Читать книгу Food Chemistry. The Role of Additives, Preservatives and Adulteration онлайн

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There are hundreds of food additives currently used in the food industry. FDA maintains a list of over 3,000 additives in its database. Product label contains list of additives along with other ingredients. As per convention, all the additives are mentioned in the list with their category name along with their specific name or with a number preceded by E number. Letter E indicates that the additive is included in the European list of food additives. Countries outside Europe use either number or name in the food labels. The E number does not indicate whether the additive is a natural or synthetic compound but category of the compound can be identified with the E number. For example, coloring agents have E number between 100 and 180, 500, to 1,520, which includes acids, alkalis, flavor enhancer, and additives with various other functions.

ssss1 Food additives and its sources.

Source of food additives Example of food additives Plant origin i. Acidulant as tartaric acid from fruitii. Color from fruits and vegetablesiii. Thickening agent from seaweed, fruit and seeds Nature identical product i. Antioxidant Ascorbic acid from fruitii. Tocopherol from vegetable oiliii. Food color carotenoid Additives obtained by modification of natural substances. i. Emulsifier from edible oilsii. Thickening agent as modified starch, modified celluloseiii. Sweetener as sorbitol Man-made product i. Antioxidant like BHAii. Color like Quinoline yellowiii. Sweetener like saccharin

Risk assessment of any new food additives is carried out by autonomous international committee JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives). The committee assesses the health risk of additives on human being since 1956. The committee gives approval to only those additives that are found having no appreciable health risk to consumer. National authorities on the basis of JECFA assessment or national assessment approve the level of additives for a particular food. To use a new food additive in the processed food, the manufacturer needs to get its approval from national or international authorities. For that purpose, they need to file a petition to FDA for approval. The petition includes proper evidence that the substance is safe for they ways it is used. To approve the new additives under European Union, the procedure has four parts as follows: