Three kilograms chemicals. This is the amount that is swallowed per year by the average consumer of a wide variety of, sometimes absolutely familiar products: cupcakes, for example, or marmalade. Dyes, emulsifiers, sealants, thickeners are now present in literally everything. Naturally, the question arises: why do manufacturers add them to food and how harmless are these substances?
Experts agreed that “food additives are the general name for natural or synthetic chemicals added to food products in order to give them certain properties (improving taste and smell, increasing nutritional value, preventing product spoilage, etc.) that are not used as independent food products».
The wording is quite clear and understandable. However, not everything in this matter is simple. Much depends on the honesty and basic decency of manufacturers, on what exactly and in what quantities they use to give products a marketable appearance.
Serial number of taste.
Nutritional supplements are not an invention of our high-tech age. Salt, soda, and spices have been known to people since time immemorial. But the real flourishing of their use began in the twentieth century - the century of food chemistry. There were high hopes for supplements. And they fully met expectations. With their help, it was possible to create a large assortment of appetizing, long-lasting and at the same time less labor-intensive products.
Having won recognition, the “improvers” were put into production. The sausages turned soft pink, the yoghurts became freshly fruity, and the muffins were fluffy and unstale. The “youth” and attractiveness of the products is ensured by additives that are used as dyes, emulsifiers, sealants, thickeners, gelling agents, glazing agents, flavor and odor enhancers, preservatives...
Chewing gum and Coca Cola, which were super popular in the 20th century, got their unique taste thanks to food additives. And the most amazing thing is that 100 years ago the food additive for cola was cocaine. It got its name from the coca plant, a shrub from whose leaves cocaine is obtained.
Much has changed in the area of safety in the use of food additives since then. Once upon a time, the use of methamphetamine was considered harmless; now it is classified as a “hard drug”. Not so long ago in Russia, Mars chocolates contained a substance that is now included in the list of prohibited food additives in all countries of the world. It is quite possible that after several decades, some dye generously added to products will be considered harmful.
The mechanism for the appearance and use of a food additive is as follows: first, the additive is developed, then it undergoes testing from several weeks to several months, or even years. If the tests are successful, then the regulatory organization of the country where the additive was developed recommends it for widespread use.
In Europe, safety regulations require that the presence of a food additive be indicated on the packaging in the list of ingredients.
According to the accepted European classification, all additives are designated by the letter “E” (the initial letter in the word “Europe”).
For example, E152 is completely harmless activated carbon,
E1404 is starch, and E500 is soda.
The largest group of food additives after the letter E contains only 3 numbers.
Classification of food additives:
E100-E182 denote dyes that enhance or restore the color of a product. They can be natural (such as beta-carotene or carminic acid dyes) or synthetic.
The main goal in this case is the desire to increase sales. Dyes do not at all affect the taste of food and the process of its absorption by the human body. Dyes are added to lemonade, Coca-Cola and similar drinks, sweets, puddings, ice cream, alcohol, margarine and cheeses.
Natural colors are extracted from a range of fruits and vegetables, such as beets, bell peppers, oranges or spinach. Artificial dyes are synthesized chemically. Food products containing natural colors are generally considered not to be hazardous to health.
Caution should be exercised with artificial colors. They can cause allergies and, under certain conditions, even cause cancer.
Codes E200-E299- preservatives that increase the shelf life of products by protecting them from microbes, fungi and bacteriophages. This group also includes chemical sterilizing additives used during the ripening of wines, as well as disinfectants.
E300-E399- antioxidants that protect foods from oxidation, for example, from rancidity of fats and discoloration of cut vegetables and fruits.
E400-E499- stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, the purpose of which is to maintain the desired consistency of the product, as well as increase its viscosity.
500-E599- pH regulators and anti-caking agents.
E600-E699- flavorings and flavor enhancers
The most common and most dangerous of this group is glutamate.
E700-E899. There are no food additives under these numbers yet; these codes are reserved for new substances whose appearance is just around the corner.
E900-E999- defoamers
Not so long ago, in the 90s, a second, less extensive group appeared, in the designation of which after the letter E there are 4 digits E1000-E1521. This group of additives is responsible for ensuring that products such as flour, sugar, salt do not absorb moisture and remain crumbly (these are glazing agents, separators, sealants, flour and bread improvers, texturizers, packaging gases, sweeteners).
Within these various groups there are nutritional supplements that provide clear benefits to the body and are called “functional.” But experts are also increasingly speaking in favor of tightening control over the use of food additives due to their dangerous effects on the human body.
First, let’s figure out what they are—functional additives and “functional products”—and what benefits they provide.
Since the second half of the 20th century, vitamins and microelements have been added to many food products, which has made it possible to almost completely eliminate diseases associated with a deficiency of one or another element. Thus, cheilosis, angular stomatitis, glossitis, seborrheic dermatitis, conjunctivitis and keratitis associated with a lack of vitamin B2, riboflavin (E101 dye, which gives products a beautiful yellow); scurvy caused by deficiency of vitamin C, ascorbic acid (antioxidant E300); anemia, caused by a lack of vitamin E, tocopherol (antioxidant E306).
And adding additives containing probiotic forms to foods and drinks beneficial bacteria, strengthens immunity and health. All nutritionists agree on this.
These bacteria, taken daily in yoghurts, kefir and other fermented milk products, restore the natural balance of intestinal microflora and thus improve its functioning.
