Technological developments to support better health and food production Flashcards
Advantages of Fortification
- increase nutrient content
- solve nutrient deficiency in the country
- sell more of a product
- add to other aspects of the product
- replace the nutrients lost during the processing of foods
What do additives improve?
- keeping properties
- flavour
- colour
- texture
- appearance
- stability
What are the main groups of food additives?
- preservatives
- antioxidants
- colours
- flavouring and flavour enhancers
- sweeteners
- emulsifiers and stabilisers
Why are additives used?
- safe for longer
- more attractive
- competitive pricing
- improved nutritional profile
what are the three main types of additives?
natural - natural resources
nature identical - made in lab with chemicals
artificial - synthetic compounds do not occur in nature
What are the advantages of using additives?
- wider range of food products
- improve specific characteristic
- produce expected quality
- product range
- maintain product consistency
- restore original characteristics
- prevent food spoilage
What are preservatives?
substances that extend the shelf life of a product
What are preservatives found in?
- processed foods
- cured meats
- dried fruit
What are the advantages of preservatives?
- extend shelf life, consumers do not constantly need to shop
- prevent pathogenic growth
What are antioxidants?
substances that stop fat from going rancid, stop enzymatic browning
Give some examples of antioxidants
Vitamins A C E
What are antioxidants used to do?
- help prevent fat soluble vitamins from combining with oxygen
- prevent foods from going brown, when exposed to air
What are colourings in manufacturing used for?
- replace colour lost in heat treatment
- boost colours
- maintain consistency between batch productions
- attractive
What are intenser sweeteners?
- 300 times sweeter than sugar, only in small amounts
- low in energy
- low calorie drinks and reduced sugar products
- used for consumers who want to reduce sugar
What are the disadvantages of intense sweeteners?
- lack of bulk that is needed
- not the same characteristics as sugar
- bitter aftertaste