Food additives Flashcards

1
Q

What are food additives?

A

Substances/chemicals added to food to make them either part of the food or to influence its structural/functional properties
- may be added intentionally/directly or unintentional/indirectly

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2
Q

What are food components that are NOT food additives? (12)
why?

A
  • vitamins, minerals, amino acids
  • salt, sugar, starch, spices, seasoning, flavorings
  • agricultural chemicals and veterinary drugs
  • food packaging materials
  • salt, sugar are used from time immemorial so not a food additive
  • starch: cannot say its a food additive for potato bc its all starch VS adding starch as a thickener = a food additive
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3
Q

difference between direct and indirect additives?

A

DIRECT:
- added to achieve structural and functional changes in food product
INDIRECT:
- added as a result of various domestic (ie spray cabinets with bug spray: residue can stay in cabinets), industrial (wood smoke, wild fire residues can be added to food materials) and agricultural practices (add pesticides)

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4
Q

3 main groups of direct additives? + functions

A
  1. food processing aids/functional additives: used in preparation of production of foods into desired finished forms
  2. food preservatives: help extend shelf-life of food material
  3. food quality enhancers: improve quality in terms of particular attributes
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5
Q

what are 2 broad categories of food processing aids? + subtypes?

A

FOOD TEXTURE IMPROVERS:
1. emulsifiers
2. thickeners
WATER BINDING AGENTS:
1. humectants
2. anti-caking agents

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6
Q

difference between emulsifiers and thickeners/stabilizers?
- give examples

A

EMULSIFIERS:
- ie: lecithin, mono and diglycerides
- emulsifiers are amphiphatic: have both polar and nonpolar ends –> added to 2 immiscible solvents (ie oil and vinegar) –> polar end binds to vinegar and non-polar binds to oil to form a stable product
- basis for making products like salad dressing and mayonnaise
THICKENERS/STABILIZERS:
- ie starch, gums, pectin, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)
- can imbibe moisture –> when added to foods, they absorb moisture and swell to thicken the food

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7
Q

humectants vs anti-caking agents
- give examples

A

HUMECTANTS:
- bind and retain moisture in food to make them juicy/succulent
- ie polyhydric alcohols like sorbitol and glycerol, phosphates, polyphosphates
ANTI-CAKING AGENTS:
- absorb/withdraw water from food product to prevent clumping and to keep food material dry
- ie silicates, cornstarch
- ie: add rice in salt and sugar to keep them dry

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8
Q

what is sometimes added to scallops to make them swell so they appear bigger at supermarket?

A

polyphosphates!
- a humectant which is a water binding agent which is a food processing aid

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9
Q

Food processing aids:
ENZYMES:
- function
- 4 application examples
- 3 enzymes for _____ __________
- 2 enzymes for _______ ___ _______ _____

A

ENZYMES:
- transform raw materials into finished products
- ie: use invertase on sucrose to make invert sugar, glucose isomerase to make HFCS, rennin & proteases to make cheese, LOX for bleaching flour
- bromelain, papain and ficin as meat tenderizers
- amylases and pectinases for clarification of fruit juices

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10
Q

Food processing agents:
FOAMING VS ANTI-FOAMING AGENTS
- function
- uses what?
- used in which food products

A

FOAMING:
- enhances foam formation in food products to make them fluffy and airy
- proteins and peptides (egg white/albumin, milk powder) –> make bubbles + air gets trapped inside
- ice cream, frozen desserts
ANTI-FOAMING AGENTS:
- prevent foaming in food products
- octanol, parafins, oleic acid, silicone oil
- chicken nuggets, french fries, potato chips

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11
Q

Food processing aids:
ACIDS vs ALKALIS

A

ACIDS:
- provide sour flour + inhibit growth of bacteria/enzyme activity by decrease pH –> makes food milieu not conductive to proliferation of microorgs
- acetic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, benzoic acid, sorbic acid
ALKALIS:
- leavening agents bc can release CO2 and increase volume of foods
- Na2CO3, NaHCO3, K2CO3, NH4HCO3, carbonates and bicarbonates

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12
Q

benzoic acid and sorbic acid
- function?
- what category of food additive?
- used in salt or acid form?

