Food additives are artificially synthesized or natural substances added to food in order to improve or maintain the color, aroma and taste of food, and increase or inhibit the growth of microorganisms during food processing. It is generally believed that it is legal to add some additives to food, but many people also have misunderstandings about additives. Recently, a man in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA was found dead in a convenience store. After investigation, it was confirmed that he died of eating fried dough sticks containing chemical additives. This is the first time in American history that a person died from eating a large amount of food that adds chemicals. It is understood that there have been many incidents of suffocation deaths caused by chemicals sold on supermarket shelves in the United States. Adding additives to food is a safe and healthy guarantee, but chemical synthetic compounds that endanger human health and safety cannot be ignored.
1. Preservative
Preservative is a type of chemical synthetic compound that prevents food from being contaminated by microorganisms. The preservatives added to food can inhibit microbial reproduction and prevent rot or deterioration. Commonly used preservatives include sorbic acid , benzoic acid , potassium magnesium sorbate, etc. Generally speaking, preservatives are artificially synthesized, which can extend the shelf life of food or inhibit bacterial reproduction, but the preservatives themselves are also toxic and will not have a direct impact on human health. The Ministry of Health of my country has announced that there are 4 types of sodium benzoate in the list of foods. If you eat foods with excessive preservatives for a long time, it may cause food poisoning. Excessive intake of preservatives can also cause damage to the body.
1, sodium benzoate
is a food preservative and preservative, and is also one of the three most widely used preservatives. Sodium benzoate can accumulate in the human body and cause toxic poisoning. Sodium benzoate is currently known to accumulate the most in the human body. It has strong carcinogenicity and antioxidant effects, but long-term excessive consumption may lead to kidney damage. The metabolic pathway of sodium terebenzoate in the human body is excreted from the urine and intake into the body. Therefore, long-term excessive intake of sodium benzoate may lead to damage to the urinary system.
2, Potassium sorbate
Potassium sorbate, also known as potassium sorbate sodium, is a low-toxic preservative with certain preservative effects. Potassium sorbate is mainly used for anticorrosion and sealing of products such as pastries and biscuits. A U.S. trial conducted in nearly 3,000 adults and children in 12 countries showed that potassium sorbate inhibits the growth and reproduction of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. my country officially implemented the national standards for the new generation of seasoning milk and seasoning sauce starting from May 1, 2006, which clearly stipulates that this additive and pigments such as , lemon yellow, , carmine and other pigments shall not be used on dough products at the same time. Therefore, most of the quick-frozen dumplings on the market also use potassium sorbate preservatives.
3, Magnesium sorbate
Potassium magnesium sorbate is a high-efficiency and low-toxic substance, non-toxic and harmless to the human body. At present, potassium magnesium sorbate is allowed to be used in various foods such as fruits, vegetables, candies, beverages, candies, pastries, etc. Hazards: It is mildly toxic, which can cause skin and mucosa irritation, diarrhea and constipation; it can occasionally cause oral mucosa bleeding, redness or ulcers; if excessive intake is consumed, symptoms of nerve allergies may occur or lead to gastrointestinal bleeding or ulcers; long-term excessive intake will cause damage to human health and even cause cancer. After the human body consumes it excessively, if it cannot be metabolized out of the body as time goes by, it will cause excessive burden on the liver and kidneys. Long-term intake of foods with excess potassium magnesium sorbate may cause harm to human health. In addition, potassium magnesium sorbate has strong water absorption and strong ability to dissolve in water, which can cause water to evaporate rapidly. Long-term large intake is not conducive to human health.
4, other
aflatoxin B1 is a strong carcinogen, found in various grains and vegetables; malondialdehyde : an organic acid that can also form a very toxic substance in animals.Long-term consumption of foods with excess aflatoxin B1 will cause damage to human health; nitrosamine is a carcinogen. Long-term consumption of fruit products with excess nitrosamine content will increase the chance of gastric cancer , esophageal cancer and colon cancer ; chondroitin sulfate is a carcinogenic substance, and long-term existence in animals will also lead to chronic poisoning and death. Nitrosamines and their derivatives have been listed as a class I carcinogen by World Health Organization . sodium nitrite can also be used as a reducing agent and other purposes.
2. The harm of food additives such as pigments and flavors
It is legal to use pigments in food, but many people regard food coloring and flavors as a food additive. However, pigments and flavors are very harmful. For example, containing too much food coloring can cause great harm to the liver and kidneys of the human liver and kidneys. Moreover, the main components of pigments and flavors are hydrochloric acid and nitrosamines contained in sodium metabisulfite and edible salts. This type of carcinogen can cause great damage to the kidneys and brain. Moreover, some people may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea after eating pigment. Some pigments are also toxic in themselves and cause damage to liver and kidney functions. Food coloring and flavors will have a great impact on the normal metabolism of the human body and may also have an impact on the body's immune system.
