Food Additives Flashcards
What are the 3 main Direct Food Additive groups?
- Food processing aids / Functional additives
- Food preservatives
- Food quality enhancers
What is the purpose of direct/intentional food processing aids?
added deliberately to achieve a desired effect - food texture improvement
What are the 9 types of food processing agents?
- emulsifiers
- thickness/thixotropic agents
- Water binding agents (2 types)
- Enzymes
- Foaming agents
- Anti-foaming agents
- Acids
- Alkalis
- Buffers
Give 3 examples of substances used as emulsifiers - definition - one example of a food that contains emulsifiers?
- mono-glcerides
- di-glycerides
- lecithin
- mustard powder
Definition: amphipathic molecules able to bring aqueous and non-aqueous phrases together to form a stable emulsion
ex. Ice cream
List 5 examples of thickeners/thixotropic agents. Purpose?
- starch
- gum
- pectin
- whey proteins
- sugars
Added to foods to add body/to make product thicker
What are the two types of water binding agents? How do each act as water binding agents?
Humectants: bind moisture and retain it in food products to keep it moist, juicy, or succulent (glycerol, sorbitol, phosphates, polyphosphates)
Anti-caking agents: absorb moisture from products such as sugar and slat to prevent them from going soggy (silicates, corn starch)
Foaming agent purpose / 2 examples?
Purpose: added to produce stable foams or make product fluffy/lighter
- egg white
- milk powder
Anti-foaming agent purpose / 3 examples?
used to destabilize foams in produces like chicken nuggets
Fatty alcohols such as:
- octane
- vegetable oil
- silicone
In what two ways are enzymes used as processing aids? examples of each
- Meat tenderizers
- bromelain
- papain
- ficin - Clarification of fruit juices
- amylases
What is added to iodized salt in order to prevent breakdown of salts? Acts as what?
Ca(OH)2 added to KI in table iodized salt to stabilize KI and prevent breakdown - acts as a buffer
What is the purpose of acids as food processing aids? What are 2 examples?
flavour and texture improvement
- acetic acid
citric acid
What are the 2 main purposes of food preservatives?
- control of microbial growth
2. storage life extension
What 6 techniques are used to control microbial growth in terms of food preservatives?
- fermenation
- Humectants (sugars, salts, alcohols)
- Acids (phosphoric acid, citrate, lactate, acetate, benzoate, sorbate)
- Gas sterilants (iodophor, choline,methylbromide) 5. Synthetic metabolic inhibitors (parabens)
- inorganic compounds (sulfites, nitrites)
What are two products of fermentation? What do they do?
acids - lower pH and inhibit growth (lactic acid, pyretic acid, citric acid)
alcohols - dehydrate (ethanol, propanol, butanol)
How do humectants inhibit microbial growth?
lower water activity and inhibit enzyme activity
How do acids inhibit microbial growth?
act as antioxidants by metal chelation
How do gas sterilants inhibit microbial growth?
used to clean processing equipment to get rid of microbes
What are synthetic metabolic inhibitors incorporated into in order to control microbial activity?
packaging
What two type of preservatives are used to extend shelf live?
- antioxidants
2. emulsifiers
How do antioxidants extend shelf life? What are examples of antioxidants?
prevent oxidative damage to food caused by exposure to air and light - oxidative rancidity
Ex. vit.E, vit.C, EDTA, citrate, propyl gallate, SO2
How do emulsifiers extend shelf life of foods?
hold different phases of a food product together as a stable emulsion
What are the 3 main types of food quality enhancer?
- flavouring agents
- organic flavours
- nutritional additives