The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Food Additives

• Much of the processed food is just clever rearrangements of corn (eg. of the additives that are derived from corn: cellulose, saccharin, polydextrose, xanthan gum, maltodextrin, and high fructose corn syrup)

Human beings survived in the distant past without the usage of these chemicals in our foods and I believe the additives in our foods are there and still not banned mainly because of economics and power and multi million dollar corporations who profit from placing these chemicals in foods that we consume, because the cost of production is lowered so much more for these corporations for exploiting these cheap unhealthy chemicals in the foods people consume and they are the only ones benefiting from placing these harmful chemicals in peoples foods and drinks. It has been proven from the studies mentioned in this paper that food additives and preservatives cause many disorders such as ADHD and I ask myself why are the chemicals still in the foods we eat? while majority of people know that it is unethical to use chemicals in the foods that human beings consume that cause and trigger many problems and disorders in certain people with certain age

It also is used in an effort to enhance the nutrition and flavor or foods. This process was discovered in 1980.

Michael Pollan, the author of “In Defense of Food”, is a journalist, who is engrossed in nutritional science as well as its history. By writing this book, Pollan tries to undermine the food industries and health-claiming campaigns and inform us how they misled us about the way we should eat. The low-fat campaign is an example of this, and as said on page 43 of the book, “the low-fat campaign has been based on little scientific evidence and may have caused unintended health consequences.” In the book, Pollan speaks from the perspective of a journalist who wants to share his ideas and discoveries about nutrition. He sounds a little bemused and apprehensive at the same time. When talking about plant foods on page 64, he tries to understand what

With this increase in the productivity of farmers, came a proliferation of food processing industries and fast food restaurants. These food processing industries and restaurants capitalized on the abundant, overly cheap commodity crops to their advantage; to make profit, and to the disadvantage of poor Americans. During processing of these commodity crops, the natural nutrients that give these foods their natural flavors are destroyed. To replace these, food additives and flavorings are added to restore their taste and prolong their shelf life. Often these chemicals contain some harmful elements that affect the way our bodies use food. These highly processed foods, dense in calories,

Foods such as cheese included in the product will have to be chosen offering longer shelf lives;

Food color additives are dyes, pigments or substances that impart color when applied to a food, drug, cosmetic, or the human body. The Food and Drug Administration

Food dyes are additives that help to give food and other items a more colorful and appealing look. Originally, food dyes were made out of natural ingredients such as fruit juice, vegetables, and in some cases, bugs. However, as time went on, other ways to make food dyes were created. Natural food dyes lead to synthetic coal tar food dyes, and eventually synthetic coal tar food dyes led to petroleum based synthetic food dyes. Synthetic food dye colors certified for food use are Food Drug and Cosmetic (FD&C) Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, Citrus Red No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, Orange B, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and FD&C Yellow No. 6 (Kobylewski, 2010). Using just these nine dyes, there are over 360,000 different color combinations available.

To begin with, food additives should be clearly explained and understood that food additives are any substances found in food that is not a part of the normal ingredients. (Chris Hayhurst, 2002) There are six kinds of additives. The six kinds are nutrients, flavoring agents, coloring agents, preservations, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, acids and alkalis. (Graddy W. Chism, 2006) These six are both good and bad. Nutrients such as minerals and vitamins, which make food more nourishing. For instance, adding of the B-complex vitamins folic acid and niacin to flour, pasta, and rice has helped reduce the

The government masks what is put into our food. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certifies the use of partially hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, butylated hydroxyanisole, propyl gallate, potassium bromate and many other additives for a sustained shelf-life and stabilization of flavors. These additives have been directly

The greatest disadvantage of the food industry is unhealthy eating. This is derived from high amounts of sodium which can be found in most fast food industries. The manner in which these foods are cooked also plays a pivotal role in the unhealthy aspects of certain menu items. Ingredients which are not understood by consumers who are becoming more health conscious has

Food contamination refers to foods that are spoiled or tainted because they either contain microorganisms, such as bacteria or parasites, or toxic substances that make them unfit for consumption.

Food preservatives are described as natural means or man-made chemicals that are used in foods to prevent them from spoiling. A subgroup of preservatives are food additives, which differ from preservatives in the way that additives are not only used to lengthen the life of food, but also to improve taste and appearance. The ultimate goal of preservatives and additives are to improve the quality and lifespan of food by slowing down the decomposition process using chemicals or natural methods, such as salt and dehydration.

This requires a high degree of food engineering , the use of additives and processing techniques that substantially alter the food from its original form and reduce its nutritional value.

Public health is now fasing a major threat due to adulterated food. Food adulteration is the process of adding chemical substances with foods, which should not be contained within food and beverages. Adulterated Food is food that is generally unsafe, impure and toxic.