1. Normal metabolism of the human body
In our daily life, we often say that people are made of water. In fact, there is also a difference between water and the minerals contained in food. For example, carbohydrate mainly has sugar and fat. Carbohydrates are mainly obtained through food (especially starch, cellulose, etc.). Fat is mainly converted into energy substances through lipase decomposition (the main product of fat metabolism is triglyceride ). For example, the energy substances required by the human body are obtained through glucose as glycogen. But after glucose is metabolized, it will be converted into glucose. Glucose is what people call sugar in daily life, which can be used well by the human body, but it is also an energy substance. The carbohydrates we eat in our daily lives are obtained directly from food by the human body, and there is no need to supplement the carbohydrates.
2, natural food nutritional value
There are many vitamins in natural foods, such as vitamin B1, , vitamin B2, vitamin C and niacin. They can promote the absorption of calcium and the formation of bone mass, and have a good promotion effect on the growth and development of children and the elderly. They are easy to be absorbed by the human body, which can meet the needs of various nutrients and are conducive to preventing osteoporosis , anemia and other problems. Vitamin A can improve people's vision and radiation resistance, and has a good protective effect on the eyes; it can also prevent night blindness. Vitamin E has a good antioxidant effect and can remove free radical and carcinogen nitrosamines, etc. that are harmful to the body in the human body; vitamin B can prevent oral ulcers, cheilitis, and other diseases. Niacin has a good health care effect on human health and can inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the body. Vitamin C not only protects the cell membrane from damage caused by external stimulation, but also enhances the body's immunity and promotes the regeneration of red blood cells and . Vitamin B2 can prevent the body from oxidative stress response to iron and the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia ; vitamin B6 has a good effect on brain development; vitamin B6 can also promote the excretion of metabolic products in the body - acetaldehyde ; vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 are effective substances that prevent cancer and nerve damage; vitamin B6 can also effectively promote iron metabolism and absorption.
3. Eating natural foods is more harmful to the body
Nowadays, many people do not pay much attention to health, especially many people believe that natural foods are safe without any additives and can be eaten with confidence. But in fact, natural foods are more harmful to the body than chemical additives. For example: Some merchants use sulfur when producing sausages, and sulfur will cause the protein in the sausage to solidify. If you eat sausages with excessive sulfur content for a long time, it will not only harm liver health, but also cause skin cancer and diseases.Some chemical additives contain aflatoxin . Aflatoxin is a toxin with strong carcinogenicity and has great damage to the liver. Moreover, aflatoxin is also a strong carcinogen. Aflatoxin is a product of supercritical extraction.
3. Long-term intake of harmful substances produced in food will damage the liver
Additives generally have toxic side effects and have certain effects on human health. Therefore, people should reduce the damage to the liver due to consumption in their daily lives. Studies have found that after the human body consumes too much additives, liver function will be affected to a certain extent. Under normal circumstances, the liver is a "purification" system that can expel some toxic substances from the body and expel them from the body. However, if too much or exceeds a certain dose, it will cause liver function damage, and this process will also increase the content of other harmful substances in the human body. At present, my country's research and regulations on food additives have been relatively complete, but there are still some problems. These include a wide variety of food additives, insufficient addition amount, and an impact on human health.
1, there are many types of food additives
At present, there are many types of food additives in my country, mainly including preservatives, thickeners, sweeteners, colorants, antioxidants, fragrance substances, pigments, etc. Among them, preservatives and sweeteners are common food additives. Preservatives can make food have antiseptic effects and have antioxidant ability; sweeteners can increase the taste of food and improve consumers' taste; aroma substances can make food rich in fragrance. However, in real life, some consumers do not pay attention to eating these substances reasonably; in addition, these chemical substances will also produce a series of chemical reactions in the human body. Therefore, we must pay attention to the rational use of these food additives to ensure healthy and safe consumption.
2. The dosage of food additives is not strictly sufficient
In the actual production process, due to the influence of people's understanding and awareness, many people do not have a good understanding of the relevant knowledge of food additives. Therefore, in order to increase the taste and nutritional content of the food, they will buy some food additives and put them in the food and eat them. However, it may cause harm to human health after consumption, so the state stipulates that the amount of food additives should not be too relaxed. In addition, most foods need to add a lot of additives of different colors to make the food look better during the production process. Therefore, if too much food additive is added during the processing process, it is easy to cause lighter food color and worse taste. Therefore, in order to enable consumers to eat better food, they should reduce their understanding of the types of dietary additives and the amount of food added.
3, excessive use of additives
In my country, many food factories produce foods will add preservatives, thickeners, colorants, etc. to the ingredients. This is mainly to prevent food from spoiling and extending its shelf life; some food factories will add various essential oils to make the food look more attractive. However, adding preservatives is not a good thing for the human body, because preservatives will have a certain impact on the human body after being added to food. In addition, since my country now prohibits the use of food spices and some food additives, this causes consumers to not know how to choose a product that suits their taste buds. In this case, this can be avoided by cooking correctly.