Functional additives also include very important essential fatty acids of the omega-3 class. Their deficiency is associated with hyperactivity in children and depression in adults. They are the most important means in the prevention of atherosclerosis.
Bread and eggs enriched with omega-3 are produced.
Into bakery products for the purpose of their “health improvement”
Bran is added, which contains a large amount of plant fiber. It acts as a brush for the intestines, improves its functioning and helps eliminate toxins and waste.
When choosing such products, you should pay attention not only to the useful food additive, but also to the composition of such a product as a whole. Energy drinks with guarana may also contain excess simple sugar. The choice of “functional” products must be reasonable and based on specific goals. If you have high cholesterol, it makes sense to buy foods with special additives.
medicus.ru
1. Chocolate is an excellent product against high blood pressure. It is enough to eat two sweets to bring your blood pressure back to normal.
2. Chocolate lifts your mood and creates a feeling of love thanks to the phenamine component.
3. White and milk chocolate contain more unhealthy fat and calories, while dark bitter chocolate with high content cocoa (from 70%).
4. A chocolate bar per month can extend your life by a whole year. But excessive consumption of the product will lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
5. One of the most unusual types of meat is mouse. It was eaten in China and also in Ancient Greece.
6. Rice ranks first among consumed foods, as it serves as the main ingredient in the menu of most Asian countries, known for their abundance. There are more than 15,000 varieties of rice, which we are accustomed to dividing into black, white and brown.
7. Refined sugar can be called one of the most harmful foods, since it contains absolutely nothing except carbohydrates and extra calories.
8. Zucchini and pumpkin seeds acquire greater benefits and nutritional value over time. Thus, fresh pumpkin seeds may have 3-4 times fewer calories than those that have been stored for several months.
9. Only 5% of the mined salt is used as seasoning. The rest is spent on conservation and even industrial purposes - leather tanning, glass production, road construction.
10. Natural chicken soup for a long time was considered an aphrodisiac.
11. Rennet is a natural substance necessary for the production of many types of cheese. It is obtained from the fourth ventricle of small calves.
12. Most unusual snacks bordering on disgust - fried termites from South Africa, ants, bees and a bull's scrotum covered in chocolate - in America.
13. Potatoes and corn were first cultivated in mountainous regions called the Andes.
14. One kilogram of potatoes costs almost 200 times less than 1 kilogram of chips obtained from them.
15. With the advent of the cartoon character Popeye, interest in spinach has greatly increased in America. It was this product in the cartoon that was positioned as a valuable source of energy and vitamins.
16. It has been proven that fresh apples Helps you get up in the morning better than coffee.
17. Salt and beans in ancient times served as money. Some scammers even tried to fake the latter. But in Europe in the Middle Ages, often the main in cash performed... Cows!
18. During the time of Ivan the Terrible, there were their own illegal transportations. Thus, the ambassadors of the Russian Tsar transported valuables from Muslim countries, wrapping them in pork tenderloin. Naturally, Muslims disdained to approach this meat.
19. In the era of Ancient Rome, at one time in history, the authorities came to the conclusion that it was time to fight luxury. Thus, fattening chickens was prohibited. But they forgot to prohibit feeding roosters...
20. In the Middle Ages, the recipe for ice cream was considered one of the most secret. In Europe, only kings could eat it, and the most courageous spies often went for secret knowledge, trying to discover the technology for preparing a delicious dessert.
21. In Ancient Greece, figs were of particular value. It could not be taken out of the country, and citizens who disobeyed could be executed for smuggling.
22. Muslims have long had a controversial relationship with coffee due to its stimulant properties. So, in the Middle Ages it was equated with wine, and it was almost banned.
23. In 1638, the Russian ambassador to China received several bags of strange dry leaves as a gift. The ambassador was very upset by this and a war almost broke out. But someone thought of brewing these fragrant leaves, and since then we can enjoy the aroma of tea every day.
24. In Honolulu, cooks practice a very unconventional method of beating octopus meat: they wash them in washing machines.
25. Any sea and river fish- one of the most healthy products. It supplies the body with light protein, improves memory and skin condition, and also fights bad cholesterol.
26. Fresh or properly frozen strawberries can improve your mood and give you energy. After all, it contains many vitamins that are responsible for the tone of our body!
27. Potatoes, contrary to the negative opinions of many nutritionists, can be beneficial for the body, but only when boiled and baked. It removes excess fluid and helps get rid of cellulite.
28. Although bananas “came” to Europe from Africa, they are often supplied from India; more than half of all imports come from this country.
29. Apricot, avocado and raspberry are at the top of the list of the healthiest foods on the planet. Moreover, apricot and raspberry are able to retain all their benefits not only in fresh.
30. Olivier salad was invented in Russia. But a Frenchman came up with the recipe! The salad differed from the modern one in a more refined set of products, including: veal tongue, caviar, pickles and crayfish.
31. In Africa, lemon is a panacea for many diseases. It is believed that the juice of 1 slice of lemon during meals will prevent overeating and help digestion. That's why drinking water with lemon juice before meals is so beneficial!
32. Breakfast should not be easy. It is at this time that preference should be given to the most satisfying and high-calorie dishes.
33. Regular consumption of vegetables, fruits and cereals helps cleanse the blood. However, in harsh conditions, the body simply cannot survive without heavy meat protein.
