What Are the Common Food Additives?

I. Commonly used food additives: preservatives

Preservatives are not unfamiliar to everyone, widely present in all kinds of food, to prevent food spoilage, to extend the storage period of food. When it comes to preservatives, the first thing that comes to mind is potassium sorbate, which is too common. In the supermarket, look at the ingredient list or food additive list of a food, you will probably see potassium sorbate. Potassium sorbate has a strong antibacterial effect, and is easy to obtain, inexpensive, far less toxic than other preservatives, widely used in vegetables and fruits, ham and sausages, aquatic products, soy sauce and pickles, bread and pastries, canned beverages, candy and preserves and other types of food preservation. Its use method is extremely flexible: it can be added directly to the food, or sprayed or soaked, and is the preferred food preservative for many companies.

II. Commonly used food additives: bleaching agents

Bleaching agent, as a commonly used food additive, is able to destroy, inhibit the coloring factors in food, make it fade or make the food from browning substances. The use of bleaching agents can improve the appearance of food color. Common food bleaching agents include sulfur dioxide, sodium metabisulfite, potassium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, etc. They play an important role in the bleaching of dried fruits, preserved fruits, dried vegetables, pickled vegetables, dried edible mushrooms and algae, and dried bean milk cream in tight rolls. Some bleaching agents can also inhibit the activity of enzymes and microbial reproduction, and play the role of antioxidant and antiseptic, which can be said to serve several functions.

III. Commonly used food additives: antioxidants

Antioxidants can prevent or delay the oxidative decomposition of food components, deterioration, and improve food stability. Many of the above bleaching agents can also be used as antioxidants. In addition, tea polyphenols, calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, ascorbyl palmitate, etc. are also common antioxidants. Tea polyphenols are commonly used as antioxidants for marinated meat products, smoked barbecued meat, meat enemas, vegetable protein drinks, puffed foods and other foods; calcium ascorbate is commonly used as an antioxidant for peeled or pre-cut fresh fruits, peeled or cut and shredded vegetables, concentrated fruit and vegetable juices (pulp); ascorbyl palmitate is commonly used as an antioxidant for milk powder, bread, instant rice noodles, ready-to-eat cereals, etc.

IV. Commonly used food additives: coloring agents

Food additives coloring agents can give or improve the color of food, making food more attractive, also known as food coloring matter. For example, caramel color, widely used in soy sauce, vinegar, jam, fruit and vegetable juice, all kinds of beverages, cocoa and chocolate products, beer, wine and other food coloring. In addition to β-carotene, tomato red, carmine, lemon yellow, turmeric, red rice red, etc. are also common coloring agents.

VI. Commonly used food additives: bulking agent

Bulking agent is one of very commonly used food additives that we should also be familiar with. It is able to make the product swelled to form a dense porous tissue, so that the product has a fluffy, soft or crispy substance. Steamed buns, steamed stuffed buns, bread, cakes, doughnuts are inseparable from the bulking agent. Common bulking agents are sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), disodium dihydrogen metabisulfate, potassium aluminum sulfate (also known as potassium alum), aluminum ammonium sulfate (also known as aluminum alum), ammonium bicarbonate, etc.. The usual baking powder, ferment powder, foaming powder also belong to the bulking agent, which are compounding bulking agent composed of a variety of bulking agents and other auxiliary ingredients.

In short, the existence of food additives is to make us eat better. The reasonable use of them can ensure the safety of the situation to improve the flavor and quality of food.

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