Interesting facts about nutrients. What do food additives hide under the letter E. What is a food additive
Chemist - flavorist Sergei Protein reports.
"Chemical food" is a horror story of our time. People do not want to eat harmful chemicals, but they want to eat healthy natural foods. But what they mean by this is mostly myths.
With regard to food, chemistry is used today as a curse. But chemistry is a fundamental property of our world, everything in the world, including man himself, consists of chemicals. And food is no exception.
The first myth is that there can be food without chemicals. Can not. Chemistry in food - 100%.
Another question is whether these chemical substances in food from nature or synthesized by humans.
The second myth is that everything natural is useful, and artificial is harmful. In fact, natural differs only in that it is found in nature, and only in this.
Natural is not useful. 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 of 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, the 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 to preserve the chemical substances of milk.
Many plant substances that we tend to regard as beneficial simply because they are natural are actually plant chemical weapons.
They have been 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 be safely considered a mixture of insecticides and flavors, because the aroma of coffee is, in fact, artificial.
Green coffee does not smell, and the "natural" smell of coffee is the result of artificial chemical reactions occurring in the beans when heated.
And what, for example, is vanillin, which we add to all kinds of confectionery products as a natural flavoring agent? 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.
There is no vanillin in the famous vanilla pods by nature, it appears in them only after ripening and falling off. 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 mean its usefulness.
The same is with mustard. The main function of allyl isothiocyanate, to which mustard owes its pungency, is to scare away insects and larger herbivores. As such, it is not in the plant: it begins to form only when the tissues of the plant are damaged. Its synthesis starts at the moment of damage to leaves or seeds in order to cause maximum damage to the pest.
And only a person has learned to eat what is invented as a toxin, and call it useful. At the same time, the same substance obtained by methods of chemical synthesis is called harmful.
Cucumber pimples also contain toxic insect repellents. A man, nothing, eats. 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 scent of orange, located in the peel and in their formula more like gasoline than food, serve to protect the juicy pulp and so attract us with their scent.
Talking about food additives, the most often mentioned is monosodium glutamate: it is found in bouillon cubes, and in sausages and sausages. But it is this substance that determines the taste of meat - the so-called umami taste, in fact, the taste of protein. This was discovered by the Japanese professor ikeda, and back in 1909 he patented a method for its preparation. But long before that, glutamate was the most abundant chemical molecule in our food. It is this substance that gives the taste to sausages, ham and any other meat products. Glutamate gives the tomato flavor and its concentration increases as the fruit ripens. Red tomatoes are tastier than green tomatoes, in part because they contain more glutamate. Man has just learned to obtain monosodium glutamate by the method of bacteriological synthesis. And this artificial glutamate, according to the atomic - molecular theory, is no different from natural.
Food additives on the product packaging are marked with the letter E with various numerical 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 found in large quantities in natural products. For example, an apple has a much larger set of different E than any finished product... Although, in fact, this is not important: the origin of a substance does not determine its properties.
Cranberries contain more sodium benzoate than are allowed in food canning.
If cranberries are driven out according to the tolerances for the content of preservatives, it should be banned, there is an overdose of preservatives in it.
What does she need them for? To protect yourself, prevent mold and bacteria from eating berries and seeds. But no one on this planet would guess to suspect cranberries in what preserves or drinks are suspected of. On the contrary, many people consume cranberries because of 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 mainly used in cosmetics. And they are also afraid. You can often find advertisements for the so-called paraben-free cream. But this is possible, attention, only in three cases: 1) if, instead of safe and proven parabens, some less well-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 nevertheless added parabens, but, following the fashion, he lied.
Sodium nitrite is another horror story.
It is very easy to find it in sausages: the trendy gray sausage does not contain sodium nitrite. But don't buy this kind of sausage.
Before sodium nitrite was added to sausages, the so-called sausage disease - botulism - was a fairly common occurrence. The very word "botulism" originates from the ancient Roman "sausage". Sodium nitrite reliably kills the deadly toxin-producing bacteria. 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.
And here is the story about caviar, a delicacy product that, for a number of reasons, is very susceptible to spoilage. For the preservation of 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 the caviar. And now the caviar is either rotting out, or there are many other preservatives in it, more than allowed.
