food additives Flashcards
what is food additives
any substance a food producer intentionally adds to a food for a specific purpose in the course of production, processing, packaging or storing food
why use food additives 5 reasons
allows us to produce food on a commercial scale we would otherwise not be able to
maintain nutritional quality (preservatives)
enhance the keeping quality or stability w/. resulting reduction in food waste (emulsifiers, antioxidants)
make foods attractive to the consumer (colours, flavours)
provide essential aids in food processing (antifoaming agents, bulking agents)
anti-caking agent - function
keeps powders ‘running’
humectants + type of additive
maintain desired moisture level - sorbitol (carbohydrate)
acidity regulators
controls the acidity or alkalinity of foods
enzymes + type of additive
acts as a catalyst to initiate desired chemical reactions - rennet
sweeteners + type of additive
provide sweet taste, but little or no calories - cyclamate, saccharin, aspartame
colours + type of additive
enhance visual appeal of food - carotene, chlorophyll, synthetic, amaranth
firming agents + what type of food is it in
fives foods a desirable texture and consistency - canned vegetables
foaming agents
enable pressure packed products to dispersed in a whipped state
preservatives + type of additive - foods it is in
prolongs shelf life, inhabits growth of bacteria, moulds, yeasts - nitrite, sodium, diacetate - meat, bread
antioxidants - foods it is in
prevent rancidity and discolouration due to oxidation - cooking oils
flavour enhancers - example foods
enhance existing flavours - cakes, ice-cream, meat, soups
emulsifiers
helps mixing substances such as oil and water together.
stabiliers
maintains the stability of emulsion and mixtures over time
thickeners and gelling agents
acts to thicken food mixtures and emulsions
Identify one reason for food additives to be used in the commercial production of food
Maintain nutritional quality and enhance shelf life
what are natural additives + benefits + limitations
food additives that are extracted from biological sources – minimally altered from initial state
benefits - potential application of food wastes, consumer perception of “natural”
limitations - additional purification steps required, contamination w/. other compounds from foods, availability directly related to substrates
what are natural identical additives + benefits + limitations
synthesised in a lab but have the same chemical structure as the naturally occurring food additives
benefits - consistency, availability, safety, cost effectiveness
limitations - perception (customer prefers natural), complexity, potential sensitivity, limited functionality
what are synthetic food additives
entirely manufactured in a laboratory using chemical process
