Facts about Food Additives

Food additives are essential meal components for both vegetarians and meat eaters. They give a diet its signature nutritional value, taste and aroma. Some food additives are so common that we tend to ignore their impact in our diets and our bodies. Here, I will outline a few facts about food additives.

The list of food additives is endless

There may be countless food additives in the world today, but the fact is that more will come. In a bid to improve the standards of living and reduce morbidity in the world, nutritionists and dietitians work day and night to come up with more useful food additives or to discover more uses of the existing ones. For example, with carrageenan FMC has done a lot of research and come up with desirable findings.

Though Carrageenan has been in use for a long time now, its use is more widespread today than before. Through research, Carrageenan has also be found to be soluble and therefore versatile. Its versatility makes it useful in both food and non-food applications. Indeed, most household products you see around like cheese, yogurt, toothpaste and more have been stabilized using Carrageenan. We are waiting to hear of its next application shortly.

Most food additives come in various forms

A food additive can be available in various forms depending on its source. For example, pepper can be sweet or hot. We also have bell pepper, lipstick pepper and many other types of peppers. Each of these peppers has its taste and use. Therefore, before you start using a certain food additive, it is advisable to know which of its forms is the best for you.

Best sources of natural food additives

Seaweeds produce several varieties of food additives. These food additives are popular because of their ability stabilize, emulsify and thicken foods. Broadly, food additives from seaweeds can be categorized into Agars, Alginates, and Carrageenans. Of the three, Carrageenans are the most common.

Indeed, its use has received the backing of the World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration. Derived from naturally occurring red seaweed, Carrageenan is safe for human consumption. For this reason, it is widely used in all corners of the world as a food stabilizer.

Too much of a certain food additive could be dangerous

Too much of everything is dangerous. It is always said that there is no such a thing as too much of a good thing, but when it comes to food additives, there is, for instance, too much of salt, too much of sugar, etc. Even with the food additives that are said to be completely safe, too much of their consumption may lead to undesirable medical conditions like bad breath.

Food additives serve both nutritional and medicinal purposes in the body

Some food additives come with numerous advantages. For instance, red pepper is a source of Vitamin C, folate and Vitamin B6. They also enhance the sense of sight and help you lose weight. For each food additive that you know or use, it is possible to make a list of its use in the human body. Therefore, food additives are good for the human body.