flavourings are not included in this figure, as there are over 3,000 flavouring components in UK use, in many different combinations. International organisations provide advice on the safety of flavourings.

3. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Why additives are used To preserve them from decay and spoilage To make the food last longer To improve or enhance the flavour, colour and texture of food To produce a uniform food during large scale manufacture (all exactly the same) To provide easy-to-prepare convenience foods in a society that is busy and spends less time in the kitchen To produce new food products e.g. snacks and confectionary in novelty shapes and colours To restore original characteristics of a product To restore or increase nutritional value

4. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Natural or synthetic Additives may be: natural – found naturally, such as extracts from beetroot juice (E162), used as a colouring agent; manmade versions – synthetic identical copies of substances found naturally, such as benzoic acid (E210), used as a preservative; artificial – produced synthetically and not found naturally, such as nisin (E234), used as a preservative in some dairy products and in semolina and tapioca puddings.

5. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Why not keep to natural additives? Some artificial colours have almost disappeared from foods as companies realised that many consumers prefer food products to contain natural colours. At present there is not the variety of natural additives required to perform all the functions of additives necessary. Manmade additives may prove more efficient at preserving, and some natural colours fade in some products.

6. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Types of additives Preservatives Colours Sweeteners Flavours and flavour enhancers Emulsifiers and stabilisers Antioxidants Fortification

7. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Preservatives Preservatives aim to: prevent the growth of micro-organisms which could cause food spoilage and lead to food poisoning; extend the shelf-life of products, so that they can be distributed and sold to the consumer with a longer shelf-life. For example, bacon, ham, corned beef and other ‘cured’ meats are often treated with nitrite and nitrate (E249 to E252) during the curing process.

8. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Antioxidants Antioxidants aim to: prevent food containing fat or oil from going rancid due to oxidation, i.e. developing an unpleasant odour or flavour; prevent the browning of cut fruit, vegetables and fruit juices (and so increase shelf life and appearance). For example, vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, or E300, is one of the most widely used antioxidants.

9. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Colours Colours aim to: restore colour lost during processing or storage, e.g. marrowfat peas; ensure that each batch produced is identical in appearance or does not appear ‘off’; reinforces colour already in foods, e.g. enhance the yellowness of a custard; give colour to foods which otherwise would be colourless (e.g. soft drinks) and so make them more attractive.

10. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Colours Certain combinations of the following articifical food colours: sunset yellow (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102) and ponceau 4R (E124) have been linked to a negative effect on children’s behaviour. These colours are used in soft drinks, sweets and ice cream. The Food Standards Agency suggest if signs of hyperactivity or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are seen in a child, these additives should be avoided.

11. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Flavour enhancers Flavour enhancers bring out the flavour in foods without imparting a flavour of their own, e.g. monosodium glutamate (E612) is added to processed foods. For example some soups, sauces and sausages. Flavourings, on the other hand, are added to a wide range of foods, usually in small amounts to give a particular taste. These do not have E numbers because they are controlled by different food laws. Ingredients lists will say if flavourings have been used, but individual flavourings might not be named.

12. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Sweeteners Sweeteners include: intense sweeteners, e.g. saccharin, have a sweetness many times that of sugar and therefore are used in small amounts, e.g. in diet foods, soft drinks, sweetening tablets; bulk sweeteners, e.g. sorbitol, have a similar sweetness to sugar and are used at similar levels. If concentrated cordial drinks that contain sweeteners are given to children between the ages of 6 months to 4 years, it is important to dilute them more than for adults. Infants under 6 months should not be given cordial drinks.

13. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Emulsifiers These are used to ensure that food products remain in a good stable condition for a certain period of time after they are manufactured. Emulsifiers are used in products such as salad dressings, low-fat spreads and ice cream. Emulsifying salts are used to change the proteins in processed cheese into a smooth mixture with fat and water Example - Lecithin Emulsifiers work in the following ways: An oil and water emulsion separates after a time. Emulsifier molecules have a water-loving (hydrophilic) head and a water-hating (hydrophobic) tail The water loving head is attracted to the water and the water hating tail to the oil droplets So the emulsifier molecules surround the oil droplets and prevent them from separating out

14. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Fortification Fortification involves the addition of nutrients to foods irrespective of whether or not the nutrients were originally present in the food. Fortification is a means of improving the nutritional status of a population (or potentially a sub- population). Some foods are fortified by law (e.g. margarine), others voluntarily (e.g. breakfast cereals). Safety and technical considerations are taken into account when deciding which foods to fortify and to what level. Fortified foods make an important contribution to diets in the UK.

15. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Examples of fortification Margarines and reduced fat spreads (because of mandatory and voluntary fortification respectively) are important sources of vitamins A and D in the UK diet. Cereal and cereal products play an important role in the diet and are a major source of many nutrients for both children and adults, due in part to the mandatory fortification of all wheat flour (apart from whole meal) with iron, thiamin and niacin, and all flours (except whole meal and some self-raising varieties) with calcium. Foods that are produced for vegans and vegetarians, such as soya products, are often fortified voluntarily with vitamin B 12. As foods from plant sources do not naturally contain this vitamin, fortified foods are the only dietary source of vitamin B 12 for vegans. Some soya drink products are also fortified with calcium, which is important for those who do not consume dairy products, the major source of calcium in the UK diet. Many manufactured foods for infants are fortified, particularly with iron and some with vitamin D, although the nutritional composition of these products is strictly controlled by a number of European regulations. Other foods, such as meal replacements, sports drinks, slimming products, and foods aimed at particular groups, are often fortified, with some categories being controlled by specific legislation that states the amount and types of nutrients that can be added.

16. © Food – a fact of life 2009 Others Gelling agents are used to change the consistency of a food and enhance texture, e.g. soya milk, pectin (E440) which is used to make jam. Thickeners help give food body, e.g. can be found in most sauces. Anti-caking agents ensure free movement or flow of particles, e.g. in dried milk or table salt. Foaming agents are used to ensure that bubbles are evenly distributed – e.g.. – ice cream Anti-foaming agents prevent or disperse frothing, e.g. in the production of fruit juices. Glazing agents provide a protective coating or sheen on the surface of foods, e.g. confectionary (for appearance and shelf-life). Humectants stop foods drying out, e.g..; soft centres of chocolates Sequesterants stop reactions such as off flavours in fruits and discolouration of foods Modified starch is added to dry foods such as soups and baby foods to add bulk and enable liquid to be incorporated Propellants are gases that are used to make aerosols work – e.g.; for decorating cream Thickeners give food body and improve the texture and mouth feel e.g.; yogurts, sauces Acids, bases and buffers control the acidity or alkalinity of food, for safety and stability of flavour.