China Clinical Nutrition Network (lcyycc)
Author: Zheng Lihua (Deputy Director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Yibin Hospital, Yibin Hospital, Second People's Hospital of Yibin City, Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Deputy Chief Physician, Member of the Nutrition Physicians Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association/ Member of the Nutrition and Food Safety Branch of the Chinese Geriatrics Society/ Contracted Nutritionist of China Clinical Nutrition Network, etc., specializing in: neurology, clinical nutrition)
"In the world of delicious mouths, you can eat everything that is strange and strange!"
"That is, there is no uneaten, only unthinkable!"
"Hey, the problem is, it's all some food additives, the body can withstand it?? I'm afraid that there is stuttering, and there is no life to enjoy! ”......
(Image source: www.pexels.com)
For food additives, big guys will have such concerns, thinking that what is not in nature has become a non-pure natural, non-green food after artificial processing and addition, eating more, eating for a long time, definitely has an impact on health! In particular, the "melamine incident" and "Sudan red duck egg incident" reported one after another have a considerable impact on everyone and are also shocking.
As a result, a big mallet smashed into the food additives, so that the original can enhance the nutritional value of food, improve the taste of food, prevent food spoilage, increase food stability and other many benefits of all kinds of food additives have borne a bad reputation, so that the public to talk about the discoloration, lest they be affected. Today, with the help of "3.15", Xiaobian talks about those things about food additives, and "extends" the "grievances" for food additives for many years.
In order to ensure the safety of public food, our country has a series of strict standards and requirements for the use of food additives, such as 13 relevant national standards, 100 industry standards, 7 local standards, etc. Among them, the "National Standard for Food Safety And Food Additive Use Standards (GB 2760-2014)" gives official provisions on the use of food additives.
First of all, figure out what is a food additive: that is, to improve the quality of food and color, aroma, taste, and for the needs of preservative, fresh and processing technology, and to add synthetic or natural substances in food. Flavors for food, base substances in gum-based confectionery, and processing aids for the food industry are also included.
Secondly, look at the basic requirements for the use of food additives (see here is assured, this is the guarantee of food safety, do not meet the requirements, the regulatory authorities will not spare it):
1. Do not cause any health hazards to the human body;
2. Food spoilage should not be concealed;
3. Food additives should not be concealed for the purpose of doping, adulteration or falsification of food products or processing;
4. The nutritional value of the food itself should not be reduced;
5. Reduce the amount of food used as much as possible under the premise of achieving the desired effect.
What are the common uses of food additives (enumerated part):
1. Colorants: Also known as food coloring, it is a substance that makes food give color and improve food color. Common natural colorants are chili red, beet red, turmeric, carotene, etc., synthetic colorants sunset yellow, lemon yellow, indigo, bright blue and so on. Such as: curcumin, used for cooked nut seeds, chocolate, candy.
2. Sweetener: a substance that gives food sweetness, which can adjust the taste of food and enhance the flavor of food. Common natural sweeteners are: stevia, licorice, disodium glycyrrhizinate, tripotassium glycyrrhizinate and trisodium, etc., synthetic sweeteners are saccharin, sodium saccharin, sodium cyclohexylsulfamate, aspartyl phenylalanine methyl ester ali sweet and so on. Such as: new sweet, used for flavored fermented milk, concocted milk, light cream, dried fruit, canned fruit, preserves, jam, baked goods, carbonated drinks and other foods to increase sweetness.
3. Preservatives: substances that prevent food spoilage and prolong the storage period of food. For example, benzoic acid and its sodium salt are used to prevent flavored ice, popsicles, pickled vegetables, jams, soy sauce, compound seasonings, protein drinks, carbonated drinks, tea, coffee, fruit wine and other food preservatives.
4. Acidity regulator: a substance used to maintain or change the pH of food. For example, fumaric acid can be added to bread, pastries, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit and vegetable juice drinks, baked food fillings, etc. to adjust the acidity.
5. Leavening agent: Added in the food processing process, the product can initiate the formation of dense porous tissue, so that the product has a bulky, soft or crisp substance. Such as: potassium bitartrate, wheat flour and its products, baked goods can be added.
6. Thickener: can improve the viscosity of food or form a gel, thereby changing the physical properties of food, giving food stickiness, suitable taste, and both emulsifying, stabilizing or making suspended substances. For example, xanthan gum is used for thickening cream, butter, fruit and vegetable juice, and infant formula for special medical purposes.
7. Flavor enhancers: substances that supplement or enhance the original flavor of food. Such as: aminoacetic acid (also known as glycine), used to increase the flavor of cooked meat products, fruit and vegetable juice drinks, plant protein drinks.
8. Coating agent: a substance that is applied to the surface of food to preserve quality, preserve freshness, glaze, prevent water evaporation and other functions. For example, white oil (also known as liquid paraffin wax) can be used for fresh eggs and some candies.
Since China has strict regulations on the allowable varieties, scope of use, and maximum use or residue of food additives, why are there still malignant events caused by additives mentioned earlier? This is all caused by "illegal additives".
Illegal additives: As the name suggests, harmful substances that are not added in accordance with the requirements of laws and regulations. For example: melamine, Sudan red, hanging white block, industrial gelatin, borax, etc., after eating will cause great harm to human health, are clearly prohibited by the state to add to food. Some unscrupulous merchants illegally add similar additives to food due to interests, resulting in serious consequences, leading the public to mistakenly believe that food additives are not good things, and talk about food additive discoloration.
Food Additives ≠ Illegal Additives!
Are "additive-free" foods necessarily safe and healthy? Not necessarily!
For example: if the edible oil is not added to the antioxidants, it will spoil during the shelf life and cannot be stored for a long time; red dates and goji berries cannot be stored for a long time if they do not add parabenic acid, sorbic acid and other preservatives; infant formula milk powder if it does not contain food additives, its nutritional value cannot meet the needs of infant growth and development.
All in all, the synthetic food additives currently approved for use in China have been approved for use in more than two developed countries. Therefore, as long as food additives are used in strict accordance with the varieties and dosages stipulated by the state, safety is guaranteed, and the public does not have to deliberately avoid it, nor do they need to worry about it!
bibliography:
"National Standard for Food Safety Food Additives Use Standard (GB 2760-2014)"
Editorial Board of China Clinical Nutrition Network
2021.3.18