UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH

COURSE PROGRAM TOPIC EFFECTS OF FOOD PREPARED BY MATRIX NUMBER LECTURER

: CHEMICAL INDUSTRY (HS07) : ACADEMIC READING AND WRITING (UB00402) : THE IMPORTANCES AND THE SIDE ADDITIVES IN INDUSTRIES : SELVA MALAR A/P ARIPITRI : BS09110082 : SIR ROZALEE JAMIR

Food additives are one of those topics which people are either against for. When we talk or discuss about this subject, there are different points of view from people. When we talk or discuss about this subject, we must try to be objective and think about it widely. The problem that always being argued is are food of natural origin is good and those synthetic foods harmful? We cannot answer this question directly. Foods are a mixture of chemicals put together by nature, but we should know that not all foods produced by nature are harmless. Some of them contain toxic substances, as oxalic acid in spinach and rhubarb. Another example is the presence of other toxic substances in certain species of mushrooms or berries. Even the most innocent substances, salt, might be harmful when are used in excess. We also have strychnine and arsenic compounds that are extremely toxic substances, but are used for medical purposes in a very small amount. Whether the food is or not of natural origin is not the criterion used as a guide, but nowadays people care whether the particular food has or does not have toxic characteristics in the amounts used. The burden of the proof today is on the food processing firm or on the additive manufacturer (Baldock, n.d., para.1-2). What do people know about food additives? To scientists and food technologists, food additive is a substance or a mixture of substances, other than a basic foodstuff, which is present in a food as a result of any aspect of production, processing, storage or packaging (Baldock, n.d.,p.1). We can divide these substances into two categories that are intentional additives and incidental additives. Intentional additives are substances added on purpose to perform specific functions and incidental additives have no function in the finished food and become part of a food through some phase of agricultural production, or processing, packaging or storage (Baldock, n.d., para.3). There are approximately 3000 food additives that are classified into six major categories: nutritional supplements; preservatives; flavoring agents; colouring agents; emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners; acid and alkalis (Healthnotes, 2009, p.1-2). Public are unaware about the importance of food additives in food industries and there are always arguments on this issues. Majority of people only look at the negative side of food additives but they should know that they cannot run away from food additives as almost all of the food we consume contains food additives. The industrial use of additives

in food processing is important but at the same time it has negative effects to human such as hyperactivity among children and cancer (Hull, 2002). An article from Pasta & Co wrote that food additives have been introduced since thousands of years, starting with the discovery that salted meat lasted forever (Anne, 2008, para.1). Another article from Business News (2005) wrote that food preservation began when man first learned to safeguard food from one harvest to the next and by the salting and smoking of meat and fish (EUFIC, p.1). As a general knowledge about food additives, it is any substance that a food manufacturer intentionally adds to food to achieve specific desired effects or characteristics during production or processing. Generally, additives contribute to the shelf life of food and made many convenience foods possible. They also maintain the firmness, smoothness, or appearance of many foods (Healthnotes, 2009, p.1). People have always attempt to find ways to prolong foods freshness after harvest and slaughter, so that it can be safely eaten after a period of time. There is no exact origin of food additives but archeological evidence shows that the ancient Egyptians ate foods that were not only cooked and baked, but also dried, salted, and fermented. The food was processed to preserve them and can last longer. The ancient Chinese discovered that fruit could be ripened by placing it near kerosene lamp. None of these civilizations understood the science on how these processes worked. Humans have been using food additives for ages (IFIC, 2006, para.1). In Articlesbase (2008), Dr. Brett Saks wrote that salt, sugar, and vinegar were among the first food additives discovered and were used both to enhance taste and to preserve food (p.1). Salt had been used by our ancestors to preserve meats and fish; added herbs and spices to improve the flavor of foods; preserved fruit with sugar and pickled or canned vegetables, for example cucumber with vinegar (IFIC, 2006, para.2). In 50 years time, developments in food science and technology led to the discovery and introduction of variety new substances that can fulfill numerous functions in food processing (EUFIC, 2005, para.2). In developing food additives, nowadays complex instruments, such as the spectrograph is used by the chemist and food scientist to determine the chemical structures of certain components under investigation. However, not all research is carried on with help of multi-thousand dollar devices. Even