A
  • inhibit microbial growth
  • acids! as a food processing aid
  • GOOGLE ANSWER
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13
Q

Food processing aids:
BUFFERS
- function
- examples
- specific example for salt
- criteria for selecting a buffering agent (3)

A
  • precent acidic and alkaline changes in food products –> maintain pH to add/preserve food flavors AND oto stabilize food product
  • phosphates, citrates, calcium hydroxide, borates, lactate, glycine
  • KI added to salts to prevent goiter –> Ca(OH)2 added to iodized salts to maintain pH stable to prevent KI from breaking down to I2 which will impart a brownish/orange color to the salt
    1. must not alter their characteristics traditionally associated with food material
    2. must be readily available
    3. not too expansive
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14
Q

2 main functions of food preservatives + subtypes

A

CONTROL MICROBIAL GROWTH
1. fermentation
2. humectants
3. acids
FOOD STORAGE EXTENDERS:
1. antioxidants
2. enzyme inhibitors
3. antimicrobial agents
4. modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
5. additives that can be added to food packaging materials

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15
Q

3 ways to control microbial growth? + process/examples

A

FERMENTATION:
- produces intermediates/produces like acetic acid, proprionic acid, lactic acid, ethanol that can prevent spoilage by inactivating or destroying microorganisms
HUMECTANTS:
- lower water activity to make food milieu non conductive to growth and proliferation of microorgs
- ex. sugars, salts, alcohols
ACIDS:
- decrease pH to render the milieu non conductive to both enzymes and microorgs –> the 2 causative agents of food spoilage
- phosphoric acid, citrate, lactate, acetate, benzoate, sorbate

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16
Q

5 ways to extend food storage of foods
- what category of food additives?
- function + examples

A
  • food preservatives!
    1. ANTIOXIDANTS
  • prevents rancidity and discoloration potentiated by enzymes
  • vit E, vit C, EDTA, citrate, propyl gallate, SO2
    2. ENZYME INHIBITORS
  • prevent deleterious effects in foods
  • nitrites, sulfites
    3. ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
  • destroy microors to protect food from spoilage
    4. MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING (MAP)/ SHRINK WRAPPING:
  • create vaccuum conditions in food materials OR exclude O2 to prevent undesirable oxidations in foods
    5. ADDITIVES THAT CAN BE ADDED TO FOOD PACKAGING MATERIALS
  • ie plasticizers to make plastic packaging stretchable
  • microbial agents to prevent microorgs from gaining access to food material
17
Q

what can be added to plastic films made from crab shells or starch or milk to extend shelf life? (2)

A
  • plasticizers to make it more stretchable
  • antimicrobial agents to prevent spoilage
18
Q

what are 3 food preservatives that are not in the categories to control microbial growth and to extend food storage?
- function + examples

A
  1. GAS STERILANTS
    - used to clean/sterilize processing equipment –> NOT added to foods!
    - iodophor chlorine, methyl bromide
  2. SYNTHETIC METABOLIC INHIBITORS
    - often added to food packaging materials
    - parabens
  3. INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
    - ie sulfites and nitrites
    - ie for curing of meats + used as enzyme inhibitors to extend food storage
19
Q

What are the 3 categories of food quality enhancers?

A
  1. FLAVORING AGENTS
  2. ORGANIC FLAVORS
  3. NUTRITIONAL ADDITIVES –> improve health benefits, increase nutrient content
20
Q
  • describe flavoring agents –> 2 types
  • describe organic flavors –> 3 ways to get them
A

FLAVORING AGENTS
- natural types (sugars (honey, maple syrup), salts, spices, protein hydrolysates)
- artificial types (aspartame, sugar alcohols, acesulfame K)
ORGANIC FLAVORS:
- by extraction of natural flavors using solvents (ie water, ethanol) (cocoa, tea, coffee flavors)
- by fermentation (production of MSG, of acids (lactic acids))
- by chemical synthesis (ie vanilla)

21
Q

what are the 3 types of nutritional additives?

A
  1. RESTORATION
    - nutrients added back to food to replace losses during processing (ie loss of heat-labile vit C in fruit juices in processing)
    - ie adding vit C to canned tomato juice or dehydrated mashed potatoes
  2. ENRICHMENT:
    - nutrients are added in food products that are naturally deficient/limited in particular nutrients –> you want to add more
    - addition of Fe and vit B1, B2 and niacin to flour/cereals
  3. FORTIFICATION:
    - nutrients are added deliberately to a food product to address a health need
    - ie add vit A to rice to reduce eye defects, add vit A and D to margarine and skimmed milk
22
Q

palm oil has many __________ pigments –> decrease palm oil because too much _________ oil but increase in what disease?
- solution?

A
  • carotenoid pigments –> vit A!
  • saturated oil
  • increase night blindness
  • solution: add vit A to rice
23
Q

3 criterias used for use of food additives (you can’t just add stuff to food just because you want to)

A
  1. must be safe for continuous use
    - ie some salts (lead acetate) are not safe to use –> not used as additive
  2. must not be used to deceive the consumer
    - during storage, food loses quality –> we shouldn’t treat it in a way to make consumers think it’s fresh
  3. must be used to the consumer’s advantage
    - must benefit consumer
24
Q

how to check if the food additive is safe for continuous use?