34. Real borscht was prepared from a plant that today is considered a weed - hogweed.
35. Freshly squeezed juices are stored for only 3-4 hours. Glass and metal containers are not suitable for them.
36. Natural apple cider vinegar very good for the skin. It is enough to dilute 1 tsp. in a glass of water and drink one hour before meals.
37. Guava is the record holder among vegetables and fruits for vitamin C content.
38. High-quality village cottage cheese contains a minimum of fat and maximum quantity protein and calcium, which is extremely beneficial for the heart.
39. Cold Scandinavian countries are not at all distinguished by their great love for hot dishes. It is supposed to be eaten there only in the afternoon and only once. The main portion of the diet is cold snacks and a variety of sandwiches.
40. Mangoes and pistachios are the closest “relatives”. They belong to the same family, although there are few similarities between them.
41. All products that are yellow in color serve as natural antidepressants, break down fats and speed up metabolic processes.
42. Blue foods can eliminate insomnia and calm the nerves. They contain a lot of vitamin C. This also includes purple and maroon foods.
43. Green fruits and vegetables help reduce stomach acidity, normalize blood pressure, have a powerful antiseptic effect and strengthen the immune system.
44. Ginger and cinnamon have a powerful effect on the body. You can buy dried spices and add a pinch to tea or coffee: weight loss, increased performance and good mood guaranteed!
45. Feijoa can compete with various seafood in terms of iodine content.
46. Apples are a faithful friend of people who lead a “table” lifestyle. They have a lot useful substances and all this for little money and year-round availability. Apples improve your condition nervous system, have a general strengthening effect.
47. Olives and olives are the same thing. Only the first ones have to hang on trees for a long time, but for industrial purposes this is not profitable. Therefore, green olives are often dyed black and sold as olives.
48. Corn helps the body process fatty foods and alcohol. This is one of the rare products that, when canned, retains all its properties.
49. Celery contains very few calories. Moreover, if you eat it fresh, you will spend several times more calories on the chewing process.
50. Almost half of all almond production comes from the production of chocolate products.
51. Cooking grapes and eggs in the microwave can cause an explosion.
52. In 1991, carrots were officially recognized as a fruit in Europe.
53. And in 2001, the same fate befell tomatoes.
54. Mozzarella, tomato sauce and parsley - traditional ingredients of real Italian pizza, imitating the colors of the national flag.
55. Gasoline ranks first in global commodity turnover. And in second place is coffee.
56. The smell of fried bacon can greatly increase your appetite. This is used by various catering establishments.
57. In most restaurants, salmon dishes are prepared from cheap pink salmon or coho salmon, and are presented as expensive salmon or trout.
58. Fat-burning fruits that really effectively fight excess “stock”: kiwi, pineapples, grapefruits.
59. The rate of vegetable consumption per person per year is about 125 kg.
60. Wine was invented by the ancient Greeks more than 3 thousand years ago.
61. In 2006, a limited batch of 36 bottles of beer was brewed from barley sprouts grown in zero gravity. Each costs more than $300.
62. Pomegranate juice– the healthiest non-alcoholic drink.
63. The first bottle of carbonated drink was made from bubbles of fermenting beer in 1772.
64. In Peru, frog tincture is considered a drink of vigor. They drink it almost as often as the Chinese drink tea.
65. Traditional kvass is rarely to the taste of foreigners. Almost everyone refers to it as “a sour, cloudy liquid.”
66. Good dry red wine in an amount of 0.1 liter is good for the heart and can fight cancer.
67. Milk is widely used in the production of adhesives, paints and even plastics.
68. Ice cream is a kind of symbol of rockers. Often original recipes are invented in memory of various performers and groups, for example, Baskin Robins released a product in honor of the Beatles.
69. Most ice cream is eaten on the east coast of the United States.
70. The world eats several times more margarine than butter.
71. Baskin Robins released ketchup-flavored ice cream.
72. Cheese, according to the majority of the world’s population, is the most delicious dish.
73. The first candies were invented by the Egyptians more than 3 thousand years ago. Dates and honey were used for this. A little later, the Romans added nuts and flour to them.
74. In the Middle Ages, chocolate in Europe was considered a witchcraft product.
75. But in Russia, until the 20th century, sweets were the privilege of wealthy nobles.
76. The only candy that has been in space is Chupa Chups. Only she passed all the safety requirements.
77. Most smoked meat products contain modified soybeans.
78. Chicken meat is considered the healthiest. But only if we are talking about natural chicken without hormones and antibiotics.
79. Ice serves as an excellent preservative. Quick freezing fresh berries, vegetables, fruits and meat can extend the “useful” life of products.
80. Just 12 species of plants and 5 animals provide 70% of all food.
81. Strawberries and raspberries contain in their small specific seeds a substance responsible for the formation of testosterone in the human body. It is this hormone that increases sexual desire.
82. White wine is served with fish, and red wine with any other meat. The exception is tuna, which also goes better with red wine.
83. The juiciest lemon has a thin peel.
84. Sunflower seeds help strengthen the nervous system.
85. Chili peppers, like chocolate, can improve your mood.
86. White and beige eggs are not at all different from each other. Only the hens that laid them are different.
87. Parmesan cheese in Italy serves as collateral when cheesemakers borrow money from banks. Ripe heads are placed in a special storage facility.