Or it is still good and safe, but with the prohibited urotropin. Urotropine was banned because it decomposes during storage with the formation of formaldehyde, which is poison. But nobody thought about quantities. Its minuscule is formed. And we don't eat caviar with spoons. In addition, the same amount of formaldehyde that can be obtained with a jar of caviar with urotropin can be obtained by eating one banana.
Another myth is related to the harmfulness of sweeteners that people who want to lose weight use instead of sugar.
For example, aspartame is a completely understandable molecule with understandable effects, and there are hundreds of studies supporting its safety.
A very common myth is that "you know what a natural product is, and what you synthesized there are solid impurities! This is complete nonsense. For example, if we compare tarragon herb and soda on flavors, then natural tarragon contains more impurities. all are known, but in the grass we do not know what could have been formed.In natural coffee there are much more chemicals (almost a thousand), and their properties have been studied much less than in an artificial coffee flavor. Thousands of fragrant substances. About 4 thousand of them are approved for use as flavorings, their properties have been studied, they are recognized as safe. About a hundred of such substances are prohibited: they turned out to be harmful. And about 4 thousand more. No test has ever passed. Thus By consuming a flavoring agent, you are guaranteed to consume only substances from the proven 4 thousand.
Consuming natural, you eat everything: both proven safe and untested, and necessarily tested harmful.
Finally, lovers of everything natural in the store will choose a naturally smoked sausage or ham, rather than smoked with liquid smoke. And from the point of view of safety, they will choose a much more dangerous product. Neither one nor the other is the best choice in terms of health. But natural smoke contains many tar, carcinogens, which are separated during the production of liquid smoke. In fact, artificial smoking is much safer than natural smoking. Even if it is not so tasty.
“We want to know the truth about food!” - these are the slogans advocated by the defenders of natural food and opponents of chemical food. It's great when a person wants to know the truth. Only now it is better to look for this truth not on TV or on women's forums. And start with a textbook on food chemistry.
The truth about food is that all food is chemistry. The truth is that if a person makes food himself, then he knows what he makes it from and checks it for safety.
The truth is, 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 has absolutely no obligation to take care of our safety.
The role of chemistry in human life begins with breathing and digesting food.
All processes occurring in our body are carried out in a dissolved form, and water acts as a universal solvent. Its magical properties once allowed life to arise on Earth, and are now very important.
The basis of the chemical structure of a person is the food that he consumes. The better and more complete it is, the better the well-coordinated mechanism of life works.
With a lack of any substance in the diet, the ongoing processes are inhibited, and the body's work is disrupted. Most often, such important substances we count vitamins. But these are the most noticeable substances, the lack of which manifests itself quickly. The lack of other components may not be as visible.
For example, vegetarianism has negative sides associated with the lack of food certain complete proteins and amino acids contained in them. In such a situation, the body cannot synthesize some of its own proteins, which leads to various disorders.
Even table salt must necessarily be included in the diet, since its ions help to maintain osmotic pressure, are part of the gastric juice, and help the heart.
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 the achievements of mankind in the field of chemistry.
More than 90 percent of the medicines displayed on the shelves of pharmacies 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 into natural conditions... And although many of them have side effects, the positive value from eliminating the disease is much higher.
Attention! Cosmetology is almost entirely based on the achievements of chemists. It allows you to prolong the youth and beauty of a person, while at the same time bringing substantial incomes to cosmetic companies.
Chemistry is a subject that is known to all students. The attitude towards him is different: some like to observe how the reagents behave during various experiments in the lesson, while for others, on the contrary, chemistry only causes boredom. However, not everyone knows interesting facts about this discipline. Let's take a look at some of them.
Dancing squid
Chemistry is a subject that finds practical application in a wide variety of areas of life. One of interesting facts about chemistry associated with a Japanese dish called "dancing squid". Its zest is as follows: freshly caught squid is served on the guest's table, shortly before that it has been poured with soy sauce. The squid begins to wiggle its tentacles, as if dancing. This effect is due to the fact that a chemical reaction occurs in the tentacles of the squid, forcing the muscles to move.
Skatole
Another interesting fact about chemistry is related to a special substance called skatole. It is an organic compound that gives the faeces its characteristic odor. Its colorless crystals can be found in various essential oils, resins, and they are also formed during the breakdown of protein. In small doses, this substance has a pleasant floral aroma. Manufacturers often add it to perfumes, cigarettes, and a variety of food essences. Skatole is even found in food.
