Food additives (E’s) are natural or chemical substances that are used as ingredients in a food, without being consumed as food itself.
Food additives (E’s) have no nutritional value and are added for a purpose during the production, processing, preparation, treatment, packaging or storage of a food.
Food additives (E’s) are of several kinds: dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, acidity correctors, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, loosening agents, sweeteners, anti-caking agents, flavor enhancers and others.
Not all E’s are harmful to health.
In fact, few people know that “E’s” fall into three main categories: harmless, suspicious, and harmful.
Under the same name are hidden substances that are harmless to the body, some of which may even have benefits: synthetic vitamins, which have properties similar to those from natural sources, dyes extracted from fruits, vegetables and various natural plants.
Harmless chemicals used in the preparation of food, drink, etc. they are called, more plastically – “healthy”.
HEALTHY, HARMLESS FOOD ADDITIVES examples:
There are currently 113 additives that are considered harmless:
E100, E101, E140, E141, E160-163, E170, E174, E175, E181, E201-203, E260, E262, E263, E290, E300, E301, E303, E304, E306-309, E322, E331-337, E400-406, E410, E422, E472, E473, E492, E500, E501, E504, E507, E509, E511, E516, E518, E542, E552, E578, E636, E957, E965, E999, E1100, E1400-1450, E1510.
E100 – turmeric (perhaps known as “Indian saffron”) with anticancer properties.
E140 – chlorophyll – the green pigment in the leaves
E160 (a) – carotene, a substance found, for example, in carrots with an antioxidant effect,
E160 (d) – lycopene, found in tomatoes and red-core grapefruit, is considered to reduce the risk of cancer.
E161 (b) and E161 (g) – xanthophylls of plant and animal origin.
E162 – red beet pigment.
E170 – calcium carbonate.
E181 – tannic acid, usually found in tea and walnut peel.
E260 – acetic acid, vinegar
E300 – ascorbic acid or vitamin C, also found in pharmacies.
E306 to E309 – tocopherols or vitamin E, also found in pharmacies.
E410 – exotic plant extract that lowers cholesterol.
E504 – magnesium carbonate, the powder found in pharmacies, with a laxative role.
E509 – calcium chloride, also found in pharmacies.
E511 – magnesium chloride, also found in pharmacies.
E516 – calcium sulphate, also found in pharmacies.
E516 – magnesium sulphate, also found in pharmacies, with a laxative role
E542 – phosphates extracted from bones.
E552 – calcium silicate, also found in pharmacies, with an antiacid role.
E636 – maltol, found, for example, in fried malt
SUSPECTIVE AND DANGEROUS FOOD ADDITIVES examples:
E150, E172, E173, E141 – dyes, E477 – emulsifier. E102 or tartrazine (yellow dye), E110 or Sunset yellow (yellow dye), E120 (dye), E124 or Ponceau 4R (red dye)
TOXIC FOOD ADDITIVES example:
E220, E221, E222, E224 (sulfites – preservatives), E338 (acidifiers), E339, E340, E341 (melting salts), E407 (gelling agent), E450 (emulsifier), E461, E463, E465, E466 (fillers ), E230 (biphenyl-preservative), E231 (orthophenylphenol-preservative), E232 (preservative), E200 (preservative), E320 (butyl-hydroxy-anisole BHA-preservative), E321 (benzoic acid – antioxidant), E311, E312 ( antioxidant), E330 (lemon salt).
CANCEROGENIC FOOD ADDITIVES example:
E131, E123, E142 (dyes), E211 (benzoic acid and its derivatives – preservative), E213, E214, E215, E217 (preservatives), E230 (preservative), E621 (sodium glutamate), E631, E632 and E633 – inosinates . Guanilates – E627, E628, E629. Rhinoglycides (taste and aroma enhancers) E634 and E635.
What natural additives can we find in an apple?
Acidity regulators: E300-ascorbic acid, E330-citric acid, E334-acetic acid, E374-niacin.
Dyes: E101-riboflavin, E140-chlorophyll, E160a-carotene, E163-anthocyanins, E181-tannin. Preservatives: E260-oxalic acid, E270-lactic acid, E280-propionic acid, E296-malic acid.
Emulsifier: E440-pectin.
Taste and flavor enhancer: E620-glutamic acid.
Other: E921-cystine.
