Standard for Food Additives - Essay Example

"Standard for Food Additives " is a worthy example of a paper on food and nutrition. Food additives are those substances that become a part of food when they are added to the food while manufacturing or processing it. There is an internationally recognized standard for food additives set by the FAO and WHO; food additives that fit this criterion are suitable for use in food manufacture and processing. All other substances which do not meet the standard are harmful in one way or the other for human health and food which includes such substances is deemed harmful for health.

According to Codex Stan (1995) the use of food additives must be justified only when they do not pose a considerable threat to consumers’ health, neither do they misguide the consumer and has one or two of the following objectives:

• For preserving food from a nutritional aspect
• To manufacture food fortified with nutrients
• For enhancing the quality and stability of foods
• Or for maintenance of wholesomeness of food
• Enhancing the color and flavor of food
• Some additives also help to balance the acid-base balance of food

There are two categories of food additives depending on the time at which they have been added to the food:

Direct Food Additives

Direct food additives are added to the food during manufacturing or processing of food to increase nutrients, enhance quality and stability or preserving the food.

Indirect Food Additives

These are ingredients added to the food after the food is manufactured or processed. The quantities in which these types of additives are added to the food are very low.

According to Dr. Rebecca (2012), as the varieties of food available in supermarkets is increasing, so is the variety of food additives added to different types of foods. With a large number of products out in the market to choose from, the shoppers need to self-educate themselves and people around them to avoid going for products that contain food additives that are harmful to health.

The following is a list of additives which are potentially harmful and must be avoided in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle when it comes to the selection of food:

E102 Tartrazine is used in manufacturing sweets, biscuits, and mushy peas and may result in Asthma, Rashes, and Hyperactivity related problems.

E124 Ponceau 4R used in sweets, biscuits, and drinks and may cause allergy of varying degrees.

E110 Sunset Yellow is an additive used in sweets, ice-creams, and drinks and may cause gastric troubles and allergic reaction

E122 Carmoisine is used in jelly, sweets, biscuits and ready meals and may cause allergy and intolerance

E104 Quinoline Yellow used in smoked haddock, pickles, and sweets and may contribute to hyperactivity, rashes, and asthma

E 129 Allura Red is used in sausages, cocktails and soft drink and is shown to play a role in hypersensitivity

E 211Sodium Benzoate used in soft drinks, baked items, and lollies and may cause asthma and hyperactivity

Monosodium Glutamate used by restaurants to enhance flavors is a serious contributor towards nausea, headache, chest pain and rapid heartbeat

Sulfites of different types are added in a variety of foods ranging from Cookies, crackers, pie crust, pizza crust, and flour tortillas, condiments, relishes, pickles, olives, salad dressings, and wine vinegar. They cause ADHD, violent behavior, seizures, migraine headaches, asthma, constipation, sinus congestion, cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, obesity and hypertension (Turner, 2012).