ordinary kitchen appliances and simple laboratory instrument are used in determining whether a certain additive will help produce the desired consistency in cake batter, so that the product will be better (Baldock, n.d., p.3). Technological advancement results in the introduction of processed food in the latter half of the 20th century, it has led to the introduction of various kinds of food additives, both artificial as well as natural. Today, we are in the state of great comfort and extravagant living when canning and freezing processes are commonplace, when refrigeration and access to a myriad any type of food whenever desired (IFIC, 2006, para.3). Additives perform a variety of useful functions in food that customer take in daily life. One of the importances of industrial use of food additives in food processing is food additives improve nutritional quality as well as maintains product quality and freshness (Food Lovers Companion, n.d., para.1). Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are added in foods to enhance the nutritional quality of the food and also to balance a persons diet. Enrichment refers to the restoration of nutrients lost during food processing. The natural content in the food before processing has almost the same amount with the amount of nutrient added. In fortification, the amount of nutrients added might be higher than that present before processing. Besides, fortification standardizes the nutrients contents. As an example, the addition of Vitamin C to orange juice to standardize Vitamin C concentration and compensate for changes due to seasonal and processing variations. Both enrichment and fortification has helped reduce malnutrition in United States and worldwide. Vitamin A and D, iron, ascorbic acid, calcium, niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, zinc, and thiamin are added to enrich and fortify grains, flours, milk, margarine, and other foods (IFIC, 2006, para.10). Rickets have been practically eliminated since Vitamin D-fortified milk has been routinely available (Baldock, n.d., p.2). Preservatives slow product spoilage cause by yeast, mold, bacteria, and fungi of exposure to air. They help to control contamination of that can cause food borne illness to maintain the quality of the food. Antioxidants is a group of preservatives that prevents fats and oils, and the food containing them, become extremely distasteful (IFIC, 2006, para.9). Sulfites keep cut fruits and vegetables looking fresh. They also

prevent discoloration in apricots, raisins, and other dried fruits. Potassium bromate is used in industries to increase the volume of bread and to produce bread with fine crumb while nitrate and nitrite are chemicals used to preserve meat (Hull, 2002, p.2). As we know, home-cooked food is usually consumed soon after it is made, but when the production of food is in a large-scale, in order to supply the food shops and supermarket where we often buy our food from, the food have to be transported over long distance and then stored. Therefore, food additives are necessary in order to prevent foods from spoiling and to maintain the color and flavor of the food (Putatunda, 2008, para.4). Other than that, additives are important as food additives enhance the taste of the food and makes food more appealing (Food Lovers Companion, n.d., para.1). Convenience and variety that Western civilization enjoys in its food supply is because of food processing. In food processing, some ingredients are often added to food to maintain the sensory properties of the food. Since food that do not have good appearance, taste, or smell will not be eaten, food additives are an essential ingredient in our food supply (IFIC, 2006, para.3). Natural and artificial flavors are added in order to improve the taste of foods. Flavors are usually added to foods that are produced commercially such as cakes and breads, snack foods, sauces, soups and also instant noodles. Other than that, flavors are also added in frozen dinner, desserts including ice-cream, fast foods and soft drinks. One common flavor that we always use in cooking is monosodium glutamate (MSG) that is added to enhance the taste of our cooking. A very small amount of MSG can give taste to our food. Colors are used either to make the food taste better or to compensate for the color that is lost while preparing it. Usually the manufacturers of food products add color such as caramel color in soups, bouillon, and soft drinks. Colors also can make the appearance of the food more attractive. Attractiveness of food is needed when we want to commercialize a food to attract public. Sweeteners or sweetening agents are used in order to heighten the sweet flavor of food. Other than sugar, artificial sweeteners are used to keep the calories low, or to enable people with diabetes mellitus to have sweet foods. Acesulfame-K, a sugar substitute is an