88. In 2003, after America's invasion of Iran and French outrage over it, Washington DC cafeterias renamed the French fries Liberty fries.
89. Cream cheese was invented in New York in 1872. Only it received the name “Philadelphia”.
90. What fell is not lost. Food does not pick up bacteria from the floor within 5 seconds, but only if the floor surface is dry.
91. Pringles chips aren't even half potato. They contain a lot of starch and corn flour, but only 42% potatoes. However, the figure is quite high for a product in this category.
92. There is an ice cream cemetery in the USA. There are tombstones with the names of those tastes that have lost their popularity.
93. Salad with asparagus on Russian shelves is nothing more than a deception. The white pods are obtained from the foam of soy milk and have little in common with asparagus.
94. Exactly simple vegetables- cabbage, carrots, onions and beets - helped simple peasants in tsarist times to be healthy, while nobles were often plagued by scurvy and other unpleasant diseases due to the lack of simple foods in the diet.
95. “Friendship” cheese is immortalized in Moscow with a monument. You can find it at the intersection of Rustaveli and Ogorodny Proezd.
96. Vegetable oil a priori does not contain cholesterol.
97. Cunning Englishmen use coffee grounds as fuel in the Kraft Foods chocolate factory.
98. Meat, or rather the need for its proper storage, opened the age of geographical travel. The Turks asked too much for spices, which contributed to the proper preservation of meat products. This prompted sailors to look for the treasured seasonings in new lands.
99. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive type of coffee. It is made from the feces of Asian civet cats that eat coffee beans. But the fruits are not processed, but in the stomach of the animals they are saturated with useful substances.
100. Doctor's sausage appeared in 1936 and was intended to improve the health of people who suffered during the tsarist reign.
What do we know about nutritional supplements? Are they as scary as we are always told? Let's read and find out...
Every day, without knowing it, we eat dozens and hundreds of different food additives. There is a widespread fear of them among the people, especially if they are designated by the letter E in the composition of products.
However, chemists assure time after time that products produced in accordance with the rules are even safer than those grown in your own garden. After all, the manufacturer knows thoroughly what substances are present in his product, and you can only guess what your vegetables absorbed from the ground and air.
However, food chemistry still scares us and, it must be said, for good reason. But the point is often not in the potential danger of this or that additive, but in human habits themselves, which still do not get along well with modern industry.
Where does the letter E come from?
Food additives are used to give food a certain taste, color or consistency, to increase shelf life or disinfection. For convenience of classification in Europe it is accepted various additives assign a number with the prefix E - these are the same endless “E” that you find in the composition of products.
- numbers from E100 to E199 are assigned to various types of dyes,
- from E200 to E299 - for preservatives,
- from E300 to E399 - for antioxidants,
- from E400 to E499 - for stabilizers, thickeners and emulsifiers,
- from E500 to E599 - for various pH level regulators,
- from E600 to E699 - for flavor enhancers and flavorings.
- The following numbers are filled with various types of antibiotics, gases for packaging, sweeteners and foaming agents, as well as other substances used in the food industry.
Of course, it is impossible for a consumer to understand the entire list of food additives, even with the appropriate education. Therefore, the use of certain substances in the manufacture of products is regulated by the state.
Let's pay attention to the most interesting nutritional supplements - from those that are well known to every consumer and to those that the consumer would prefer not to know about.
Monosodium glutamate
This is perhaps one of the most popular food additives - almost every food lover knows about it. It is found in those products that, despite their low cost, seem rich in taste - these are chips, crackers, noodles instant cooking and other cheap snacks. It can often be found in sausages and various semi-finished products. This additive is designated by code E621.
It has long been believed that monosodium glutamate works as a taste enhancer, stimulating all the receptors on the tongue. But recently, scientists have been convinced of the opposite - this seasoning acts only on certain receptors and, thus, is responsible for a completely separate taste. IN oriental cuisine it has been known since time immemorial - in Japan it is called “umami”, which literally translates as “pleasant taste”.
The independent taste of monosodium glutamate is difficult to describe, since it is almost elusive, but together with other products it can create that incredible combination. It is characteristic that the seasoning based on monosodium glutamate sold in Japan is called “essence of taste.” It is especially good in combination with meat and salty dishes, but the main thing is not to overdo it.
Disputes about the harm of monosodium glutamate have been going on for the second century, but over the past time, not a single serious study has shown that this substance can be dangerous when consumed in moderate doses. Moreover, some modern research scientists say that in old age
«
umami" may even be useful.
On the other hand, parents often prohibit their children from eating chips or other foods with MSG too often. Too rich a taste causes something like addiction in children, after which they refuse to eat regular food.
At the same time, monosodium glutamate is found in a huge number of natural products - meat, vegetables, mushrooms. And in celery, for example, there is even more of it than in the same chips.
Sodium nitrite
We are all accustomed to the fact that sausages and frankfurters have
«
“meat” red color, but few people realize that this is far from their natural color. If it were not for sodium nitrite, the usual sausage would be ash-gray in color. Such a product would not be very attractive to the average consumer.
However, sodium nitrite is not only a dye, but primarily also a preservative. That is why it belongs to the second hundred food additives and its code is E250. The main purpose of sodium nitrite is to combat the terrible bacteria that causes botulism.
For all its advantages, sodium nitrite is far from harmless. It is a toxic substance to humans, although it is also used in medicine in small doses. In addition, there is evidence that sodium nitrite may contribute to the development of cancer.