Poison in alcohol
And the next interesting fact about chemistry will serve as a warning for those who are prone to drinking. They may contain a very dangerous substance that is practically indistinguishable from ethyl alcohol in taste and smell. This is methyl alcohol. A small amount of it can lead to blindness. A dose of 30 ml can cause cardiac arrest. In case of poisoning methyl alcohol the antidote to it is ethyl alcohol. This is due to the fact that the binding processes of both alcohol are directly dependent on the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. This substance reacts faster with ethanol. As a result of the reaction, ethanol is depleted, and most of the methanol remains unbroken, as a result of which a smaller amount of poison is in the blood.
Canary rescuers
A lot of interesting facts about chemistry are associated with the animal world. For example, it is widely known among miners that canaries are highly sensitive to the smell of methane gas. This feature has always been used by mine workers in the past, who always took small birds with them underground. In the event that the canaries stopped singing, this meant that you should immediately go upstairs.
The discovery of antibiotics
Perhaps one of the most known facts on 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 struggle of the human body against various bacterial infections. In test tubes, he grew a culture called Staphylococcus. For several days, the scientist accidentally left the test tube with bacteria unattended. At this time, a whole colony of molds grew in it. After that A. Fleming was able to single out a separate active substance- penicillin.
Chemistry and food. Food chemistry
Food chemistry is a section of experimental chemistry that deals with the creation of high-quality food products and methods of analysis in the chemistry of food production.
The chemistry of food additives controls their introduction into food products to improve the 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, trace elements and other substances that give the product not only nutritional value, but also color, smell and the necessary structure. Secondary raw materials from the meat and dairy industries, seeds, green mass of plants, hydrobionts, and biomass of microorganisms, such as yeast, are used as natural raw materials. High-molecular substances (proteins, polysaccharides) and low-molecular substances (lipids, sugars, amino acids and others) are isolated from them by means of chemistry. 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). Distinguish between synthetic food obtained from synthesized substances, for example, diets for therapeutic nutrition, combined products from natural products with artificial food additives, for example, sausages, sausages, minced meat, pates, and analogues food products imitating any natural products, such as caviar.
Video Chemistry and Our Food
V Food Industry various additives have always been used, but until 1953, manufacturers honestly informed buyers about all the ingredients of the product. But after the European Commission on Additives proposed a lettering system using the E code, the composition of convenience foods, sausages, sweets and more in our diet has become something of a secret.
Hence the fear of buyers: is there something dangerous to health hidden under the next designation with the letter E? Let's try to find the truth and find out which food additives should be excluded from the family menu.
By themselves, food additives do not affect the human body
harmful influence, scientists say. However, they warn that
ingredients marked E, reacting with other substances
in the body can have unpredictable effects on our health.
Dangerous food additives for children
The child's body is less protected from harmful external influences. Therefore, it is important for parents to carefully monitor the quality of the products that make up the baby's menu. And if the child is already eating adult food, you need to know that some of the supplements with the E index are not recommended in baby food.
E330 - citric acid, which is a part of many beloved carbonated drinks, when consumed, provokes the secretion of gastric juice and can lead to the development of gastritis.
E951 - aspartame, an artificial sugar substitute, is used in the production of many sweets. However, there is speculation that this dietary supplement contributes to the development of a genetic mutation leading to a rare disease - phenylketonuria.
E216 and E217 - propyl ether and sodium salt. These preservatives are found in filled chocolates, candies and, if consumed in excess, can cause foodborne illness.
E102 - TARTRAZINE A dye that is used in the manufacture of confectionery, candy and ice cream. However, tartrazine can cause food allergies.
E400-499 - thickeners, stabilizers to increase the viscosity of food. They are used for making yoghurts. Potential consequences of abuse of this dietary supplement can be diseases of the digestive tract.
Dangerous dietary supplements for women
Pregnant women and nursing mothers are advised to stick to a diet. However, even foods that are allowed while waiting or breastfeeding should be passed through the "sieve" of food additives. The fact is that some of them are capable of doing harm as women's health, and for children. Here are some examples.
E957 - Thaumatin. Officially, its use in the food industry is prohibited, but the risk of acquiring counterfeit products still exists. Therefore, it is worth remembering: E-957 disrupts the hormonal balance.
E128 - red dye Red 2G with a carcinogenic effect, used in the production of sausages. Able to lead to anomalies in the development of the fetus during pregnancy and congenital abnormalities.
