Additives in food are useful for keeping food fresh and durable, as well as improving taste and beautifying its appearance. Additives are generally safe to use, but there are several types of additives that are thought to have side effects on health.
Food additives are all ingredients that are added and mixed into food and beverage products during the processing, storage, and packaging processes. In Indonesia, food additives are referred to as Food Additives (BTP).
The production and sale of all food and beverage products that use additives must obtain a distribution permit and approval from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) so that they are safe for consumption by the public.
Uses of Additives in Food
Additives are generally added to food to:
- Slows down the decay process
- Increase or maintain nutritional value
- Make bread and cakes more fluffy
- Enriches taste, color and appearance
- Maintain the consistency of the taste and texture of the food
Information about additives in food is usually attached to food labels with chemical names. For example, salt is sodium or sodium chloride, vitamin C is ascorbic acid or ascorbic acid, and vitamin E is alpha tocopherol.
Manufacturers usually only use enough additives to achieve the desired results. There are several kinds of additives that are most often used in food, including:
- Salt
- Artificial sweeteners, such as sugar, sorbitol and corn syrup
- citric acid
- Monosodium glutamate or MSG
- Vitamin C and Vitamin E
- Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Types of Additives in Food
Food additives can be divided into two types, namely natural additives and synthetic or artificial additives. Natural food additives can come from plants, animals or minerals, as well as spices and herbs that can add flavor to food.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the types of additives in food can be classified into 3 main categories, namely:
Food flavoring agent
These are substances that are added to food to enhance aroma and enhance flavour. This type of additive is most widely used in various snack products, soft drinks, cereals, cakes, to yogurt.
Natural flavoring ingredients can come from nuts, fruits, vegetables, to spices. Food flavorings are also available in synthetic forms that are similar to the taste of certain foods.
Enzyme preparation
This type of additive is usually obtained through the extraction process from plants, animal products, or microorganisms such as bacteria.
Enzyme preparation generally used as an alternative to chemical additives in cake baking (to improve dough), fruit juice making, wine and beer fermentation, and cheese making.
Other additives
These types of additives include preservatives, coloring agents, and sweeteners. Preservatives can slow down spoilage caused by mold, air, bacteria, or yeast.
In addition, preservatives are also able to maintain food quality and help control contamination in food that can cause diseases, such as botulism.
Several types of BTP preservatives are permitted to be used in food products, namely sorbic acid, benzoic acid, ethyl para-hydroxybenzoate, methyl para-hydroxybenzoate, sulfite, nisin, nitrite, nitrate, propionic acid, and lysozyme hydrochloride.
In addition, there are various types of other additives in food and each of these additives has its own uses, including:
- Antioxidants, to prevent food from oxidizing which causes food to smell or rot
- Acidity regulator (acidity regulator), to acidify, neutralize, or maintain the acidity (pH) of food
- Humectants, to keep food moist
- Mineral salt, to improve texture and taste
- Stabilizer and firming agent, to maintain the solubility of food
- Emulsifier (emulsifier), to inhibit the clumping of fat in food
- Developer (raising agent), to release gas which can make cake and bread dough more fluffy
- Flour treatment, to improve baking results
- Glazing agent or coating agents, to improve appearance and protect food
- Foaming agent, to maintain the consistency of foam formation
- gelling (gelling agent) is a food additive to form a gel
Side Effects of Additives in Food
To ensure that food additives can be used without harmful effects, a proper daily intake is determined (Acceptable Daily Intake/ADI).
The ADI is an estimate of the maximum amount of a food additive that can be safely consumed every day for a lifetime, without any adverse health effects.
The maximum limit for the use of additives in this food has been determined by BPOM. For producers who violate these provisions, they can be subject to sanctions in the form of a written warning to the revocation of the distribution permit of the product.
For most people, food additives in safe amounts do not cause health problems. However, there are some people who can experience side effects, such as diarrhea, stomach pain, cold cough, vomiting, itching, and skin rash after consuming foods with additives.
These side effects can occur if a person has an allergic reaction to certain additives or if the additives used are too much.
There are several additives in food that are thought to have side effects on health, including:
- Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin, sodium cyclamate, and sucralose
- Benzoic acid in fruit juice products
- Lecithin, gelatin, cornstarch and propylene glycol in food
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Nitrates and nitrites in sausages and other meat products
- Sulfites in beer, wine and packaged vegetables
- Maltodextrin
Reactions to any additive can be mild or severe. For example, some people may experience asthma symptoms that recur after consuming foods or drinks that contain sulfites. Meanwhile, artificial sweeteners aspartame and MSG can cause side effects in the form of headaches.
As another example, several reports state that the habit of eating fast food with high levels of nitrates and nitrites can cause thyroid disorders and increase the risk of cancer.
To protect themselves from the adverse effects of excess additives in food, a person with a history of allergies or food intolerances should be more careful and thorough in checking the list of ingredients on the packaging label.
If certain reactions or complaints appear in your body after consuming food and beverage products that contain additives, you are advised to immediately consult a doctor. If necessary, bring samples of food or drink that may be the cause.