That is why the use of E250 in the European Union is currently being discussed by the expert community. In our country, there are no restrictions on this food additive yet and it can be found in almost any Russian sausage product.
Silicon dioxide
This food additive is less known among consumers, although no less popular among manufacturers. Silicon dioxide is often used in the production of crackers, as well as cheap instant coffee - it prevents
«
sintering" of the product when preparing with high temperature processing.
This additive, number E551, can also be found in mayonnaise, cheap boiled sausage and finished products that can be stored for a long time at room temperature.
All this is quite normal for a food additive, if not for one thing - silicon dioxide, as readers familiar with chemistry may have already noticed, is ordinary sand. And although many of you didn’t think that you regularly eat real sand, silicon dioxide itself is absolutely harmless. It is also used in medicine - an effective sorbent is made on its basis, which helps with poisoning.
Aluminum
You won’t be satisfied with sand alone, so you can safely fortify yourself with metal. True, not in our country - in Russia, Ukraine, Australia, as well as a number of other countries, the food additive E173, which hides aluminum, is prohibited.
But what does aluminum do to food? It's simple - aluminum powder is used as a coloring and gives food a metallic tint. It is added to cakes, various dragees and sweets.
Aluminum was banned because of the dubious consequences of its use - some researchers believe that the metal can be deposited in the human body and affect metabolism, in particular, cause skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis. Although aluminum is normally excreted in the urine.
In addition, a person can consume quite a large amount of aluminum even without the E173 dietary supplement if he eats from appropriate containers or drinks drinks from aluminum cans. On average, up to 15 mg of aluminum per day is excreted from the human body.
It is worth adding that two more metals are hidden under the food additive numbers E174 and E175 - silver and gold. Both can also be used as dyes
By the way, they are allowed in our country), however, due to their high cost, they are extremely rare.
Borax
This substance, which is a salt based on boron and sodium, is an integral part of the modern chemical industry - it is used in the manufacture of fire extinguishers, glass, detergents, for exterminating insects and treating horse hooves.
So useful thing I couldn’t ignore the food industry, where borax is used as a preservative. True, for some time now it has been banned in the United States due to its adverse effects on health, especially in men. According to research, Borax has negative effects on reproductive function and may even harm an unborn baby.
Borax is still used in other countries. But, basically, only for one product - caviar. So the next time you choose red caviar, try to do without E285 in the composition, although it is used in very small doses.
Sulfur dioxide
This gas has been known to man as a food additive for a very long time - back in Ancient Rome it was used as a
«
wine improver."
Today, sulfur dioxide is used in food industry very widely - they process meat and fruits, add it to drinks, mostly to wine. Also, this additive under the name E220 can often be found in jams and ice cream.
Basics useful property sulfur dioxide is antibacterial, so it is most often used as a preservative.
At the same time, sulfur dioxide is extremely toxic to humans - a slight excess of the daily dose can provoke abdominal pain in chronic patients.
Tolerance to sulfur dioxide greatly depends on the individual properties of each person. Headache after drinking wine occurs precisely because of E220, but only people with impaired stomach acidity suffer from it. Sulfur dioxide also destroys vitamin B1 and can provoke an allergic reaction in asthmatics.
Carmine
This red dye, number E120, is rarely found due to its relatively high cost. However, you can still find it in the supermarket - in meat and fish products, sweets, and carbonated drinks. But whether you will use it after you find out what it is made from is the question.
And carmine is made from dried insects. The female cochineal mealybug, which spends its entire life on a single leaf of the plant, is dried and crushed, after which carminic acid is extracted from it. The next derivative of the process is the red dye.
If you think that this is some exotic way of obtaining a nutritional supplement, then you are mistaken - something else is also obtained from insects.
Shellac
Some music lovers and antique lovers may be familiar with this substance - until the 40s of the last century, it was used to produce gramophone records. Ladies may also be familiar with shellac as a substance used for manicure.
And shellac is a natural resin, which is a waste product of the red beetle that lives in the forests of Southeast Asia.
In addition to plates and manicure products, shellac is also quite popular in the food industry - there it is known under the code E904 and is used as a glazing agent. Vegetables and fruits are coated with shellac so that they retain their bright color longer, candies and other sweets, nuts, coffee beans, and much more.
Of course, additives made from insects undergo deep chemical processing, so there is nothing left directly from them. On the other hand, due to their natural origin, these substances are considered absolutely harmless.
L-cysteine
This amino acid is widely used in baking various baked goods - it makes the dough softer and more viscous. If you eat a donut, loaf, cake or something like that, then most likely you are also consuming the E920 dietary supplement.
Now the question is - do you think there is a nastier way to obtain a nutritional supplement than by processing insects? And here is the answer - L-cysteine is obtained from the processing of human hair. Sometimes, however, bird feathers are used, but more often they use hair, which is usually bought in China.
It is curious that in the United States, conservative activists regularly demand a ban on this food additive, believing that eating it is tantamount to cannibalism. But for Arabs and Jews there is a kosher way to obtain L-cysteine, but it is several times more expensive than usual.
Skatol
The last on this not very pleasant list is skatole - the substance responsible for the characteristic smell of feces. However, nature is very cleverly designed - skatole smells of feces only if there is a lot of it, but if the substance is dissolved, then its smell decomposes into other, more pleasant ones - milky, floral or strawberry.
