Food Additives: Not a ‘Flood’
Food additives are synthetic or natural substances that are added to food in order to improve the quality, colour, aroma and taste of food, as well as for preservation, freshness and processing. The use of food additives is almost ubiquitous in the modern food industry.
What are their functions?
Preservation of freshness: e.g. potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, etc. They can prevent food from spoiling and deteriorating, prolong shelf life and reduce food waste.
Improve sensory: e.g. colouring agents (e.g. crimson, β-carotene) to make food colour more attractive; sweeteners (e.g. aspartame, xylitol) to provide sweetness to satisfy taste needs, and some of them can also be used in sugar-free food; and thickening agents (e.g. pectin, xanthan gum, etc.) are used to improve the physical properties of food products.
Maintaining nutrition: e.g. Vitamin C, as an antioxidant, not only prevents oxidation of food, but is also a nutrient in itself.
Facilitate processing: e.g. emulsifiers and bulking agents help in the moulding and processing of food.
‘Misuse’ concerns: a cautionary tale of health risks
Excessive use: Adding to foods where a certain additive is not permitted.
Excessive use: Exceeding the maximum use amount specified by the state.
Use of illegal additives: Use of non-food substances (e.g. industrial raw materials) or unauthorised substances as food additives.
Irregular labelling: Failure to declare truthfully or unclear labelling.
Misuse of food additives, especially prolonged or excessive intake of certain additives used in violation of the law, may indeed pose potential health risks:
Increase metabolic burden: Excessive intake of certain additives needs to be metabolised and excreted by organs such as the liver and kidneys, which may increase the burden on these organs in the long term.
Triggering allergic reactions: Some people may have allergic reactions to certain specific additives (e.g. certain colouring agents, preservatives), such as rashes and asthma.
Affecting nutrient absorption: For example, excessive phytates may affect the absorption of minerals such as calcium and iron.
Potential cumulative toxicity: Although a single compliant additive is safe at prescribed doses, the cumulative effects and interactions of multiple excessive additives, if ingested in combination, or over a prolonged period of time with the offending additives, may produce unknown health risks.