4. Reasons for bad merchants to abuse food additives
In order to improve product quality and food safety, some food companies use some artificial synthetic or natural food additives to improve product quality and food safety, and to reduce costs. However, since my country's relevant laws and regulations do not clearly stipulate food additives, some companies add them at will in order to pursue profits, and some companies even do not allow food additives to enter the workshop, resulting in the occurrence of these abuses of food additives.Another reason and important role: Abuse of food additives in the production of the food industry is a serious phenomenon. In order to increase product quality and make huge profits, many bad merchants not only add food additives without restraint, but also abuse food additives to food processing and production. For example, using saccharin mixed with honey to make candied fruit, saccharin to synthesize juice beverages, etc.; using preservatives such as sorbic acid for beverages and other food preservatives; also using nitrite to pretend to be chicken essence and white sugar to produce fake honey, etc.; and using saccharin instead of saccharin for bread puffing, etc. Since my country has not issued corresponding laws and regulations to restrict these behaviors of , the abuse of food additives in the market often occurs. At present, there are 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in my country, and 23 provinces, autonomous regions have formulated relevant regulations on prohibiting or restricting the use of food additives.
1. Clearly stipulate the types of food additives that are prohibited or restricted
my country has classified food additives that are prohibited. For example, 7 of the 11 restricted preservatives are nitrites. Nitrite is an acidic preservative that can form complexes or ion precipitation with calcium ions in food, causing chemical changes in calcium ions and chloride in food, causing food to lose its original nutritional value, and at the same time causing the human body to intake excessive nitrites may also cause carcinogenic effects on the human body. Since 2000, my country has implemented new standards for adjusting and stopping the use of edible vegetable oils. The new national standard implemented on November 1, 2004 has changed its name from "edible vegetable oil" to "edible vegetable oil" or "edible blended oil"; reduced its maximum usage from the original 500 mg/kg to 50 mg/kg; reduced its dosage range from 20-50 mg per kilogram to 10 mg/kg; clearly stipulated the substances and range and dosage prohibited from adding vegetable oil; stipulated that the total amount of vegetable oil is limited to the control.
2. Formulating the " Food Additives Standards " and strictly implementing relevant national product standards are important means to ensure safety
Food Additives usage standards play an important role in ensuring the safety of food additives used in compliance with regulations and protecting consumer rights. At present, my country has not formulated national standards for these additives separately. In order to effectively manage such additives, the state has issued corresponding laws and regulations, national standards and product standards to regulate the use of food additives. The " Food Hygiene Standard " and other relevant policy documents issued by the Ministry of Health also require the prohibition of production, sales and use of the state to cancel or restrict production (including those that have been approved for production of food but added to other foods without approval, not included in the "Catalogue" of the Ministry of Health and the "National Management Catalog" but not approved by the State Council's health administrative department, and are not included in other items after approval, and are not included in the "blacklist" published by the Ministry of Health), and use of food additives according to strict standards. my country has formulated and stipulated a product standard system that strictly controls food safety risks. These product standards are important means to protect the people's food safety, protect consumers' rights and interests, and maintain social harmony and stability. Only by strictly implementing these product standards can the occurrence of "toxic steamed buns" and "toxic milk powder" incidents be avoided.
3. Clearly stipulate the scope of prohibition and restriction of food additives
Due to the lack of effective regulatory measures, some bad merchants have abused food additives. Therefore, the Ministry of Health officially promulgated and implemented the "Hygiene Management Measures for the Health of Food Additives " (Ministry of Health Order No. 30), and issued comprehensive restrictions on various types of food additives. Its scope includes: First, it is prohibited to use various pigments and sweeteners such as sorbic acid, saccharin sodium in fruits, vegetables and other grain processing products; second, it is limited to the use of nitrite, borax , bleach, sodium benzoate, preservatives, colorants and other food additives that may cause harm to human health, and stipulate corresponding limit standards or prohibited ranges.The clearly stipulated substances are: First, it is prohibited to use lemon yellow, carmine red, saccharin sodium, etc. for bread puffing production; second, it is prohibited to use artificial synthetic preservatives and dyes for other food production and processing processes such as beverages; third, it is prohibited to use sorbic acid and other preservatives for beverages; fourth, it is prohibited to use saccharin instead of sucrose as the sodium saccharin used to produce beverages contains preservatives; fifth, it is prohibited to use saccharin sodium, etc. to produce white sugar and other substances; sixth, it is prohibited to add the above substances in other food processing processes; seventh, it is prohibited to use nitrite to pretend to be chicken essence, white sugar and other food and drug additives. In addition, the Ministry of Health also requires local governments to formulate strict management measures for food and drug additives that do not use or restrict the use of pigments, preservatives and colorants in their regions, or can be used within the scope of permitted use.