Therefore, skatole is actively used in the production of flavorings for perfumes, cigarettes and strawberry ice cream.
Bon appetit!
Recent studies on the side effects of dietary supplements have excited the whole world. Now everyone wants to know as much as possible about them.
Many of you like to read the contents of a product before purchasing it. And that's right. If you want to be healthy, watch what you eat. Not everyone wants the products they buy to contain excess sugar, fats and other elements undesirable for health. Everyone has probably found food additives in the list of ingredients listed. What are they for? What are their benefits?
What are dietary supplements?
Nutritional supplements- These are products or chemicals that are added to food to enhance taste and color, and to help it store better. Both MSG ascorbic acid and aspartame are dietary supplements. All canned foods contain substances that contribute to their long-term storage. Despite certain benefits, dietary supplements also have side effects. There are fierce debates about this all over the world. The following information will help you learn more about supplements.
Interesting facts about nutritional supplements
– Many people argue that nutritional supplements do not provide any benefit. This is far from true. As mentioned above, they prevent food from spoiling, improve their color, taste and aroma.
– In all countries there are strict rules for the production of food additives, as a result of which they are completely safe for human health, and it is impossible to be poisoned by them.
– However, long-term consumption of products containing additives can lead to some serious diseases, such as cancer or heart disease.
– Food colors contain coal tar, which is a carcinogen leading to cancer, so products with artificial colors should be avoided.
– Monosodium glutamate is included in almost all products from China, such as soy sauce and others. Although it serves to give foods a special “Chinese” taste, many people associate chest pain, nausea and cramps with its use.
– Side effects of aspartame, sorbitol, nitrites, nitrates and many other additives include abdominal pain, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
– Many baby foods also contain food additives to add color and flavor. Therefore, children who eat large amounts of candy and ice cream may suffer from hyperactivity.
– The myth that all chemical additives must be harmful is not confirmed. Products such as salt, lemon or sugar are also additives, but do not have any side effects.
– Some people may be allergic to certain substances. Moreover, after eating certain foods, they may experience a skin rash, diarrhea, headache, nausea, anxiety, etc.
– Some negative reactions to the consumption of products may not be caused by the presence of food additives in them, but by their expired expiration date. This happens rarely, but nevertheless occurs.
Most side effects are associated with long-term consumption of the same products. This does not mean that they should be banned. You just need to consume processed and packaged foods in moderation, buy fresh vegetables and fruits, cook food at home, and not visit various cafes. If you play it safe in advance, you may be able to avoid various troubles with your health in the future.
Chemist and flavorist Sergei Belkov tells the story.
“Chemical food” is the horror story of our time. People don’t want to eat harmful chemicals, but want to eat healthy ones natural products. But what they mean by this is mostly myths.
When applied to food, chemistry is used today as a dirty word. But chemistry is a fundamental property of our world; everything in the world is made up of chemicals, including man himself. And food is no exception.
The first myth is that there can be food without chemicals. It can't. Chemicals in food - 100%.
Another question is whether these chemicals in food come from nature or are synthesized by humans.
The second myth is that everything natural is beneficial, and everything artificial is harmful. In fact, what is different about what is natural is that it occurs in nature, and that alone.
Natural is not healthy. Here's an example: forest fires are a natural phenomenon, just like death from smallpox, and steam heating is an artificial phenomenon. And which of this is useful and which is harmful?
Another myth is that all kinds of artificial food additives are a recent invention.
The world's first artificial flavor was invented by a man who began to fry meat because the smell fried meat does not exist in nature.
The smell and taste of fried meat is the result of the interaction of substances that exist in raw meat when it is heated. Moreover, chemical interaction. The smell and taste of cheese is also artificial, since cheese does not exist in nature. But man learned to make this product quite a long time ago, and the purpose of creation was not at all to improve the taste, but the desire to preserve the chemicals of milk.
Many plant substances that we tend to think of as beneficial simply because they are natural are actually plant chemical weapons.
They are selected by evolution to cause maximum harm to anyone who wants to eat the plant. Many are poisons. For example, caffeine in a plant acts as an insecticide: it protects it from insects. In general, coffee can safely be considered a mixture of insecticides and flavorings, because the aroma of coffee is, in fact, artificial.
Green coffee has no smell, and the “natural” smell of coffee is the result of artificial chemical reactions that occur in the beans when heated.
What is, for example, vanillin, which we add to all kinds of confectionery products as a natural flavoring? From a chemical point of view, vanillin is an aromatic phenol and an aromatic aldehyde at the same time.
I wouldn't want to eat that.
The famous vanilla pods do not naturally contain vanillin; it appears in them only after ripening and falling. The plant does not need vanillin; its purpose is to protect the seeds from harmful molds and bacteria. This is a substance that protects plants from being eaten, and only by chance did a person like its taste, which does not indicate its usefulness.
The same goes for mustard. The main function of allyl isothiocyanate, to which mustard owes its pungency, is to repel larger insects and herbivores. As such, it does not exist in the plant: it begins to form only when the plant tissue is damaged. Its synthesis is triggered at the moment of damage to leaves or seeds in order to cause maximum damage to the pest.
And only man has learned to eat something that was invented as a toxin and call it healthy. At the same time, calling the same substance obtained by chemical synthesis methods harmful is harmful.
