food additives Flashcards
what is food additives
any substance a food producer intentionally adds to a food for a specific purpose in the course of production, processing, packaging or storing food
why use food additives 5 reasons
allows us to produce food on a commercial scale we would otherwise not be able to
maintain nutritional quality (preservatives)
enhance the keeping quality or stability w/. resulting reduction in food waste (emulsifiers, antioxidants)
make foods attractive to the consumer (colours, flavours)
provide essential aids in food processing (antifoaming agents, bulking agents)
anti-caking agent - function
keeps powders ‘running’
humectants + type of additive
maintain desired moisture level - sorbitol (carbohydrate)
acidity regulators
controls the acidity or alkalinity of foods
enzymes + type of additive
acts as a catalyst to initiate desired chemical reactions - rennet
sweeteners + type of additive
provide sweet taste, but little or no calories - cyclamate, saccharin, aspartame
colours + type of additive
enhance visual appeal of food - carotene, chlorophyll, synthetic, amaranth
firming agents + what type of food is it in
fives foods a desirable texture and consistency - canned vegetables
foaming agents
enable pressure packed products to dispersed in a whipped state
preservatives + type of additive - foods it is in
prolongs shelf life, inhabits growth of bacteria, moulds, yeasts - nitrite, sodium, diacetate - meat, bread
antioxidants - foods it is in
prevent rancidity and discolouration due to oxidation - cooking oils
flavour enhancers - example foods
enhance existing flavours - cakes, ice-cream, meat, soups
emulsifiers
helps mixing substances such as oil and water together.
stabiliers
maintains the stability of emulsion and mixtures over time
