Food Additives: Debunking Myths and Exploring Benefits for Food Producers

Unless your main source of food is your backyard garden, chances are that your food contains food additives. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem wishes to shed light on food additives, since the vast majority enhance food and beverage flavor, safety, stability, shelf life, and so many other factors we find make foods palatable. Let’s examine different categories of food additives to learn how they improve what we consume.

Antioxidants

Oxidation of many foods causes spoilage. Fats and oils are especially prone to becoming rancid when exposed to oxygen. The addition of antioxidants hinders this reaction, which prolongs shelf life.

Colorings

Would you eat butter if it was white? Butter produced with a high milk fat content has a naturally yellow color, but commercial dairy cows generally have a lower milkfat and higher output of milk. One batch of milk may differ in color from another, which leads many manufacturers to add a colorant to the butter so all their product appears one shade of yellow. 

Flavorings

A major food additive that enhances flavor is salt. This spice increases the amount of other flavors in a mix, which is why cakes and cookies contain a small amount of salt in every mix. 

Many health-conscious individuals, as well as those who suffer from diabetes, must watch their sugar intake closely. Artificial sweeteners satisfy sweet cravings without the unwanted sugar spike of granulated sugar. 

Flavorings that occur naturally in some foods may be added to other foods to enhance the flavor. For instance, a natural fruit flavoring may be added to organic cereal. This flavoring is organic and natural while still being a food additive.

Preservatives 

Imagine a store shelf full of fresh bread. Imagine running out of bread in the middle of the day because you did not want to overstock or, on the other hand, the next day throwing out half your inventory. Preservatives inhibit the growth of mold, bacteria, and other dangerous microorganisms that consume your products before the end-user does. Without preservatives, most of the food in grocery stores would be inedible. 

Stabilizers

During manufacture, ingredients must be carefully measured and mixed so one bite tastes distinctly like the next. Stabilizers, such as emulsifiers, maintain a steady amount of mixture without separation into individual ingredients. Anti-caking additives absorb liquid to keep mixes from becoming lumpy while foaming agents maintain the fluffiness of whipped cream.

Remember, foods and beverages in grocery stores face careful scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration. All food additives are tested, monitored, and controlled. Another thought to keep in mind is the word chemical. Most people associate this word with danger, but everything you see, touch, smell, and taste is composed of chemicals. Very few chemical combinations are truly life-threatening, and the FDA would prohibit their use in foods.

Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including chemical additives. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.