Lecture 3 - food additives

Question 1

Food additives are

Answer 1

substances added intentionally to foodstuffs to perform certain technological functions, for example to color, to sweeten or to help preserve foods.

Question 2

In the European Union all food additives are identified by an

Answer 2

E number.

Food additives are always included in the ingredient lists of foods in which they are used.

Product labels must identify the function of the food additive in the food (e.g. food coloring,
food preservative) and the specific substance used either by referring to the appropriate E number
or its name (e.g. E 415 or Xantham gum).

Question 3

The most common additives to appear on food labels are

Answer 3

antioxidants (to prevent deterioration caused by oxidation), color additives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agents and thickeners, preservatives and sweeteners.

Question 4

Food supplements are

Answer 4

concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet.

e.g. vitamins, minerals, fibers, amino acids, fatty acids, lactic acid bacteria.

Question 5

Supplements may be used to

Answer 5

correct nutritional deficiencies in foods, or maintain an adequate intake of certain nutrients.

Question 6

ADI

Answer 6

Acceptable Daily Intake – is a measure of the amount of a specific substance in food or drinking water that can be ingested (orally) on a daily basis over a lifetime without an appreciable (noticeable) health risk.

ADIs are usually expressed in milligrams (of the substance) per kilogram of body weight per day
– for calculation of ADI, a standard body mass of 60 kg is used.

Question 7

TDI

Answer 7

tolerable daily intake (TDI) is the analogous term (to ADI) used for (food)contaminants.

Question 8

GDA

Answer 8

Guideline Daily Amounts – the amount of energy and nutrients for the average adult.

GDAs are guidelines for healthy adults and children about the approximate amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, total sugars, and sodium/salt.

5 most important ones:
energy – 2000 kcal;
sugars – 90 g;
fats 70 g;
saturated fatty acids – 20 g;
salt – 6 g (average adult per day).

Question 9

RDA

Answer 9

Recommended dietary allowance – are your daily guideline intake for all macro nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) and micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals).

Question 10

GRAS

Answer 10

Generally Recognized As Safe - is an American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation
that a chemical or substance added to food is considered safe by experts, and so is exempt from the usual Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) food additive tolerance requirements.

Question 11

According to origin, food additives can be divided into three groups:

Answer 11

1. Substances which are separated/extracted from the food
2. Nature-identical substances which are present in nature but obtained by synthesis
3. Substances which are obtained by synthesis and which do not have analogues in nature

Question 12

The most harmful food additives are

Answer 12

synthetic food additives which do not have
analogues in nature.

These are foreign substances to our body and their final metabolic pathways in human body are missing or not known yet.

During decomposition (digestion) of certain food additives intermediate substances can emerge
which could be mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic.

Question 13

E100 – E199 are all what?

Answer 13

colorants/dyes (color additives)

Question 14

If the food product is brightly colored then there is a high probability that it contains

Answer 14

azocolorants

azocolorant = synthetic food colorant

Question 15

Harmful health effects should be tested taking into account

Answer 15

toxic, synergic and cumulative effect.

Question 16

To ensure that the use of food additives will not cause exceeding of the ADI values, what is established?

Answer 16

consumption limits and the maximum permitted levels in foods are established for potentially hazardous E-substances.

Question 17

For many food additives the ADI-value is not established because

Answer 17

their use in normal quantities is safe, therefore they are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) substances.

GRAS = generally recognized as safe

Question 18

Safety factor 100 is usually used while establishing the quantity of food additive allowed in food for human consumption. This means what exactly?

Answer 18

That the ADI is usually derived by the application of a 100-fold safety factor to
the “no observable adverse effect” level (NOAEL) in (animal?) experiments.

Question 19

How many E-substances are used in food production today?

Answer 19

more than 3500 E-substances used for food production.

Question 20

Nitrate (NO3-), Nitrite (NO2-) - their degradation product is

Answer 20

nitrogen oxide (NO).

Question 21

Sodium nitrite (E250), Sodium nitrate (E251) or Potassium nitrate (E252) are added into
meat products for the purpose of?

Answer 21

as preservative and color fixation substances.

These substances are also giving some taste properties and are acting against microbes
(bactericidal effect).

Sodium nitrites give red color to meat and act against Clostridium botulinum.

