Food Additives

Origin of food additives

Food additives have various origins. This includes: The natural additives, additives from the chemical modification of natural products, additives are identical to natural and artificial additives. The latter two are synthetic additives.

Natural food additives

These are extracts from plant or animal substances existing in nature (eg, extracts of trees, algae, seeds, fruits, vegetables, etc.). We can cite the example of Curcumin (E100), a natural dye yellow-orange extract of the roots of Curcuma longa and used for coloring foods like ice cream, yoghurt and confectionery products.

Food additives obtained by modification of natural products

The additives are obtained by chemical modification of a natural extract of a plant or animal substance in order to improve its properties. This applies, for example, emulsifiers produced from vegetable oils, sweeteners from fruits and organic acids derived from edible oils.

The synthetic food additives

When the extraction of natural substances are expensive, they can be replenished by chemical synthesis. Additives and are made identical to natural substances. Chemical synthesis can also be used for the manufacture of artificial additives completely.

Food additives are identical to natural

These are substances used to replace natural food additives, but they are obtained by chemical synthesis. This applies, for example, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and citric acid which is used as acidifier.

Artificial food additives

These are the additives that have no counterpart in nature. They are entirely artificial, obtained by chemical synthesis. Examples of some anti-oxygen, color or sweeteners like saccharin. This group of additives which raises more worries about consumer health.

Functions and Categories of food additives

The European Directive 89/107/EEC classifies food additives into several categories, depending on the function they perform in the food. There are colors, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, salts of iron, thickeners, the gelling agents, stabilizers, flavor enhancers, acidifying, the correction of acidity, anti-caking, modified starch, sweeteners, baking powders, the anti-foaming, coating agents and gliding, the agents Flour treatment, lease, the humectant, kidnappings, used as additives, officials charge, the propellant and packaging gases. However, it should be noted that some additives have several functions. This applies, for example, calcium carbonate (E170) which is an anti-caking, an acidity regulator, a colorant, an emulsifier and stabilizer.

Some authors combine the different categories into 3 groups only. Tip: The additives that maintain the freshness and prevent deterioration of foods, additives that affect the physical or physico-chemical and additives that enhance or improve the sensory qualities. Some categories can belong to several groups.

Additives that maintain the freshness and prevent deterioration of food

This group of additives consists of 4 main categories which are preservatives and antioxidants. The others are receivers and packaging gases.

• Conservatives: These are substances which prolong the shelf life of foodstuffs by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms. Is a series of additives E200 to E299. Nitrite and nitrate (E249 - 252), for the preservation of preparations of meat (ham, sausages, foie gras, etc..) Belong to this category.
   
• Antioxidants: These are substances which prolong the shelf life of foodstuffs by protecting them against deterioration caused by oxidation, such as fat rancidity and color changes. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and its derivatives (E300 - 302) and tocopherol (vitamin E) and its derivatives (E306 - 309) are very antioxidants employees. The first set is used to maintain the color of processed fruit and vegetables. The second series is used to slow the oxidation of oils and fats.
   
• Sequestrants: These are substances which form chemical complexes with metallic ions. They protect foods against oxidation reactions initiated by the presence of metals. Citric acid (E330) is an example of sequestrants; used in several products such as juices and fruit nectars. It is also an antioxidant and a regulator of acidity. Kidnappings and antioxidants form the subgroup antioxidants.
   
• Packaging gases: These are the gases other than air, placed in a container before, during or after the introduction of a foodstuff in that container. They protect foods against deterioration caused by oxygen or air. Carbon dioxide (E290) and nitrogen (E941) are the gas-conditioning the most used (carbon dioxide is also a Conservative).

Additives that affect the physical or physico-chemical properties of food

In this group, we distinguish the following categories:

• Firming: These are substances that make or keep tissues of fruit and vegetable farms or crunchy, or which, in interaction with gel-forming or firming gel. The aluminum ammonium sulfate (E523), used in fruit and vegetables, crystallized and glazed, is an example of firming.
   
• Humectants: These are substances that prevent food from drying out by counteracting the effects of low humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium. Series tartrates (E334 - 337) is an example of humectants, used especially in concentrated fruit juices.
   
• Correcting acid: These are substances which alter or control the acidity or alkalinity of a foodstuff. Sodium hydroxide (E524) is an example of correcting acidity.
   
• ANTICAKING: These are substances that, in a food, limit clumping of particles. Ferrocyanides (E535 - 538), an example of anti-caking, are widely used in salt and its substitutes to prevent the accession of salt particles.
   
• Anti-foaming: These are substances which prevent or reduce foaming. The dimethylpolysiloxane (E900) used in several products such as jams, marmalades and frozen fruit, is an example of anti-foaming.
   
• Agents charge: These are substances that increase the volume of a foodstuff without contributing significantly to its energy value. Cellulose (E460) is a load ANTICAKING, emulsifier, stabilizer and thickener used in the whey powder and products based on whey powder.
   
