Syuhairah+Opinion

__Syuhairah Opinion __ **Modern foods sold in the supermarket are no more than a cocktail of chemicals ** Myth or fact?

Fact and I totally agree...why??? Firstly we have to think how the foods get to our table? It must come from somewhere......  Many people enjoy making bread, cakes, wine, beer, and ice cream at home. Food made at home is always at its best when eaten straight away. However, most of today's food is bought from shops and supermarkets. Food produced on the large scale that is needed to supply to supermarkets and other food shops has to be transported and stored before it is consumed. So, it has to stay in top condition over a much longer period of time than home-cooked food. Thus, alternative ways have to be taken in order to keep these foods in a good condition. The best way is by using food additives and food additives are kinds of chemicals. Although the words chemicals may give a bad perseption to some people, this fact can not be change. We as a food technologist should be able to educate the people's mind that not every chemical is bad and danger. Otherwise, this "chemical' will give lots of benefits in our life.  **Why Use Additives? **
 * Additives are used so that these foods still have a consistently high quality. In some products, they are so essential that additives are used even in certain organic foods. In some countries, lots of food is lost because it 'goes off' due to microbial growth before it can be eaten. Food poisoning also shows the dangers of contaminated food and without the use of preservatives, it would quite likely be more common. Preservative, colours and flavours are the best known additives but in fact there are many categories of additives, each tailored to a specific purpose. Here i have made a summary of each food additives usually used in our life.

[|**Emulsifiers**] ~Emulsions in food are mixtures of oil and water. These normally do not mix and will separate if left without an emulsifier. Emulsifiers can help to make a food appealing. The example of the mayonnaise without the emulsifier shows how unappealing it would be if the oil and water separated before it was used. Emulsifiers have a big effect on the structure and texture of many foods. They are used to aid in the processing of foods and also to help maintain quality and freshness.

[|**Colours**] ~give nice colour appearance

[|**Flavourings**] ~The acceptability of any food product greatly depends on the impression of taste when it is eaten. Our sense of taste is really a combination of two of our senses, taste and smell. Both of these senses respond to certain chemicals. Most flavouring is an imitation of the flavour of a known foodstuff. Some flavours are isolated from natural raw ingredients but this is costly and also wastes valuable natural resources. Ice cream, margarine has unacceptable taste without the addition of flavourings.

[|**Preservatives**] **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">~ **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Some methods of preserving food depend on the use of additives. These substances reduce the growth of microbes but must not be seen as an alternative to proper food hygiene and cooking. Preservatives play their part in clean and hygienic methods of food production. There are few types of preservation method such as canning, freezing/chilling, drying and pickling.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[|**Sweeteners**] **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">~ **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sugar is a most important flavouring substance. It gives the sensation of sweetness and provides a source of energy. However, excessive sugar intake is linked with a number of health problems including tooth decay, obesity and diabetes. Alternatives to sugar have therefore been developed which provide the sweetness without the energy content.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">[|**Anti-caking agents**] ~ Processed foods often contain ingredients that are mixed as powders. Anti-caking agents are added to allow them to flow and mix evenly during the food production process. They rarely have nutritional value and only a small proportion of the additives find their way into the food.Some anti-caking agents may be found in foods. For example, magnesium carbonate is used in table salt to improve its flow during manufacture. It is left in the salt so that it flows well when being sprinkled onto food

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[|**Antioxidants**] **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">~ **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Antioxidants are added to food to slow the rate of oxidation and, if used properly, they can extend the shelf life of the food in which they have been used. Example of foods are table sugar, drinking chocolate, baking powder and cake mixes.

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