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Food Chemistry: Role of Additives, Preservatives, and Adulteration

Mousumi Sen

Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Food is one of the most important substances for survival, it contains all the components that are required for nutrition to maintain a healthy life. Nowadays, due to tremendous advancement, synthetic and natural supplements are added to food items and beverages in huge amount. The synthetic or artificial colors need a strong accreditation from the administrative bodies for their consumption [1-4].

When color preservatives overshoot the sanctioned limit it gradually causes hyperactivity in children. It is mandatory to oversee food quality and the supplements being added to the food for consumption. Also, natural color is rapidly being replaced with artificial or synthetic colors [5].

It is very crucial and critical to understand the effects of each preservation methods and their handling procedure on various foods because each step of storage, handling, processing, and distribution affects the various characteristics of food which could be desirable/undesirable.

Adulteration of food is a demonstration of deliberately corrupting the nature of nourishment offered available to be purchased either by the admixture or substitution of second rate substances and which antagonistically influence nature of food sources, yet in addition their coincidental pollution during the time of development, reaping, capacity, preparing, transport, and dispersion [6-8].

Keywords: Synthetic and natural supplements, artificial colors, food colors, chemical food preservation, sophisticated techniques, adulteration of food, health hazards, pollution

1.1 Introduction

Food colors are basically the supplements that are called as pigments or dyes. When these supplements are added to the food, these improve color of the eatables. These type of color supplements are basically increased within the food just to overcome the color loss that is caused due to the prolong storage conditions. These additives also provide color to the colorless food that makes them more attractive [9]. Food colorants are being added to food in one or another form since many years. Food color plays an eminent role in today's scenario.

Colorant are different from one another on the basis of their chemical properties and physical properties such as structure, sources, and usage purpose. Colorants are usually added to processed food such as candies, snacks, margarine, cheese, soft drinks, jam/jelly, gelatin, pudding, and pastry fillings [10, 14]. It is known that in medieval ages nitrate was used to enhance the color of meat and to prevent botulism apart from salt and smoke that were used as preservatives.

Food colorants were used by Egyptians in 400 BC to regulate the color of wine and confectionery products. Around the mid-1800 some of the natural colorants added to food were vegetable-derived products such as saffron, carrot, mulberry and flower, various animal originated pigments, and minerals from copper and iron. Around the end of 19th century, the first synthetic dye obtained from organic coal tar was used in butter and cheese [11, 13]. It has been reported that food colorants were used in Europe during the Bronze age.

1.2 Categories of Food Colors

Food colors are classified into three categories:

• ? Natural colors: Natural colors are the pigments that are made by living organisms. For example: beetroot extract, lutein, and annatto.
• ? Nature-identical colors: Nature-identical colors are the manmade pigments which are basically found in nature. For example: beta-carotene and canthaxanthin.
• ? Artificial colors: Artificial colors are purely man-made colors. For example: allura red, and brilliant blue.

1.3 Natural Colors Are Best Over Artificial Colors

Artificial food coloring causes many ill effects mainly to the health. Some of them are mentioned below:

• ? The major effect caused is the behavioral problems especially in children.
• ? Depression in youth is observed on a large scale.
• ? Food allergies and food poisoning are quite common.
• ? Headaches and migraines in people are also seen.

1.4 Classification of Food Colorants

1.4.1 Natural Colorants

Natural food colorants are used worldwide, are known to have significant benefits when consumed, and are demanded by people for their reliability, functionality, biological potential, and health effects [12]. Many consumers associate good and natural looking food and drinks with high quality while they think the other way around when it comes to faded and artificial shining products. In addition, the production of colorants from known sources such as beetroot, grape, cabbage, and paprika makes the consumer feel safe and makes it easier to familiarize and accept the product. Natural colorants are less stable to heat, light, or pH, and their production is inadequate to meet industrial demand. Chemical classification of natural colorants is shown in Table 1.1 [17, 18].

They quickly fade when exposed to light and show low resistance to acidity and high temperature. For example, annatto turns to pink from yellow at low pH and chlorophyll turns to brown from green. This makes natural origin colorants more expensive. For example, natural red and yellow colorants may cost 100 times more than synthetic products with the same effect. Natural coloring matters are synthesized by plant and animal organisms or microorganisms and they naturally exist in them. The most notable colorants obtained from animal sources are Natural Sepia (Cuttle fish), Crimson (Kermes Lotus), and Tyrian purple (Murexshellfish).

We all need food to survive and to maintain our health and as the population is increasing day by day, demand for food is also increasing. In modern days, consumer wants good food with appropriate quality, taste, and safety. For these improvements and increasing demand of food, food additives are required in our daily food for good quality to fulfil the demands of consumers. Ingredients or substance that added in a food for processing, preserve, or storage is called food additives. Food additives are of little or no nutritive values and it includes food coloring agents, flavoring substance, and food preservatives. Food additives are also used for enhancing the taste and appearance.

Table 1.1 Chemical classification of natural colorants.

As we all need food for living and for good health, but the demand of food is increases with increasing population day by day. In modern days, consumer wants food with increasing standard of quality, taste, and safety. For this improvement, we added food additives in our daily food for good quality. So, when food is manufacture, it has to face many challenges which can be technologically fascinating.

Food additives are used to prevent from spoiling and it also prevents the growth of bacteria, yeast, in food. The most commonly used additives are salt and sugar. Other examples of additives are ammonium carbonates, sodium nitrates, white sugar, potassium bromate, sodium benzoate, etc.

As with the time, people's lifestyle changes, and nowadays, most of the people depends on the factory made food (also called processed food) rather than the homemade food. So, the factory made food should be balance its taste, appearance, texture, and its safety. The processed food should remain safe for long time after it has been made [15, 16]. The important roles of additives in our food are as follows:

1. 1. For improving quality of food, for example, preservatives.
2. 2. For giving the texture and consistency, for example, gelling and emulsifier.
3. 3. For improving the nutritional value in food, for example, sweeteners.
4. 4. For improving the flavor and taste, for example, acidulants and flavoring.
5. 5. For preserving the food from different types of bacteria or fungi, etc.

All additives are assigned by European wide basis. European wide regulates and controls the use of additives in food. All food additives are tested and must be shown to be safe before food manufacture able to use them. Food preservatives are a part of food additives as they come under the category of food additives. For example, chips packet are not completely filled up with chips but also contains almost half the packet of gas which is nitrogen gas used for preserving the chips. Table 1.2 shows the common color and associated food [20-25].

Table 1.2 Common color and associated food.