Singapore Food Agency (SFA) recently recalled India’s fish curry masala from market, as it has a high quantity of ethylene oxide.

Ethylene oxide is a preservative that is added to food to prevent it from spoiling. However, high and regular consumption can cause issues like headaches, vomiting, eye and skin burns, blurred vision, etc.

Today’s topic is about food additives. These are added to food to increase their shelf life. But, we also need to know the danger they pose on human health.

What are food additives

When we say additives, then it is a substance that is being added in “small” quantity to improve and preserve the quality of anything. Here, these additives are added to food to increase the shelf life and prevent it from spoiling.

Generally, preservatives or additives are also added to give certain foods a taste and texture. You might have eaten ice cream and cake. Those have additives as well. It is done to give ice cream or cake a specific shape and also so that they can last longer. Which is generally for a year or so, if you ever noticed.

Cookies, noodles, packed juices, chips, and oils all have food enhancers and preservatives so that you can enjoy the same taste as when they were packed. It is also added so that those items don’t get spoiled.

A certain quantity of these preservatives is permissible. However, food companies add extra quantities of these chemicals to enhance their products.

Common types of Food additives and where they are used

In this section, we will discuss a few common types of these additives and also share where they are used.

Preservatives

As you can understand from the name, these are added to preserve the food. That means the main purpose of these is to maintain the taste quality of food for an extended period.

-> One such preservative that is already been mentioned is ethylene oxide. It is used in spices and powders as an insecticide and disinfectant.

You also need to know that WHO classified ethylene oxide as a carcinogen. It not only affects the nervous system, but is linked with breast cancer in female.

-> Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are synthetic anti-oxidants and preservative. These are used in food and cosmetic products.

These are mainly used in food products like cereals, chips and products like lipstick, moisturizers, etc. Their main usage is to prevent oxidation and rancidity of fats and oils. BHA and BHT remain stable in higher temperature and hence maintain the taste.

These are approved by the FDA. But that doesn’t make them any safer. Their safety is still a question and some countries have restricted their use. These are considered as cancer causing ingredient in some countries.

-> Sodium Nitrate is a common preservative that is used in meat products. It increases shelf life and gives a pink color, which is considered as a sign of freshness. It is also used as an ingredient in eye-drops.

However, these days it is replaced by things like celery powder. Sodium nitrates have a limit and different agency have different guidelines for it.

Till now, there’s no conclusive data about it being safe or unsafe. 

Flavor enhancers

Their main purpose is to make our food tasty or to keep it tasty for a longer duration. These are like added chemicals that give good a taste and texture. All these cookies, noodles, pastries, soup, canned vegetables, meats, sauces, etc. Uses flavor enhancers.

Salt is your most common flavor enhancer. It gives taste to the food. It is also used to ferment and preserve food and we use it in homemade pickles, butter, etc.

-> Another common flavor enhancer is Monosodium glutamate or MSG. It’s used in noodles, soups, dressings and sauces, fast food, etc.

The major problem with MSG is it’s considered safe by the FDA. There’s not much reliable information about MSG and it’s hard to say how much is safe. There are researches, but there are limitations to that researches.

MSG is reported for cardiac toxicity, oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, etc. But then again, some claims that MSG is completely safe and has nothing to worry about.

-> Potassium bromate is another common food enhancer that is used in the bread-making process. It improves the texture, volume, and structure of baking goods like dough, bread, rolls, etc.

It’s very commonly used, and it’s needed to give the dough a fluff and rise.

Several countries have prohibited the use of Potassium bromate as it has carcinogenic properties. Some studies even consider it highly toxic.

In 2016, FSSAI banned it in India, however even in 2024 some directives state that they will remove potassium bromate from the list. That means it’s still in use as of now.

Emulsifiers

Emulsion means mixing 2 or more liquids that are immiscible or do not dissolve together.

-> One such common emulsifier is polysorbate. It is used on food as an antistalling agent. In cosmetic products, medicines, etc.

