2008-12-24 | Misunderstanding of food additives
tag: additive safety
Since the milk powder incident, asked for an interview the issue of food additives and more media suddenly up. However, after listening to questions, I found that they asked questions, most of them and additives打不着eight poles. This regard, the people's misunderstanding is that so many to such an extent that even the question itself, are a huge misunderstanding.
Misunderstanding one: food fortification with harmful substances, are food additives.
recently announced nine ministries and commissions may be food in non-food substances added to the list, it is in order to clarify what is food additives, what non-food substances, the result is just the opposite, had been mistakenly described as "illegal food additives" list. I dumbfounding to think, make such a "non-food substances" list, is not it absurd? Tomorrow may be added to the cake was the watercolor, the day after the lime powder was added to flour, the大后天was the red pepper powder is added in crime ...... endless creative ah, this list is not will be a long extended to 10 million kinds of non-food substances are included?
In fact, the food additives is a proper noun, it refers specifically to those countries that permit the use of added material in food products. The reason why a lot of people very bad impression on the additive because illegal added to food products and food additives things confused. May wish to do a test:
Which of the following substances do not belong to food additives? (Can choose)
A formaldehyde ; B吊白块C Sudan D industrial paraffin E melamine
F Calcium Propionate G potassium sorbate I Dichlorvos H sulfite J acid peroxidation benzene
Among the options in the above, A, B, C, D, G are non-food substances. Formaldehyde foam used to seafood, with bleaching powder to吊白块silk, with Sudan to give chili oil stain, use of industrial wax polish to give fruit, this is prohibited by the State. Because they do not fall within the scope of food additives, on human health hazard certainly. It is as if people can not be used as paint pigment drink, can not be painted wall paint to give the cake the same color. Melamine is nothing more natural food additives. It should be a veneer furniture and plastic bowls of production materials. Add it to food products, it can be said is an incredible astonishing "creative." All times and not had melamine added to food products of the records, naturally can not have this kind of food additives.
those non-food substances, no matter how much in food, are illegal. Food additives is different, if not excess, super scope of use, is lawful. For example, in the candy permission to add the national food coloring, as long as no illegal content is not excessive. Unless scientific research and found it a new toxicity before a government department to change its use of limited, or food additives from the list out. So, reporters from the melamine to food additives Lenovo is completely misunderstood the basic concept of food additives.
errors II: Some brands that does not contain additives, so better than other brands.
a food expert asserted that: "without any processed foods, food additives, it is impossible for high-quality, safe food." - in a modern society, the words not out of line. However, we also see some brand mall food so good publicity: "This product does not contain preservatives. "" This product contains no artificial coloring. "" This product does not contain fragrance. "Consumers have the heart actin, which are viewed as more healthy, so pleased to buy.
In fact, it is only a means of commercial publicity it. It has made use of food additives consumers do not understand, so that people misunderstand that only this brand does not contain some kind of additives, on the other brands contain. This is often suspected of unfair competition. For example, instant noodles with little water, stored for a long time do not need to add preservatives, to do this kind of publicity, in fact, is a deliberate attempt to mislead the "nonsense."
in accordance with the June 2008 implementation of the "hygiene standards for food additives" the requirements, our country will be divided into 22 categories of food additives, a total of 1812 kinds, including 290 kinds of additives, 1528 kinds of spices, 149 kinds of processing aids, as well as the basis of Chewing Gum 55 kinds of agents. The world's food additives market to reach annual sales of more than 16 billion U.S. dollars. Modern food processing difficult to completely leave the preservatives. Even if some kind of food that does not contain preservatives, may not contain antioxidants; even if that does not contain pigment, does not mean that it does not contain fragrance, it does not mean do not contain emulsifiers, thickeners and other additives.
Misunderstanding three: no additives, the food is certainly more secure.
In many cases, if no suitable additives, processed food will only become more unsafe. Take instant noodles, the grease in the air to release 10 days there will be Kazakhstan La taste, and fried instant noodles is the shelf life of six months, and will not有味. Why? Since there are anti-oxidants. Grease in the air oxidation, is only right and proper thing. If you do not want the issue of ways to curb oxidation, producing a large amount of oxidation substances harmful to health, what is there to eat the value?
outside in addition to instant noodles, all relatively high fat content of food, it will inevitably have to resort to anti-oxidants. What rice crust, potato chips, small Serratula, orchids beans, and even some crackers, cookies, sent ... ... supermarket inside a place that is a good few months with oil products, if it does not increase anti-oxidants, it is easy变味.
also, for instance, those who take a long time in the supermarket's fruit preserves, those soy sauce and pickles, in the absence of sugar and salt of these two "natural preservatives" help, on the will soon be destroyed by bacteria and fungi. But now people are aware, the salt and糖吃more detrimental to health. So low-sugar preserved fruit and low-salt pickles can only resort to a synthetic preservatives. Also, for example, children like to eat the jelly, but also must preservatives. Otherwise, it is not a high sugar content, water was so large, how can at room temperature to preserve them so long.
Therefore, food additives should not increase when the disorder can not increase, the increase in the time without them. The most important thing, after all, food security, micro-organisms always ready and we compete for nutrients in food, air, oxygen is also ready to let the nutritional content of food oxidation metamorphism. As many experts have said, entirely without additives processed foods, in general, is very rare, but is not reassuring.
Misunderstanding four: additive is to deceive the consumer business only with things.
why the modern food industry can not be separated from food additives? Because consumers the appearance of the food quality, taste the quality, convenience, save time raised demanding than ever. If there are no additives, it is hard to imagine that food can be a long time to maintain a pleasant state, it is hard to imagine that consumers can rest assured to eat food. Can not take 12 days or corruption will长霉products, supermarkets dare to sell it? Released a few days will pale变味products, production enterprises dare to sell it? Even if they dare to sell, consumers are willing to buy?
if consumers refuse to buy fresh raw materials to produce their own, also called for the preservation of food a long time, color special taste pretty good, it would be only a peaceful coexistence and food additives. - not a desire to meet is not a price. Would like to save, I would like the convenience, thought mouth addiction often have to pay a price. Not so much business to deceive consumers, as that is for the consumers to pursue color fragrance, blind pursuit of "open bags eat" convenience.
Therefore, food additives, should be accepted calmly, affirmed their commitment to food safety, taste and convenience of the contributions made, but consumers should avoid excessive pursuit of texture, color , the taste of the errors in the natural characteristics of the food to accept and look at the packaging of ingredients that, in order to make informed choices about the food.
For those who do not belong to the Harmful Substances in Food Additives, if added to food, should be severely punished by the law. Hope that the legal definition of such events should be to achieve a "threat to public safety" level of conviction, not just the "manufacturing of fake and shoddy products" punishment.
related to my log:
2008-09-30 | "toxic food Guinness" major fallacy
2008-05-28 | meat cooked inside what
2008-03-06 | read labels (4) biscuit's secret
2008 -03-03 | read labels (3): know your bread
2007-09-07 | instant it really does not contain preservatives?
2007-07-28 | 59 chemical raw materials pair of strawberry milkshake
2007-06-10 | read labels (2) if梅肉- sweet flavor agent Daguanyuan
2006-08-14 | peaceful coexistence with the knowledge of food additives (3) osteoporosis agent
2006-08-10 | peaceful coexistence with the knowledge of food additives ( 2) antioxidants
2008-11-23 | pickles carcinogenic few misunderstandings
2008-10-18 | Q & A烤红薯whether harmful
2008 -- 09-17 | "milk door" era of food to the principle of