E250 - sodium nitrite - dye, seasoning and preservative used for the manufacture of sausages. It is noteworthy that the E250 is approved for use in Russia, but banned in the EU countries. Possible consequences the effects of this dietary supplement on female body- the development of fetal hypoxia during pregnancy, a decrease in the content of vitamins in the body, an increase in the excitability of the nervous system.
Dangerous dietary supplements for men
There is little information about the harmful effects of food additives on the male body. Of course, representatives of the strong half of humanity, like children and women, are not immune from the development of allergic reactions, cancer due to the effects of ingredients with the E index, as well as the negative effect of these substances on the systems and functions of the body.
There is a nutritional supplement that men need to know "by sight". It is known that E520, or aluminum sulfate, used as a starch modifier, when abused, can adversely affect the male reproductive system.
How to protect yourself from the harmful effects of food additives
Keeping a family healthy is challenging when food contains more artificial additives than natural ingredients. How to be? Perhaps realizing the consequences of overuse of dietary supplements will lead many to think about healthy eating.
And for this it is worth opening your refrigerator, evaluating the ratio of sausages, sausages, smoked meats and canned food in it with the amount of fresh fruits, vegetables and homemade food. If the comparison is in favor of "chemistry", then it's time to start a new day with cleaning in the refrigerator, and then go to the store for the right food.
And although it is almost impossible to avoid foods with an indication of certain E on the label, try to keep their amount in the daily diet as small as possible.
Our products contain a huge amount of various colorants, flavor enhancers, preservatives and more. Naturally, unknowingly, we are terribly afraid of these additives. Because we watch TV, read various articles on these topics, and there they regularly frighten us with scary and incomprehensible Yeshkas. It became interesting to me to figure out: how dangerous are they and are they dangerous at all? Especially considering the fact that food additives are present in almost all food products and drinks. So…
What is a food supplement?
These are various specialty chemicals that are added to products in order to give them any properties. For instance…
Flavors are needed to give a certain smell, conservatives extend the shelf life and consumption of products, dyes are needed to give the desired color, sweeteners make products sweet, stabilizers retain physical and Chemical properties products, but antioxidants are needed to preserve vitamins.
Well, do you need nutritional supplements or not? It seems to me the answer is obvious: we need!
During any heat treatment (cooking, frying, stewing), various chemical reactions occur in potatoes, as a result of which new substances are formed. But these substances were not in raw potatoes. Hence the conclusion: there is no need to be afraid of food additives! You just need to know which food additives can really harm and avoid foods containing them. .
V industrial scale to make products without special additives is absolutely unrealistic. Such products will quickly deteriorate. Therefore, one should not believe the words "no preservatives" or "no food additives". The manufacturer who writes this on the packaging is frankly deceiving you. It's just that he (the manufacturer) used acetic acid as a preservative. , and it is not included in the official list of preservatives. Although in fact it is. But its esters or salts are included, these are food additives E260 - E269.
Nutritional Supplements by Numbers
Each dietary supplement has its own unique number or code, which consists of english letter E and a three-digit number. Additives from E100 to E199 are dyes, E200 - E299 are preservatives, followed by a hundred antioxidants, and so on.
It is worth noting that food E-supplements themselves do not pose a particular threat, and many are found in excess in natural products or can be produced by the human body. For example, the supplement E270 is lactic acid, which is formed in the cells of our body during the breakdown of glucose.
So many people are intimidated by monosodium glutamate (monosodium salt), which in its essence is an amino acid abundantly found in nature. It is abundant in tomatoes, milk, mushrooms, meat, corn, fish, cheese and cottage cheese.
Of course, there are additives that can be called harmful, if not one but: to harm health, their number must be significantly higher than that used by food manufacturers... But allergy sufferers and children are better off eating foods that contain such additives with caution. They can build up in the body.
Ideally, you need to remember all the harmful and dangerous Eshki, but in practice this is not feasible. Therefore, I suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most dangerous ones.
Doctors, especially nutritionists, do not advise eating a lot of sausage, because of the preservative and color improver E250 included in it (sodium nitrite) as it is toxic in large quantities. But without it, sausage could not be eaten at all, the risk of contracting botulism would be very high. It is strange that the same researchers and critics of nutritional supplements for some reason do not tell consumers that, for example, one kilogram of broccoli or spinach contains exactly the same amount of sodium nitrite as 50! kilograms of "Doctor's" sausage.