Some agencies like the FDA and EFSA have approved polysorbate 60 as safe for usage in food.

-> Carboxymethylcellulose is used in the food and cosmetic industry to hold and absorb water, increase shelf life, and improve texture.

You might have noticed this in eye drops. However, some research suggests that it’s not safe for the eyes and can give eyes irritation, pain, and blurred vision. So, it’s advisable to consult a doctor before using eye drops that include this.

In food, it is related to colon cancer and changes in gut bacteria. Though EFSA and the FDA have considered it safe, newer works have raised safety concerns.

There are some natural emulsifiers like Agar, pectin, mustard, honey, soy lecithin, acacia gum, etc.

Higher intake of cellulose was associated with cardiovascular diseases. Higher consumption of trisodium phosphate was linked to heart diseases as well. It’s popularly used in processed meat.

Sweeteners

Of course, sweeteners have to be on this list. There are so many available forms of artificial sweeteners, and these are used with sneaky names. Their main purpose is to give food taste, fragrance, and color.

-> You might have tried Diet Coke or drinks that are lower in calories than regular ones. Well, such a drink uses aspartame, which is 200 times sweeter than regular sugar.

It’s commonly used in sugar-free gum, diet cokes, jellies, and even “sugar-free” products. FDA approved it as a sweetener and flavor enhancer and considered it safe. It’s even used to be people who are losing weight.

Recently it was found that Nestle’s cerelac have high amount of sugar in Asian and African countries. It’s a baby food and it should not have high sugar in just 1 serving.

FGW

However, many studies have shown Aspartame’s links with stress, memory loss, cell death, etc.

An interesting thing about these sweeteners is that they are cheap and easily available. But can cause various diseases like abnormal blood sugar levels, heart diseases, etc.

There are additional articles on artificial sugar by FGW. I would recommend you to check them out.

Food colors

The main purpose of food colors is to make food look more colorful, attractive to the eyes, and “fresh”. Food colors are everywhere, from candy to bakery products, ice-creams, chips, cola, biscuits, etc.

Some commonly used colors are Carmoisine (for red to maroon), fast red, Tartrazine (yellow), sunset yellow, brilliant blue FCF, green FCF, etc.

Different studies have shown that colors have carcinogenic properties and can cause hypersensitivity reactions. However, different regulatory authorities see them differently. What may be banned in certain places could be acceptable in other places.

In India, the Karnataka government bans Rhodamine-B for usage in cotton candy and Manchurian. These colors were considered harmful and posed health dangers. However, the same color is widely used in other parts of the country.

Benefits of Food additives

Food additives or preservatives are not bad completely. There are some important uses and these are needed for them.

• Add texture- Certain additives are important to give shape and texture to food.
• Increase shelf life- You can see many food products may require an extended expiry date. Suppose a product is made today, it will reach your hand in 20 days. It needs to stay fresh till then.
• Preservation- We need our food products to stay away from bad bacteria, and sometimes these preservatives are important for that.
• Nutrient fortification- Many times nutrients like vitamins and minerals are added to the food to improve the quality of the food. Some food products are added with additional nutrients to make them beneficial.
• Improve taste- Some food products have a blend taste. With added flavors, food can be more appealing for people, especially kids.
• Long-distance transportation- With food preservatives, you get the advantage of eating local food from faraway places. Without additives, it might not be possible.

Additives are also added in tooth paste, shampoo, cream,etc. Many a times it’s impossible to use the product within the same month. We need something that can keep the quality of the product intact.

Hence, additives and presevatives ensures that the quality of other products remains safe to use till a certain period.

Disadvantages

We have already discussed the disadvantages of food preservatives throughout the article. High and uncontrolled dosages can be harmful. We also need to see how much we are consuming through one serving.

High consumption of ultra-processed foods can put unwanted chemicals into our bodies and that could cause many diseases.

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In the next part of this article, we will discuss further about guidelines by various food agencies, some alternatives, and how to read labels.

Stay tuned.