Toxic substances for protection against insects are also contained in cucumber pimples. But the man eats nothing. Almonds and apricots contain a very strong poison, cyanide, hydrocyanic acid. And this does not prevent a person from using them with pleasure.
The molecules that create the orange scent, located in the zest and whose formula is more similar to gasoline than food, serve to protect the juicy pulp and so attract us with their smell.
When talking about food additives, monosodium glutamate is most often mentioned: it is found in bouillon cubes, sausages, and frankfurters. But it is this substance that determines the taste of meat - the so-called umami taste, essentially the taste of protein. This was discovered by the Japanese professor Ikeda and back in 1909 he patented a method for producing it. But long before that, glutamate was the most common chemical molecule in our food. It is this substance that gives the taste to sausage, ham and any other meat products. Glutamate gives tomatoes their flavor, and its concentration increases as the fruit ripens. A red tomato tastes better than a green one partly because it contains more glutamate. Man has only learned to obtain monosodium glutamate by bacteriological synthesis. And this artificial glutamate, according to the atomic-molecular theory, is no different from natural glutamate.
Food additives on product packaging are designated by the letter E with various digital indices. And this letter often scares the consumer.
Although this only means that the product contains strictly defined and tested substances.
Often the same substances are present in large quantities in natural products. For example, an apple contains a much larger set of different E than any finished product. Although, in essence, this is not important: the origin of a substance does not determine its properties.
Cranberries contain more sodium benzoate than is allowed for canning foods.
If cranberries are subject to tolerances for preservative content, they should be banned; they contain an overdose of preservatives.
Why does she need them? To protect yourself, prevent mold and bacteria from eating the berries and seeds. But no one on this planet would think to suspect cranberries of what preserves or drinks are suspected of. On the contrary, many people consume cranberries for their beneficial antimicrobial properties, which, however, are exaggerated.
Parabens (esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid) are also natural substances; plants use them to protect themselves from pests. They are used mainly in cosmetics. And they are also afraid. You can often find advertisements for so-called paraben-free creams. But this is possible, attention, only in three cases: 1) if, instead of safe and proven parabens, some less known and studied preservative is added to the cream; 2) the cream will dry out immediately after opening; 3) the manufacturer is not a fool and still added parabens, but, following fashion, he lied.
Sodium nitrite is another subject of horror stories.
It is very easy to find it in sausages: the fashionable gray sausage does not contain sodium nitrite. But don't buy this kind of sausage.
Before sodium nitrite began to be added to sausage, the so-called sausage disease - botulism - was a fairly common occurrence. The word “Botulism” itself originates from the ancient Roman “sausage”. Sodium nitrite reliably kills the bacteria that produces the deadly toxin. And if we talk about quantities, then 1 kg of spinach or broccoli will give you the same amount of nitrite as 50 kg of doctor's sausage.
Here's a story about caviar, a delicious product that, for a number of reasons, is very susceptible to spoilage. To preserve caviar, the substance urotropine (E 239) was recently used, which has been banned in our country since 2010.
But this is the only preservative that worked in caviar. And now the caviar either goes rotten, or it contains a lot of other preservatives, more than allowed.
Or it is still good and safe, but with prohibited methenamine. Hexamine was banned because it decomposes during storage to form formaldehyde, which is poison. But no one thought about the quantities. Its minuscule amount is formed. And we don’t eat caviar with spoons. In addition, the same amount of formaldehyde that can be obtained from a jar of caviar with methenamine can be obtained by eating one banana.
Another myth is related to the harmfulness of sweeteners, which people who want to lose weight use instead of sugar.
For example, aspartame is a completely understood molecule, with an understandable effect, and there are hundreds of studies confirming its safety.
A very common myth is that “you know what a natural product is, but what you synthesized there is full of impurities! This is complete nonsense. For example, if you compare tarragon grass and flavored soda, then there are more impurities in natural tarragon. At the same time, in soda they all are known, but we don’t know which ones could be formed in the grass. There are much more chemical substances in natural coffee (almost a thousand), and their properties have been studied much less than in artificial coffee flavoring. In total, more than 8 have been found in food products today. thousand Fragrant substances. Of these, about 4 thousand are allowed for use as flavoring agents, their properties have been studied, they are recognized as safe. About a hundred of these substances are prohibited: they turned out to be harmful. And about 4 thousand have never been tested. By consuming the flavoring, you are guaranteed to consume only substances from the tested 4 thousand.
By consuming natural foods, you eat everything: proven safe, untested, and definitely proven harmful.
Finally, lovers of everything natural in the store will choose naturally smoked sausage or ham rather than smoked with liquid smoke. And from a security point of view, they will choose much more dangerous product. There is neither one nor the other best choice from a health point of view. But natural smoke contains many resins, carcinogens, which are released during the production of liquid smoke. In fact, artificial smoking is much safer than natural smoking. It may not be as tasty.
“We want to know the truth about food!” - these are the slogans used by defenders of natural food and opponents of chemical food. It's very cool when a person wants to know the truth. But it’s better to look for this truth not on TV or on women’s forums. And start at least with a textbook on food chemistry.
The truth about food is that all food is made of chemicals. The truth is that if a person makes his own food, then he knows what he makes it from and checks it for safety.
The truth is that food chemistry is also a science that makes our world a better place. And another truth is that by consuming only natural food, relying on nature, you are making a mistake. Nature is not at all obligated to take care of our safety.