Question 22

Nitrites have a Bactericidal effect mostly against

Answer 22

Clostridium botulinum.

Question 23

Sulphites have an ability, via transformation, to produce multifunctional reagent sulphur dioxide SO2 (E220), which controls

Answer 23

microbial growth.

Question 24

Sulfites are commonly introduced to arrest fermentation at a desired time, and may also be added to wine as preservatives to

Answer 24

prevent spoilage and oxidation at several stages of the winemaking. Also, sulfites occur

naturally in all wines to some extent.

Question 25

Sulphur dioxide decreases what in fruit and veg?

Answer 25

prevents/slows browning of fruit and vegetables

Question 26

Food additive, propionic acid purpose

Answer 26

Prevents growth of molds in bakery products.

Also suppresses the growth of Bacillus mesentericus.

Question 27

Swiss cheese bacteria e.g. Propionibcater shermanii produce

Answer 27

propionic acid.

Question 28

Chlorine ions of certain concentrations are toxic for most

Answer 28

microbes.

There are halotolerant and halophilic bacteria.

Halotolerant = tolerance to ionic stress, or the ability of an organism to grow at salt concentrations higher than those required for growth.

Question 29

Why is NaCl used a a food preservative?

Answer 29

Because high concentrations of NaCl suppress bacterial growth.

In concentrated saline solutions oxygen does not dissolve, oxygen is needed for aerobic bacteria.

Question 30

Eating only organic food we consume approximately how many E substances.

Answer 30

Eating only organic food we consume approximately 90 substances which are also classified as E-substances.

Question 31

hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) can be caused by?

Answer 31

E. coli O157:H7 in spinach

– wash leafy vegetables with plenty of water;
– assure hygienic cold storage of vegetables.

Question 32

natural preservatives which suppress microbial growth and food spoilage?

Answer 32

– Natural benzoic acid in forest berries;

– Sorbic acid in ashberries/rowan berries and in cloudberries;

– Salicylic acid in willow;

– Citric acid in lemons and conifers thorns etc.

Question 33

Natural additive, Sorbic acid

Answer 33

Both sorbic acid (E200) and its salts – sorbates (E201-203) – have good fungicidal effect. They can kill and/or suppress the growth of yeasts and molds.

Sorbic acid and its salts are more effective at acidic or acidified food products.

Sorbates are well fitting for use in food industries because they do not change significantly the taste and odor of the food product.

Unfortunately this preservative is not the most safe one – it is suspected to be strong allergenic substance.

Question 34

Natural additive, Benzoic acid

Answer 34

Benzoic acid and its salts have destructive (killing) and suppressive effect against microorganisms.

e.g. from cowberries, cranberries and blueberries.

Synthetic benzoic acid and its salts may in some extent cause allergic reaction but they are quite safe food additives.

Question 35

Natural additive, Salicylic acid

Answer 35

As preservative salicylic acid suppresses growth both bacteria and fungi, and again the microbial effect is related with acidity of the environment.

Because salicylic acid as preservative has several side effects to human organism it is not, also its salts, widely used in food industries as preservative substances.

Salicylic acid and its salts may have adverse health effects for children, pregnant and elderly people, also for people with kidney disorders.

Question 36

Natural additive, Citric acid

Answer 36

Citric acid (E330) and citrates (E331-333) are well known food additives (antioxidants etc.).’

As a food additive citric acid has many functions: antioxidant, acidity regulator, preservative and bind metal ions.

Question 37

Lantibiotics – short 19 to 34 amino acids containing peptides which includes unusual (non-proteinogenic) amino acids such as lanthionine and methyl-lanthionine.
Name 3.

Answer 37

Nisin
Bisin
Pediocin

Question 38

Intelligent packaging can

Answer 38

react to storage conditions for food products such as temp. and pH changes. It transmits information by means of indicators or electronics.

Question 39

Many Clostridium species are able to grow in NaCl concentrations up to?

Answer 39

10-12% NaCl concentrations

Question 40

Consumption limits and the maximum permitted levels in foods are established for all E-substances (food additives).

True or False

Answer 40

False

Question 41

Benzoic acid in natural form can be found in (3)

Answer 41

Cowberries,

Blueberries,

Cranberries

Question 42

Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 will apply to

Answer 42

Food additives