Scientists assure that preservatives not only protect food from spoilage. They also increase its taste and nutritional value. However, are food additives safe for our he alth? Is it better to avoid them?

Environmentalists encourage you to buy only unprocessed, naturalfood , which - unfortunately - is expensive and has a short shelf life. In shops, on the other hand, the shelves are full of cold meats, ready meals or preserves. Not only do they stay fresh for a long time, but also have an affordable price. Does food need to be "fortified" with chemicals? Do chemicalfood additivesneed to be avoided?

Why food additives

There used to be smokehouses in most houses, where sausages, hams and bacon were prepared in aromatic smoke, e.g. from juniper. Then, suspended from the ceiling in the attic, they could wait even several months to be eaten.

Barrels with pickled cucumbers and cabbage were drowned in the pond for the whole winter. Many products were stored in the so-called ice stores, i.e. cellars lined with ice dug in the ground. Ice blocks were cut from the frozen surfaces of ponds or rivers.

The use ofpreservativesforced the development of civilization. We do not have time to produce food in our own home, unlike our great-grandfathers, and it has become uneconomical. Secondly, there are chemicals that preserve food products better and longer than traditional methods. They also increase the quality and attractiveness of food, i.e. its color, taste, smell, texture and nutritional value.

- Preservatives must meet many requirements to be allowed for mass production and are used only in the amounts necessary, i.e. the smallest possible - explains Dr. Lucjan Szponar, Deputy Director of Food Safety at the Institute of Food and Nutrition. - Before that, they are thoroughly tested. Sometimes you have to test 10,000. chemical compounds to choose one, absolutely safe for everyone. We must have a guarantee that even if we exceed the allowable dose of a given substance (these are different values ​​for each of them), we will not experience any negative effects.

It is also worth remembering that the natural origin of the food does not guarantee its harmlessness. - It may be contaminated e.g.pesticides - warns Dr. Szponar. - Old sprouted potatoes, covered with a green coating (poisonous solanine) or some varieties of green tomatoes containing tomatin, strongly irritating the digestive system, are also harmful.

See also: Doctor Ania answers the question whether food producers are deceiving us [TOWIDEO]

What do the abbreviations of food additives mean

The letter E means that the additive meets European standards. In turn, three- and four-digit numbers are the code of the individual substances. The dyes are labeled from E-100 to E-199, preservatives from E-200 to E-299, antioxidants and acidity regulators from E-300 to E-399, stabilizers, thickening, emulsifying, used on the surfaces of products from E-400 to E-499, other, i.e. raising agents - above E-500.

- Few people know that under the symbol E there can also be a name of a completely natural substance, e.g. vitamin. C, glycerides or sodium benzoate, which we eat with berries - says the dietitian of the Children's He alth Center Anna Stolarczyk. - In general, substances added to food can be divided into natural, synthetic, non-naturally occurring and synthetic identical to natural ones - that is, their composition is the same as in nature, only obtained artificially.

Of course, no one will convince us that man can be smarter than nature and that in the factory he will produce food that is he althier than natural. The thing is that it is becoming more and more difficult to buy really he althy food, and food that will look nice and stay fresh for a long time. As always, you need to use common sense. Parents should especially take care that children, who are used to the intense color and taste of processed foods, do not become discouraged by good-natured homemade pickled cucumbers or their grandmother's slightly flat yeast dough.

According to an expertIreneusz Chojnacki, director of WWF Poland, an international environmental organization

Most studies to determine the safety of food additives are incomplete. It takes years to find out if they are harmful. Today we do not know yet what impact they will have on our he alth. It turns out that many substances recognized today as toxic, despite the fact that they are withdrawn from production, remain in our body for life. Worse still, they also go to the fetus with the mother's blood. Environmental organizations are trying to convince the authorities that in-depth research on the harmfulness of food additives should be carried out by the chemical industry, and not by taxpayers.

When food additives are harmful

Additional substances can sometimes harm us. Especially young children, the elderly, people with allergies or Fr.very sensitive digestive system. Here is the list of the most suspects:

Synthetic dyes:

  • E 102 (tartrazine) is added to orangeade, powdered desserts, artificial honey. It harms asthmatics and people who are allergic to aspirin. It causes hyperactivity in some people, and children may become irritable and behave differently than usual.
  • E 110 (Sunset Yellow) is found in marmalades, gels, chewing gums, and in tablet coatings. May cause various allergic reactions, especially in allergy sufferers, e.g. hives, shortness of breath.
  • E 124 (cochineal red) is added to smoked fish, puddings, fruit candies. Harms people allergic to aspirin;
  • E 133 (brilliant blue) is found in canned vegetables. People with irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive tract diseases should avoid it;
  • E 154 (FK brown) is added to smoked herring and some canned fish. If we consume these foods too often and in large quantities, FK bronze builds up in the kidneys and lymph vessels.

Preservatives:

  • E 210 (benzoic acid) contained in jellies, fruit juices, soft drinks, margarine, beer. In some people it irritates the lining of the stomach and intestines and causes an itchy rash.
  • E 249 (potassium nitrite) and E 250 (sodium nitrite) used for curing meats. May cause the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines.
  • E 220 to 228 (sulphites) are canned, in candied fruit, in fruit juice, in wine, in citrus peel, in coconut flakes. They can cause nausea and headaches in sensitive people.

Acidifying substances:

  • E 260 (acetic acid) contained in pickled fruits and vegetables and in sauces is poorly tolerated by people with a delicate stomach;
  • E 508 (potassium chloride), E 509 (calcium chloride), E 511 (magnesium chloride) are found in spices. They have a laxative effect in large quantities. People with kidney and liver problems should resign from them;
  • E 525 (potassium hydroxide) is added to preserves and jellies. May cause gastrointestinal pain;
  • E 517 (ammonium sulphate) is present in many articles - in higher concentrations it can cause diarrhea.

Thickening and gelling preparations:

  • E 400 (alginic acid) - not recommended for pregnant women;
  • E 407 (carrageenan) - may contribute to intestinal ulceration.

Sugar substitutes:

  • E 420 (sorbitol), E 421 (mannitol) are most often found in foods for diabetics. After eatingabdominal pain and diarrhea can occur with larger amounts of these substances.
  • E 951 (aspartame) and E 954 (saccharin) - both substances are not recommended for people with a sensitive digestive tract.

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