According to statistics, the food industry spends up to 20 billion US dollars in food additives every year, manufacturers use these food additives to change the color, aroma, quality and extend the shelf life of food, it is estimated that each of us eats six to seven kilograms of food additives every year.
The food industry often justifies the use of food additives to prevent food spoilage and protect consumers from food poisoning. In fact, chemicals used to stop the growth of harmful microorganisms (i.e. preservatives) and chemicals to prevent the deterioration of oils and fats (i.e. antioxidants) account for less than 1% of the total number of food additives. About 90% of food additives are decorative, including 40 different dyeing chemicals (mostly in cereals, snacks, confectionery and beverages), 13 sweeteners and 4,500 food flavors. In addition, there are food processing aids such as emulsifiers and stabilizers, which are used to mix water and oil in foods, and are often added to foods such as margarine and mayonnaise.
Before the 50s of the 20th century, any chemical agent could be added to food as long as it was not on the banned list. And now most countries stipulate that only approved additives can be used in food. In 1983, the European Union adopted the E-NUMBER numbering system, which allowed hundreds of additives to be approved for use.
So far, the EU has declared 540 food additives harmful to humans. Dr. Rodri Evans, Head of Food Additives at the UK Food Standards Agency, explains how to calculate the safety of food additives. "The first step is to obtain a large amount of safety information that shows that certain food additives have an impact on human health," he said. The results of the study are evaluated by independent scientific experts and, if acceptable, we will determine the acceptable daily intake of each food additive—--- which refers to how much of the additive is consumed per day during a person's lifetime without posing a significant health risk. ”
Critics of food additive testing systems have raised doubts about the safety of as many as 250 food additives that have been approved for use. Nearly all studies that have detected food additives, they say, have been conducted on mice, but it remains to be seen whether the results will be equally applicable to humans. In addition, most of the research is conducted by companies that produce food additives.
Eric Millstone, a science policy expert, said: "I think it is important to have independent laboratories that are not related to food additive manufacturers to test and keep the results up to date. In addition, we need to determine how similar the rats and humans are to the experiment. He said that conclusions should be drawn based on evidence that has been confirmed by human beings. "If you ask the unions that make or use food additives, the union officials will tell you that people in the factories have symptoms such as wheezing, chronic headaches, rashes," he said. However, this evidence is not included in the assessment of the effects of food additives on human health. ”
6. The most accurate one of the following understandings of "food additives" is ( )
A Food additives can strengthen the color of food, increase the flavor, improve the quality of the product, and extend the shelf life of the food.
B. The purpose of using food additives is to prevent the growth of microorganisms, prevent food mildew, and enable consumers to avoid food poisoning.
C
Food additives generally include preservatives, antioxidants, sweeteners, flavors, and emulsifiers and stabilizers as food processing aids.
D The World Standard for Food Additives was established by the European Union in 1983, and the use of this system can prevent excessive use of food additives.
7. One of the following expressions that does not conform to the meaning of the text is ( )
A Half a century ago, food additives could be used as long as they were not explicitly prohibited, but now countries around the world require that only approved additives can be used in food.
B In the United Kingdom, the standard for the harmlessness of food additives is the amount that a person can ingest in a lifetime without threatening health, rather than a laboratory conclusion.
C Even trade union officials in industries involved in the production or use of additives will be frank about the harm of food additives to human health.
D The main reason for skepticism about the safety of food additives is that there is a problem with the research approach.
8. Based on the information provided in the original text, one of the following inferences is incorrect ( )
A Although there are many types of spices in food additives, a very small part of them are recognized by major European countries and considered harmless to humans.
B Food safety can not only consider additives, but also consider other problems in the food production process, but the most fundamental way is to eat more fresh food.
C Critics of food additive testing systems are mainly based on the fact that only a very small number of studies on food additives have been conducted on humans.
D If we remember the types of food additives that are toxic to the human body and do not eat foods that contain these additives, we can maintain good health.
6 C (A "change the color, aroma and quality of food" in the article, in which "change the quality" refers to many contents, such as changing the quality of food, "improving quality" is only one of the aspects, this item is a partial generalization. The assertion in item B is the defence of the producer of the additive and is not factual. Because "about 90% of additives are decorative"D this numbering system is used by the European Union, not the "World Standard for Food Additives".
7. A (most countries now stipulate that only licensed additives can be used, not "countries around the world")
8D (additives without toxins may also harm human health from other aspects, such as emulsifiers can make food contain more fat, which is easy to cause obesity and lead to other diseases.)