History of Additives
Once upon a time everybody worked the land and there wasn’t any need for food additives – people just ate what they could grow. But it wasn’t a very varied diet. Once people started living in cities, food had to be grown for them, and to survive transportation. With the Industrial Revolution the cities burgeoned, and farmers had to provide for increasing numbers of urban workers. Today, we can get hold of an extraordinary range of exotic foods from farmers all over the world, partly or fully prepared to save us time. But concerns about food’s additives, production and distribution, not to mention its environmental impact, may be the price we pay for our 21st century lifestyle. Did you know …?
The ancient Greeks burned sulphur over wine casks before sealing, to produce the preservative sulphur dioxide, which is used to this day. A food additive is any chemical, natural or man-made, which is not normally consumed as a food in itself but is added to foods to perform certain functions. In Europe there is a classified listing of substances which manufacturers are permitted to use - the so-called 'E' numbers. Colourings: to make the food look attractive. Preservatives: to check or prevent the growth of micro-organisms. - Anti-oxidants
- to stop food from reacting with oxygen in the air
- Emulsifiers
- to stop oil and water-based ingredients from separating out
- Sweeteners
- no prizes for guessing this one!
- Flavourings
- no prizes for guessing this either!
- Chelating agents
- to trap metal atoms that would otherwise discolour or degrade food
- Flavour enhancers
- to accentuate the natural flavour of foods
- Thickening agents
- to absorb water and stabilise factory-made sauces etc
- Solvents
- to act as a vehicle to dissolve other ingredients
- Stabilisers
- similar to emulsifiers and thickeners, stop droplets colliding with each other
Did you know …?
Without colourings, margarine would be grey. Additives and Allergies
If you’re allergic to pollen or aspirin, it’s possible you might also be sensitive to one of the additives used in food. Allergies occur when the body’s immune system fires off against an otherwise harmless chemical in the environment or in food. The symptoms include skin rashes, difficulty with breathing, runny noses, gastro-intestinal problems, even life-threatening anaphylaxis. But it’s not just additives that can cause them. In fact, most food allergies are provoked by chemicals which occur quite naturally in foods (eg: peanut allergy). Did you know …?
Some lemon squashes contain sodium metabisulphite (E223), which can cause allergies in susceptible people and should be avoided by asthmatics.
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