• Emulsifiers: These are substances added to food, help to achieve or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water. Examples include lecithin (E322), mono-and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) used to maintain texture and prevent separation of ingredients in products like margarine, ice cream, salad dressings and mayonnaise.
   
• Stabilizers: These are substances added to food, keep the physico-chemical state. Stabilizers include substances which enable the maintenance of a homogenous dispersion of two or more immiscible substances, and substances which stabilize, retain or intensify the color of a food. The polyvinylpyrrolidone (E1201) is an example of stabilizers used in food supplements in tablet and coated tablet.
   
• Foaming agents: These are substances which can achieve a homogenous dispersion of a gaseous phase in a liquid or solid foodstuff. Quillaia extract (E999) is an example of foaming agents, used in beverages without alcohol flavored water-based.
   
• Gelling agents: These are substances added to food, give it the texture through the formation of a gel. The sodium alginate (E401), calcium alginate (E404) and agar-agar (E406) are examples of gelling agents.
   
• Glazing agents (including lubricants): These are substances applied to the surface of a foodstuff, impart a shiny appearance or provide a protective layer. The white beeswax (E901), Candelilla wax (E902), wax carnouba (E903) and shellac (E904) are examples of coating agents used in products such as confectionery products small and fine bakery products coated with chocolate.
   
• Modified starches: These are the substances obtained by one or more chemical treatments of edible starches, which may have been subjected to a physical or enzymatic treatment, and may be acid or alkali, or bleached. The oxidized starch (E1404), and the starch phosphate (E1410 - 1414) are examples of modified starches. Modified starches replies several functions, which are stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers and / or media.
   
• Baking powders: These are substances or combinations of substances which liberate gas and thereby increase the volume of dough. Sodium carbonate (E500) is an example of agents of yeast.
   
• Thickeners: These are substances added to food, increase the viscosity. Gelatin (E400 - 406) or pectin (E440) are often employed for this purpose.
   
• Treatment agents flour: These are substances added to flour or dough to improve its baking quality. Series polyoxyethylene stearates of sorbate (E432 - 436) are, for example, treatment agents flour used in the fine bakery products. These additives are used as anti-foaming, emulsifying, foaming agents and stabilizers.
   
• Media (including solvents): These are substances used to dissolve, dilute, disperse or physically alter in any other manner, a food additive without altering its technological function (and without having their own role) in order to facilitate its handling, application or use. Glycerol (E422), agar-agar (E406), cellulose (E460) and oxidized starch (E1404) are examples of materials used in food.
   
• Propellants: These are the gases other than air which has the effect to expel a foodstuff from a container. The propellant gases permitted for food is Argon (E938), helium (E939), nitrogen (E941), nitrogen peroxide (E942) and oxygen (E948).

Additives that enhance or improve the sensory qualities of foods

This group includes the categories that affect the sensory qualities of foods, the taste and color. Distinguished this group, the following categories:

• Dyes: These are substances which add or restore color to foods. They can overcome a loss of staining occurred during production or due to seasonal variations (eg butter), food coloring colorless and strengthen a specific idea of taste (as in confectionery, green or yellow for lemon taste). The additives in this category correspond to the range E100 to E199.
   
• Acidifiers: These are substances which increase the acidity of a foodstuff and / or give it an acid taste. They may be classified in the group of additives that maintain the freshness and prevent deterioration of food "as they contribute to the preservation of food by lowering pH. For the same reason, they can also be classified in the group of additives that affect the physical and chemical characteristics of food. "Acetic acid and its derivatives (E260 - 263) are widely used acid in fruit and vegetables canning.
   
• Flavor enhancers: These are substances that enhance the taste and / or odor of a food. The best known of these is sodium glutamate (E621), which is used to reveal and enhance the flavors of food which it is added. It is used mainly in foods and seasonings in a large variety of oriental dishes.
   
• Sweeteners: These are substances that do not belong to the group of carbohydrates that have a sweetness, sometimes large compared to that of sugar, but, relative to their sweetening power, have no nutritional value or that a very low nutritional value. They are used to communicate a sweet taste to food products and are useful in foods or low fat diet, such as those for diabetics. We distinguish sweeteners "mass" and "intense."

Intense sweeteners such as acesulfame K (E950), aspartame (E951) and saccharin (E954), have a sweetness much larger than that of sucrose (see Table 1). However, the energy provided by these substances is zero.

Mass sweeteners such as sorbitol (E420), isomalt (E953) and maltitol (E965), are generally polyols. They have a sweetness than sucrose (see Table 1). They can be incorporated into table-top sweeteners and food low in calories, where they provide the creaminess and volume. These substances have reduced caloric value (ca. 2.4 kcal/g).

• Flavorings (not considered by the European Directive 89/107/EEC on food additives): Flavorings are substances used to give taste and / or smell to food. The law defines different types of flavors, such as natural flavoring, natural-identical or artificial flavoring preparations of vegetable or animal origin, flavorings processing that increase the flavor after heating and smoke flavors.

The register of flavoring substances of the European Union around 2800 contains substances that are allowed temporarily pending the evaluation of their safety.