Be Wary of Harmful Additives in Food!

Each substance added to food is evaluated by the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which takes into account the latest results of toxicological, chemical, and biological studies in its work. Based on this evaluation, the FAO/WHO Food Code Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants establishes the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for each substance, which is the amount of substances expressed in mg/kg body weight that, when consumed daily throughout life, has no adverse health effects. Substances for which no acceptable doses have been established should be used in accordance with the principles of good manufacturing practice, i.e., in minimal quantities necessary to achieve the intended technological objective.

The following categories of additional substances in foodstuffs are distinguished: E100 – Artificial colours may be natural, identical to natural, organic, synthetic or inorganic. They colour, enhance or reinforce an existing product. Colours that affect the appearance of a product are intended to increase its commercial appeal. They are normally added to beverages, meat or vegetables. Their excess may be harmful. E200 – Chemical agents that prevent the destruction of food products by moulds and bacteria. They prolong the shelf life of fish products, but they may be detrimental to the taste of consumer products if they are present in oils. E300 – Chemical agents containing acids or salts that have a protective effect on food products before oxidation, such as rancidity of fats. They can also create emulsions, such as the combination of water and oil in a product. E400 – Natural agents derived from proteins or polysaccharides that create gels. They are used in the production of cookies, ice cream, sauces, soups, fish preserves, meat preserves and products with various characteristics. E500 – Various other agents, such as purified soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate), ammonium hydrogen carbonate, are normally used for baking cookies (baking powder). E600 – Agents that improve aroma, taste, and eliminate unpleasant odour. They are very important from a commercial point of view, but they may lead to a wrong assessment of the product. E900 – Chemical sweeteners that are particularly contained in beverages, sugar-free products, such as aspartame, saccharin and others.

Each group of chemical substances added to food should be safe for health. However, alterations in the sensory properties of products influence the selection when purchasing not always in accordance with the fundamental significance of the product. Consequently, they induce allergic reactions, which are very prevalent. It may occur that the ingestion of certain food additives displays undesirable consequences, such as an allergic reaction or irritation of the digestive system. When choosing products, one should opt for those whose composition is meticulously depicted. It is worth favoring products that are devoid of artificial additives or contain them to the least extent.