FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION

1. Ms. NIRUPAMA MAHANTA (M19FN11)
MSc. FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
MOUNT CARMEL COLLEGE, BANGALORE

2. Food additives are all the substances
added(intentionally or unintentionally) to
basic food products
They include anything added during the
production, processing, treatment,
packaging, transport and storage of a food.
Additives described as Generally recognized
as safe(GRAS), mean that they have been
used for many years without any known
adverse effects, for example, salt, sugar and
vinegar.
Introduction

3. COMMONLY USEDFOODADDITIVES:
Antimicrobial agents Emulsifiers
Antioxidants Acids
Colouring agents Preservatives
Bleaching agents pH control agents
Chelating agents Flavour and flavour enhancers
Nutrient supplements Stabilizers and thickeners
Anti caking agents Sweeteners
Leavening agents Glazing agents
Antifoaming agents Curing agents
Bulking agents Humectants
Colour retention agents Propellants

4. Maintain product
consistency
Improve nutritional value
Maintain palatability and
wholesomeness
Provide leavening or
control acidity/alkalinity
Enhance flavour or
impact desired colour
REASONS FOR USING
FOOD ADDITIVES

5. FOOD ADDITIVES AND THEIR EFFECT ON HEALTH:
While some food additives and preservatives provide
nutritional benefits or improve food safety, others -- from
dyes and flavorings to thickeners and whiteners.
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists
hundreds of approved additives, however there are few
clinical studies to show if many of them are safe for human
consumption. The studies that exist are often inadequate to
assess the degree of risks.
The effects of food additives may be immediate or may be
harmful in the long run if one have constant exposure or
accumulations.

6. Some food additives and preservatives have been shown to
have side effects in human and animal model.
Frequently added to
processed meats like
bacon, ham, sausages
and hot dogs.
Function
as preservatives,
helping to prevent the
growth of harmful
bacteria. They also
add a salty flavour
and improve the
appearance of
the meat products.
The nitrate binds to
hemoglobin, and
results in chemically-
altered hemoglobin
(methemoglobin) that
impairs oxygen
delivery to tissues,
resulting in the blue
color of the skin
Exposure to higher
levels has been
associated with
increased incidence of
cancer in adults, and
possible increased
incidence of brain
tumors, leukemia, and
nasopharyngeal (nose
and throat) tumors in
children in some
studies
•Also results in
intrauterine growth
retardation
increased incidence
of Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome
(SIDS) and cardiac
defects
NITRITES AND NITRATES

7. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
BHA/BHT is may be carcinogenic to
humans. BHA also interacts with
nitrites to form chemicals known to
cause changes in the DNA of cells.
It can cause allergic reactions,
hyperactivity and it may be toxic to
the nervous system and the liver.
Particularly found in fat containing
foods, confectionery, meats.

8. Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• MSG is used in the food industry as
a flavor enhancer with an umami taste that
intensifies the meaty, savory flavor of food.
• It is commonly used in Processed foods &
drinks, soup mixes.
• Destroys nerve cells in brain and linked with
aggravating or accelerating Huntington's,
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Causes
cancer, DNA damage and foetal abnormalities in
animals, Increases hyperactivity.

10. Annatto
• Annatto is safe for most people when
used in small amounts; however, it
can cause rare allergic reaction for
those who are sensitive to it .
• It has been linked to cases of food-
related allergies.
• Annatto has accounted for 40 years
of irritable bowel syndrome due to
unrecognized sensitivity to annatto
(Floch, 2009).
• Annatto dye is a potential rare cause
of anaphylaxis (Stein, 2009).

11. • Headaches are the common symptom that is being reported by
consumers.
• One study confirmed that individuals with self-reported headaches
after the ingestion of aspartame were indeed susceptible to
headaches due to aspartame. Three randomized double blind,
placebo-controlled studies with more than 200 adult migraine
sufferers showed that headaches were more frequent and more
severe in the aspartame-treated group.
• Depression: In a study of the effect of aspartame on 40 patients
with depression, the study was cut short due to the severity of
reactions within the first 13 patients tested. The outcome showed
that individuals with mood disorders were particularly sensitive to
aspartame and recommended that it be avoided by them (Kovacs,
2011).
Artificial Sweeteners

12. Conclusion
Food additives play a vital role in the food industries, but the
various adverse effects associated with them remain a
problem.
The various regulating agencies should ensure that it is only
those food additives which are generally recognized as safe
(GRAS) that is added to foods.
All food additives that are not generally recognized as safe
(Non GRAS) must not exceed the acceptable Daily Intakes
(ADIs)

13. References
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277714512_EFFECTS_OF_FOOD_ADDITIVES_AND_PRE
SERVATIVES_ON_MAN-A_REVIEW
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/common-food-additives-and-chemicals-harmful-to-children-
2018072414326
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6298598/
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10942912.2017.1295260?needAccess=true
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2802046/pdf/ijcem0002-0329.pdf
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5938543/pdf/EXCLI-17-273.pdf