Food Additives: Enhancing The Flavor Of The Food

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Food Additives
Introduction
Food additives can be defined as the substances which are added to the food for different purposes. Additives can be added to the food for; enhancing the flavor of the food or enhancing its appearance. Most of the foods that people purchase in small stores and supermarkets have chemical substances in them that are used for preserving to ensure that the food lasts longer and also help in improving production. People have little concerns about the harmful effects that are associated with food additives. In my opinions, food additives expose the consumers to more dangers than the benefits they receive from them.
There are different reasons as to why producers and distributors of food substances place chemical in the food. Firstly, they aim to improve the appearance of the product to the eyes of their customers (A.B. Moldes, pp.143–164). They achieve this objective by use of different and appealing colors which encourage the people to buy the food which may not look enticing to eat. Most importantly, these food additives are used for preservation purposes. Normally, much of the foods bought from the stores and the supermarkets could not last for long durations if it were not for the chemicals added to them. This benefits the companies which sell these food substances since the products have a longer shelf life.
Food additives also have little advantages, which are medically proven. For example, in the United States, the reduction of diseases like, rickets, pellagra, and goiter were associated with the addition of minerals and other helpful vitamins which were added to food substance such as milk, flour, and cereals. However, it is important to note that these additives have more benefits to the companies and other businesses dealing with food substances than they have to the consumers of these foods. The research conducted to prove the importance of additives may be biased since it conducted by companies with companies who have stronger connections with the companies which use these substances. These additives have been health issues such as cancer and hyperactivity in children
Food additives have been in use for many years. The earliest uses of the additives were to preserve and improve the appearance of the products. In prehistoric times, additives such as salt were used for the preservation of meat and fish. The ancestors also preserved fruits using sugar and vinegar solution in preserving cucumbers. Also, fermentation and growth of bacteria in wine was prevented using sulfites in the ancient Egypt. The Egyptians also did food coloring by use of extracts from the beetles. As the world industries developed, companies depended on the newly produced additives for enhancing production and distribution of their foods.
Today, food additives come in many forms; they may come as; flavor enhances, vitamins, thickeners, colorings texturizers among many other (Brooke-Taylor, pp.449–454). The main objective why these substances are used by the manufacturer is to make the food products more appealing to the consumers. Among the commonly used additive is salt. Like mentioned before it was used in food preservation in the ancien...