The role of chemistry in human life begins with breathing and digestion of food.
All processes occurring in our body are carried out in dissolved form, and water is the universal solvent. Its magical properties once allowed life to arise on Earth, and are now very important.
basis chemical structure a person is the food he consumes. The better and more complete it is, the better the well-coordinated mechanism of life functions.
If there is a lack of any substance in the diet, ongoing processes are inhibited and the body’s functioning is disrupted. Most often, we consider vitamins to be such important substances. But these are the most noticeable substances, the deficiency of which manifests itself quickly. The lack of other components may not be as visible.
For example, vegetarianism has negative aspects associated with the lack of supply of some complete proteins and amino acids contained in them with food. In such a situation, the body cannot synthesize some of its own proteins, which leads to various disorders.
Even table salt must be included in the diet, since its ions help maintain osmotic pressure, are part of the gastric juice, and help the heart function.
With various deviations in the activity of organs and systems, a person first of all turns to a pharmacy, which acts as the main promoter of human achievements in the field of chemistry.
More than 90 percent of the medications displayed on pharmacy shelves are artificially synthesized, even if they are present in nature; today it is easier to create them in a factory from individual components than to grow them in natural conditions. And although many of them have side effect, the positive value from eliminating the disease is much higher.
Attention! Cosmetology is almost entirely built on the achievements of chemists. It allows you to prolong a person’s youth and beauty, while at the same time bringing substantial income to cosmetic companies.
Chemistry is a subject that is known to all schoolchildren. Attitudes towards it vary: some people like to watch how reagents behave during various experiments in the classroom, while for others, on the contrary, chemistry only causes boredom. However, not everyone knows interesting facts about this discipline. Let's look at some of them.
Dancing squid
Chemistry is a subject that finds practical application in various areas of life. One of the interesting facts about chemistry comes from a Japanese dish called “dancing squid.” Its highlight is as follows: freshly caught squid is served to the guest’s table, shortly before pouring soy sauce over it. The squid begins to move its tentacles as if dancing. This effect is due to the fact that in the squid tentacles there is chemical reaction, causing muscles to move.
Skatol
Another interesting fact about chemistry involves a special substance called skatole. This is an organic compound that gives feces its characteristic odor. Its colorless crystals can be found in various essential oils, resins, they are also formed during the decomposition of protein. In small doses, this substance has a pleasant floral aroma. Manufacturers often add it to perfumes, cigarettes, and various food essences. Skatole is even found in food.
Poison in alcohol
And the following interesting fact about chemistry will serve as a warning for those who are prone to drinking alcoholic beverages. They may contain a very dangerous substance, which in taste and smell is practically indistinguishable from ethyl alcohol. This is methyl alcohol. Small amounts of it can cause blindness. A dose of 30 ml can cause cardiac arrest. In case of methyl alcohol poisoning, the antidote to it is ethyl alcohol. This is explained by the fact that the binding processes of both alcohols directly depend on the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. This substance reacts faster with ethanol. As a result of the reaction, the ethanol is exhausted, and most of the methanol remains unbroken, resulting in a smaller amount of poison ending up in the blood.
Rescue Canaries
Many interesting facts about chemistry are also connected with the animal world. For example, it is a widely known fact among miners that canaries are highly sensitive to the smell of methane gas. This feature was always used in the past by mine workers, who always took small birds underground with them. If the canaries stopped singing, this meant that they should immediately go upstairs.
Discovery of antibiotics
Perhaps one of the most famous facts about chemistry is associated with the discovery of antibiotics by A. Fleming in 1928. The scientist conducted one of his ordinary experiments, which were devoted to the human body’s fight against various bacterial infections. He grew cultures called Staphylococcus in test tubes. A scientist accidentally left a test tube with bacteria unattended for several days. At this time, a whole colony of mold fungi grew in it. After this, A. Fleming was able to isolate a separate active substance - penicillin.
Chemistry and food. Food chemistry
Food chemistry is a branch of experimental chemistry that deals with the creation of high-quality food products and analytical methods in the chemistry of food production.
The chemistry of food additives controls their introduction into food products to improve production technology, as well as the structure and organoleptic properties of the product, increase its shelf life, increase nutritional value. These additives include:
The creation of artificial food is also a subject of food chemistry. These are products that are obtained from proteins, amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates, previously isolated from natural raw materials or obtained by directed synthesis from mineral raw materials. They are supplemented with food additives, as well as vitamins, mineral acids, microelements and other substances that give the product not only nutritional value, but also color, smell and the necessary structure. As natural raw materials, secondary raw materials from the meat and dairy industries, seeds, green mass of plants, hydrobionts, and biomass of microorganisms, such as yeast, are used. From these, high molecular weight substances (proteins, polysaccharides) and low molecular weight substances (lipids, sugars, amino acids and others) are isolated using chemical methods. Low molecular weight nutrients are also obtained by microbiological synthesis from sucrose, acetic acid, methanol, hydrocarbons, enzymatic synthesis from precursors and organic synthesis (including asymmetric synthesis for optically active compounds). There are synthetic foods obtained from synthesized substances, for example, diets for therapeutic nutrition, combined products made from natural products with artificial food additives, for example, sausages, minced meat, pates, and food analogues that imitate any natural products, for example, black caviar.