example of sweetener that are found in chewing gums (Putatunda, 2008, para.7-9). On the other hand, compared with the advantages of food additives, there are still arguments on the negative effects to human cause by the usage of various types of food additives. One major argument of those who against the use of food additives in food industries is artificial coloring in food taken by children contributes to hyperactivity also learning and visual disorder (Reinberg, 2007, para.1). Hyperactivity is as type of behavior disorders which is actually known as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a condition of a child characterized by restless, hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention. This type of behavior disorder is estimated to affect about 5% of school-aged children in the United States (Williams, 2004, p.1). Children are suffering the most from food additives as they are exposed to food chemicals from infancy. The food that a pregnant woman take will be received by fetus and the fetus will experience side effects of using any food chemicals. These chemicals intake in a body increases when children take junk food containing artificial coloring or artificial sweeteners (Hull, 2002, para.1). Some common examples of food that contains artificial coloring and sweetener taken by children are baked goods, chewing gums, gelatin desserts and diet soda. Jim Stevenson, a professor of psychology at the University of Southampton, and his colleagues come up with a study to determine whether artificial food colorings and preservatives in the diet of 297 children affect their behavior. The children were in two groups: 3-year-olds and 8- and 9- year-olds. They are given drinks contained artificial food coloring and additives such as sodium benzoate, a preservative. These concoctions were similar to the drinks that are commercially available. The amounts of additives were also similar to what is found in one or two servings of candy a day. Some children were given drinks without additives as a control. After week six of the trial, Stevensons team found that children in both age groups who drank the drinks with additives were significantly more hyperactive behavior. These children also had shorter attention spans. One of the additives, sodium benzoate, has been linked to cell damage in previous study, and to an

increased for cancer. Other additives assessed in the study includes sunset yellow (E110), found in fruity drinks; carmoisine (E122), a red coloring added to jams; ponceau 4R (E124), a red food coloring; tartrazine (E102), found in lollipops and carbonated drinks; quinine yellow (E104), a food coloring; and allura red AC (E129), and orange-red food dye. Their finding were being published in Achieves of Disease in Childhood in June 2004 (Reinberg, 2007, para.7-12). Professor Andrew Kemp from University of Sydney wrote that although a substantial body of evidence shows a link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and artificial food colorings and preservatives, removing them is still considered an alternative rather than a standard treatment for ADHD (Browning, 2008, p.1). Apart from that, a second argument of the use of food additives in food industries is that overdose uptake of food additives contributes to cancer and might cause death. Some common examples of food additives contributing to cancer in human are hydrogenated vegetable oil, nitrates and nitrites and olestra (Ahrens, 2006, para.4). Hydrogenated vegetable oil associated with breast and colon cancer, nitrates form powerful cancer-causing agents in stomach and can cause death while the excessive consumption of olestra result in lung and prostate cancers (Hull, 2002, p.1&2). Take nitrate and nitrite as an example. Sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate are two closely related chemicals used for centuries to preserve meat. While nitrate itself is harmless, it is readily converted to nitrite. When nitrite combines with compounds called secondary amines, it forms nitrosamine, where nitrosamine is an extremely powerful cancer-causing chemical. Even nitrite itself has long been suspected as being a cause of stomach cancer (Hull, 2002, p.2). The types of food that contributes to dietary intake of nitrite are cured, dried meat products (Wood, Foster, Damant & Key, 2004, p.98). The other example is olestra, the fake fat approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Olestra is both dangerous and unnecessary. This additive may be fat-free but it has a fatal side-effect as it attaches to valuable nutrients and flushes them out of the body. According to the research by The Harvard School of Public Health, they states that the longterm consumption of olestra snack food might therefore result in several

