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HARM OF FOOD ADDITIVES
Mikhalkina Tatiana Sergeevna, Kuznetsov Nikita Viktorovich, Olentsova Julia Anatolievna, Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University, Krasnoyarsk
E-mail: [email protected] ВРЕД ПИЩЕВЫХ ДОБАВОК
Михалкина Татьяна Сергеевна, Кузнецов Никита Викторович, Оленцова Юлия Анатольевна, Красноярский государственный аграрный университет, г. Красноярск
E-mail: [email protected]
Аннотация. Данная статья посвящена вопросам вреда пищевых добавок в жизни людей. Рассмотрены основные достоинства и недостатки пищевых добавок, их классификация.
Ключевые слова: пищевые добавки, здоровье, пищевая промышленность.
Annotation. This article is devoted to the issues of food additives harm in people's lives. There are main advantages and disadvantages of food additives and their classification.
Keywords: dietary supplements, health, food industry.
Originally, foods were grown and eaten directly from a relatively unpolluted Earth. Wild foods were sought and gathered. Cleaner oceans, lakes and rivers fed us nutritious fish. Animals in the wild world provided protein foods to hunters and their tribes. As the human population multiplied, the world expanded, farming progressed, trade specialties developed, and town markets shared a variety of goods among a diversity of people. Techniques for food preparation and preservation, such as
pickling, salting, and smoking, were developed to deal with the new problems of storage, waste, and food-borne illnesses. With advanced technology, our modern food industry's reliance on processing and additives continues to increase. Is this evolution, or are we sacrificing our health for the sake of technological "advances"? [1]
For decades now, the food industry has continually created new chemicals to manipulate, preserve, and transform our food. With the use of chemicals, scientists are able to mimic natural flavors, color foods to make them look more "natural" or "fresh," preserve foods for longer and longer periods of time, and create altered versions of breads, crackers, fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products and many more commonly used foods. Now there are even "foods" that are made entirely from chemicals. Coffee creamers, sugar substitutes, and candies consist almost completely of artificial ingredients. Such manipulation of our food can have a profound effect on our body's unique biochemical balance [1].
But there is a method to the food industry's madness. They generally provide five main reasons for why chemicals must be added to our foods:
- To improve shelf life or storage time;
- To make food convenient and easy to prepare;
- To increase the nutritional value;
- To improve the flavor of foods;
- To enhance the attractiveness of food products and improve consumer acceptance [1].
Colour additives to avoid: Erythrosine FD&C Red No. ; Tartrazine (E102) FD&C Yellow No. 5,; Quinoline yellow (E104); Sunset yellow (E110) Yellow FCF, Orange Yellow S; Carmosine (E122); Allura red (E129) FD&C Red No. 3; Ponceau 4R (E124) Conchineal; Amaranth (E123); Indigo Carmine (E132); Brilliant Blue (E133); Sodium benzoate (E211); Sulphur Dioxide (E220); Sodium metabisulphite; Potassium nitrate (E249); Calcium benzoate (E213); Calcium sulphite (E226); Butylated Hydroxy-anisole (E320) BHA/BHT; Benzoic acid (E210); Monosodium Gluatamate MSG (E621); Aspartame (E951); Acesulphame K (E950); Saccharine (E954); High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).
There are 12 additives to avoid and the health risks:
- Hydrogenated Fats - cardiovascular disease, obesity;
- Artificial Food Colors - allergies, asthma, hyperactivity; possible carcinogen;
- Nitrites and Nitrates - these substances can develop into nitrosamines in body, which can be carcinogenic;
- Sulfites (sulfur dioxide, metabisulfites, and others)-allergic and asthmatic reactions;
- Sugar and Sweeteners - obesity, dental cavities, diabetes and hypoglycemia, increased triglycerides (blood fats) or candida (yeast);
- Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K and Saccharin)-behavioral
problems, hyperactivity, allergies, and possibly carcinogenic. The government cautions against the use of any artificial sweetener by children and pregnant women. Anyone with PKU (phenylketonuria-a problem of phenylalanine, an amino acid, and metabolism) should not use aspartame (Nutrasweet);
- MSG (monosodium glutamate) - common allergic and behavioral reactions, including headaches, dizziness, chest pains, depression and mood swings; also a possible neurotoxin;
- Preservatives (BHA, BHT, EDTA, etc.) - allergic reactions, hyperactivity, possibly cancer-causing; BHT may be toxic to the nervous system and the liver.
- Artificial Flavors - allergic or behavioral reactions;
- Refined Flour - low-nutrient calories, carbohydrate imbalances, altered insulin production;
- Salt (excessive) - fluid retention and blood pressure increases;
- Olestra (an artificial fat) - diarrhea and digestive disturbances;
Other Concerns:
- Food Waxes (protective coating of produce, as in cucumbers, peppers, and apples)-may trigger allergies, can contain pesticides, fungicide sprays or animal products;
- Plastic packaging - Carcinogenic (vinyl chloride); immune reactions, lung shock [2].
Since 1986, food additives — colours, preservatives, antioxidants, stabilizers, gelling agents, thickeners, etc. — have been identified in food labels, either by name or by E-number. An E-number says that it has been approved for its intended use across the European Union. Approval depends on scientific testing and monitoring and is reviewed in the light of new scientific information. Additives have been around for centuries. Nitrites and nitrates (E249-252) have been used as curing agents. Baking powder (bicarbonate of soda [sodium hydrogen carbonate], cream of tartar [potassium hydrogen tartrate, monopotassium tartrate, E336] and starch) is a 19th century additive. Pickling is an ancient method of preservation that uses vinegar (acetic acid, E260) to prevent microbial spoilage [3].
Many agents that are essential for commercial food preparation and storage have their analogues in the kitchen. Caramel (E150a), a colouring agent, can be made at home by heating sugar. Gelling agents include pectin (methylated ester of galacturonic acid, E440) for jams. Preservatives include benzoic acid (E210), present in high quantities in cranberries. Some additives are clearly beneficial: in 1941 calcium was added to flour to prevent rickets; and anti-oxidants (necessary to prevent the fats in all prepared foods involving meat or pastry from going rancid) include ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300) and the tocopherols (vitamin E, E306-309).
More than 10,000 additives are allowed in food when you factor in those that are added directly to your food as well as those in the packaging—such as bisphenol-A
(BPA), bisphenol-S (BPS), and phthalates—which can migrate to your food [4].
Additives are used in food processing to slow spoilage, prevent fats, and oils from going rancid, prevent fruits from turning brown, and fortify or enrich the food with synthetic vitamins and minerals to replace the natural ones that were lost during processing.
They're also added to improve taste, texture, and appearance, as many processed foods would be as dull and bland as cardboard without some artificial help.
That your health can suffer as a consequence of this chemical assault should come as no surprise. After all, your body is not a machine designed to run on synthetic chemicals.
Literature:
1. Haas E.M., Levin B. Staying Healthy with Nutrition // the Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine Paperback -2006
2. Pampel F. C. Threats to Food Safety // Hardcover -2006
3. FOOD ADDITIVES [Electronic resource]. - Access mode. - URL: http:// www.gaianaturopathic.com/docs/Food_Additives.pdf
4. How Food Additives Affect Our Health [Electronic resource]. - Access mode. -URL: http://www.byregion.net/articles-healers/Food_Additives.html