Now the question is: through which product is it more realistic to get this "harmful" preservative by eating a kilogram of broccoli or 50 kilograms of sausage? I think everyone understands what the answer will be.
The healthy and well-known cranberry contains more E211 (sodium benzoate) than manufacturers use for canning food.
Many people are afraid to give children sweet soda, fearing sweeteners. There is some truth in this, the sugar substitute - aspartame (E951) breaks down in the body into amino acids and releases methanol. And methanol is undeniably a poison. But the question is again in the amount of the consumed dose. An adult weighing 70 kg needs to eat 266 aspartame tablets or drink 25 liters of Diet Coke per day to be harmful to health. Well, how real is it? That's right, not real at all.
Nutritionists joke: a fresh apple contains additives E296, E141, E330, E440 and a couple more will probably be. So what? Now you will not eat apples, and will not give them to your children? Doubtful.
Some producers also have a good sense of humor. For example, on the label of the drink "Buratino" you can read the composition: water, carbon dioxide, sweetener, citric acid E330, preservative E211 and flavor identical to natural. Everything would be fine if it was lemonade or an orange drink, but what kind of natural aroma we should feel in Buratino is not clear. Maybe the smell of freshly sawn wood?
Finally
As you can see, there is nothing very wrong with food additives. I would even say that they are intended not to harm, but, on the contrary, to help both us and the food manufacturers. How else would we consume sausage, candy, cookies, ice cream or soda? No way. You just need to be aware and carefully study the composition of the purchased product ... It is also good to know which Eshki are dangerous to use. It is especially worth buying food for children, the elderly and pregnant women.
Are those who advocate natural products without food additives being so honest? Why, then, they deliberately keep silent about how many different chemicals are used to grow vegetables and fruits.
Another question, which is more dangerous: dose of food additive verified by manufacturers or uncontrolled irrigation in fields and greenhouses different chemistry cucumbers, tomatoes and other supposedly natural products. Watermelons alone annually poison a huge number of people, including children. So, it is worth considering: what is the purpose of such a serious information war against food additives and who benefits from it? Maybe the producers of "natural" products?
Elena Belokonova
Recent research side effects food additives have excited the whole world. Now everyone wants to know as much as possible about them.
Many of you love to read the contents of a product before you buy. And it is right. If you want to be healthy, watch what you eat. Not everyone wants the foods they buy to contain excess sugar, fats, and other undesirable elements for health. Everyone, probably, found food additives in the list of the listed ingredients. What are they needed for? What are their benefits?
What are dietary supplements?
Nutritional supplements Are foods or chemicals that are added to food to enhance flavor and color, and for better storage. Both ascorbic acid with monosodium glutamate and aspartame are dietary supplements. All canned foods contain substances that contribute to their long storage... Although there are certain benefits, nutritional supplements have side effects. On this occasion, fierce discussions are underway around the world. The following information will let you know more about supplements.
Interesting facts about nutritional supplements
- Many people argue that nutritional supplements do not provide any benefit. Far from it. As mentioned above, they prevent food spoilage, 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 poison them.
- However, long-term consumption of foods containing additives can lead to some serious illnesses such as cancer or heart disease.
- Food colors contain coal tar, which is a carcinogen that can lead to cancer, so products colored with artificial colors should be avoided.
- Monosodium glutamate is found in almost all products from China, such as soy sauce other. Although it serves to give foods a distinct "Chinese" flavor, many people associate it with chest pain, nausea, and cramps.
- Side effects of aspartame, sorbitol, nitrites, nitrates and many other additives include stomach pains, headaches, nausea and vomiting.
- Many baby products also contain food additives to add color and flavor. Therefore, children who consume large amounts of candy and ice cream may suffer from hyperactivity.
- The myth that all chemical additives must necessarily be harmful does not find confirmation. Foods like salt, lemon or sugar are also additives, but they don't 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 food consumption may not be caused by the presence of food additives at all, but by the expired shelf life. This rarely happens, but it does happen nonetheless.
Most of the side effects are associated with long-term consumption of the same foods. This does not mean at all that they should be banned. You just need to moderately consume processed and packaged food, buy fresh vegetables and fruits, prepare food at home, and not visit various cafes. If you play it safe in advance, in the future, it will probably be possible to avoid various troubles with your health.