thousand unnecessary deaths each year from lung and prostate cancer (Hull, 2002, p.2). The other additives, artificial sweeteners are used to sweet flavor of food as well as to keep the calories low, or to enable people with diabetes mellitus to have sweet food (Putatunda, 2008, p.1). Although this additive gives advantages to human, artificial sweeteners also have been linked to malignancies. Saccharin, most widely available in those little pink envelopes labeled Sweet N Low, causes cancer in lab animals and is classified by the FDA as a weak carcinogen. Acesulfame-K that is sold as Sweet One or Sunnette and can also found in chewing gum, instant coffee and tea, puddings, gelatin desserts, and nondairy creamers has a chemical structure similar to Saccharin and has promoted tumor growth in laboratory animals too (Murphy,1997). Barbara Deskins, professor of clinical dietetics and nutrition at the University of Pittsburgs recommends public to eat variety of food to prevent prolonged exposure to potentially harmful additives, as well as to ensure that the body gets a full range of nutrients. She also suggests publics to avoid a steady diet of chemicals additives and choose some food with ingredients that are not more of a mouthful to say than to eat (Murphy, 1997, para.15). In conclusion, the issues regarding additives in food industries never come to a conclusion as there are still arguments in both positive and negative side of food additives every time this topic being discussed. Some people will try to avoid food additives if possible, it is each individual preference. An article from Healthnotes (2009) suggests that as a customer, we should read the labels carefully and select the food in the natural food selection of your store (p.2). There is also a handy pocket sized book entitled FOOD ADDITIVES: A Shoppers Guide to whats Safe & Whats Not being popularized to ease shoppers choices of food. This book was very useful to learn about the safety of each different type of food additives (Food additives, n.d, p.3). Food additives are very important component in the production of our food unless we want to consume food that is tasteless and not attractive at all but always bare in mind that overdose uptake of certain food additives may cause serious effects to our body (IFIC, 2006, para.3). It is just the matter on how we choose our daily food.

REFERENCES Ahrens, J. (2006). Dangerous food additives that should be avoided. Vitalearth. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http:// www.vitalearth.net/dangerous_food_additives.html Anne, Q. (2008). History of food additives. Pasta & Co. Retrieved July 19, 2009, from http://www.pastaco.com/pure/pure_history.shtml Baldock, J.D. (n.d.). Food Additives. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.cfast.vt.edu/Publications/foodad.shtml Browning, L.D. (2008, July 15). Remove food additives from hyperactive childrens diet, expert suggest. Natural News. Retrieved September 29,

2009, from http://www.naturalnews.com/023640_food_food_additives_diets.html European Food Information Council. (2005, June 1). The update EUFIC food additives review is available. Business News. Retrieved October 9, 2009 from http://golianth.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4535102/The -update-EUFIC-food-additives.html Food additives. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2009, from http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-additives.html Food Lovers Companion:f food additives. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2009, from http://www.answers.com/topic/food-additive Healthnotes. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.pureprescriptions.com/healthy_living/healthnotes.asp? ContentD=2024009 Hull, J.S. (2002). Food additives to avoid. Sweetpoison. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from http://www.sweetpoison.com/food-additives-to-avoid.html International Food Information Council. (November, 2006). Food Ingredients. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.ific.org/nutrition/ingredients/index.cfm Murphy, K. (1997, June 14). Do food additives subtract from health? BusinessWeek. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.businessweek.com/1996/19/b3474101.htm Putatunda, R. (2008, March 3). Food additives. Buzzle.com. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/foodadditives.html

Reinberg, S. (2007, June 9). Food additives could fuel hyperactivity in kids. HealthDay. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.dentalplans.com/articles/24386/food-additives-could-fuelhyperactivity-in-kids.html Saks, B. (2008, May 8). Food additives-the consequences. Articlesbase. Retrieved October 9, 2009, from http://www.articlesbase.com/nutritionarticles/food-additives-the-consequences-407721.html Williams, M. (2004, July 22). Can food additives cause problem behavior in children? Healthnotes Newswire. Retrieved September 29, 2009, from http://www.nowfoods.com/M040448.htm Wood, R., Foster, L., Damant, A., Key, P. (2004). Analytical Methods for Food Additives. Cambridge:Woodhead Publication