A

by feeding the chemical additive to at least 2 experimental animals (mice, rabbits, fruit flies, guinea pigs!!)
- guinea pigs = most common one
- both parents and offsprings are monitored for short and long term effects

25
Q

what are the short term and long term studies measurements for animal testing? (parent and offsrping)

A

SHORT TERM:
for both parent and offspring
1. appearance (daily)
2. behavior (daily)
3. feed consumption (weekly)
4. body weight changes (weekly)
5. organ function (weekly)

LONG TERM:
A) OFFSPRING:
1. still births
2. litter size
3. weight at birth
4. sex ratio
5. fetal malformations
6. growth rate
7. survival data
B) PARENT:
1. fertility
2. gestation period
3. lactation index
4. incidence of tumor

26
Q

how is the acceptable daily intake of a food additive calculated?
- ADI ex for SO2

A

(highest level of the additive that caused no harmful effect in experimental animal) divided by 100
- 1.5 mg/kg body weight

27
Q

what is the deception factor?
- 4 examples of what not to do

A
  • use of additive to deceive the consumer into thinking product is superior quality/value that it actually is
    1. use of sulfites and vit C to reverse the discoloration of fruits/vegetables and raw meats (vit C reduces ferric iron back to ferrous (red))
    2. dilute milk and add chalk to make it white
    3. feed anti-caking agents to pigs/livestock to make them drink more water to increase their weight before slaughter –> won’t make it unsafe for humans but will deceive them = not allowed
    4. adding polyphosphates to meats to absorb moisture to make them swell (ie scallops)
28
Q

what are the 3 things that food additives can do to result in an advantage to consumer?

A
  1. improve or maintain nutritional value of the food product
    - ie add vit C in fruit juices, add vits A&D to skim milk powder, add B vits to breakfast cereals, add KI to table salt
  2. improve or maintain quality/acceptability of produce
    - use emulsifiers, antioxidants, antimicrobial agents, enzymes, flavors, anticaking agents, foaming agents, clarifying agents
    - increase shelf-life and attractability
  3. must increase/maintain quantity of a food material and product
    - use of isopropanol for preparation of FPC (fish protein concentrates) ie increase availability of meat from craps
    - preservatives
29
Q
  • difference between food colors and natural pigments
    1. produced how?
    2. certified?
A

FOOD COLORS:
1. chemical colors, produced in labs by chemical synthesis
2. must be stirngently tested/evaluated for safety in experimental animals prior to use as food color additives –> need to be certified! (different countries have dif lists of certified colors)
NATURAL PIGMENTS:
1. naturally present in food materials and are obtained by simple extraction or fermentation processes
2. uncertified bc derived from plant, animal, microbial and mineral sources

30
Q

permitted or __________ food colors vary from country to country
- most countries do not permit use of those substances in __________ foods

A
  • certified
  • unprocessed foods
31
Q

food colors applied in what type of foods? (7)

A
  • beverages
  • candies and confectioneries
  • dairy products (cheese, yoghurt)
  • desserts
  • food spreads (butter, margarine, jams, jellies)
  • snack foods
  • soups
32
Q

4 criteria for choice of dyes/lakes

A
  1. composition of formulation (water/fat soluble)
  2. processing conditions
  3. packaging (protect compound from light, air)
  4. shelf-life requirements (if compound has low shelf-life, better to add it to frozen foods)
33
Q

2 forms of certified colors
- chemical structure ish
- water or fat soluble?
- sold in what form?
- ideal for what?
*which is more stable at high temp?

A

DYES:
- sodium or potassium salt forms
- water soluble
- sold as powders, granules, flakes, liquids
- used in non-fatty foods
LAKES:
- derived from aluminium & calcium salts
- water insoluble
- marketed as pastes and dispersions
- idea for coloring fatty/oily food products
*lakes are more stable than dyes at high temp

34
Q

what are arguments to push for articifial/synthetic food colors vs natural?
EXAM QUESTION! DO MORE RESEARCH

A

ARTIFICIAL:
- color is more consistent/meaningful
- more stable during processing
- cheaper bc chemical synthesis
- more available –> can produce on more consistent basis
- more variety of colors/use
- once it’s certified, it’s safe (*)
NATURAL:
- (-) extract them in various ways (solvents) –> could be coextracted with raw material that could be toxic (is heavy metals)
- carotenoids –> can get from carrot or crustacean extraction OR from chemical synthesis –> both will be in pure forms though

35
Q

what is the regulator agency for food regulation in canada?
- what does it do? (3)

A

Health Canada
- food and drug regulations
- marketing authorizations
- list of permitted food additives in canada

36
Q

what are the 8 categories of incidental additives?

A
  1. pesticides
  2. polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
  3. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
  4. antibiotics
  5. fungal toxins
  6. heavy metals
  7. asbestos
  8. radioactive fallout