Commonly Used and Controversial Food Additives

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Commonly Used and Controversial Food Additives

We consume more of them everyday, but many people do not know what additives do to food and the people that eat it. The average person is amazed by the number of additives injected into our food. Through years of scientific research, it is now possible to comprehend the most commonly used and controversial additives.

What exactly is a food additive? The technical definition is "any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result—directly or indirectly—in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food." This answer branches in many directions. There are flavorings, colorings, flavor enhancers, vitamins, antioxidants, preservatives, emulsifiers, texturizers, thickeners, and many more. They all serve one purpose: to make the food we eat better.

One of the most common additives is salt. The chemical additive sodium chloride was one of the first preservatives used in foods. It is used in almost everything we eat and essential to the life processes of humans. It acts with potassium to regulate fluid balance in our bodies by controlling the flow of liquids in and out of individual cells. Recently, the American Heart Association has recommended that healthy American adults reduce their sodium intake to no more than 2,400 milligrams per day. This is equivalent to 1¼ teaspoons of salt. People who are sensitive to sodium are at a higher risk to have high blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular disease. Although in large doses, over a long period of time, salt is harmful, it is still one of the most common food additives.

Another common additive is sugar. Used by our ancestors to preserve f...

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...r. 2000).

(1998). Food additives. Backgrounder. http://ificinfo.health.org/backgrnd/bkgr9.htm (29 Apr. 2000).

(1997). Label caffeine content of foods, scientists tell FDA. What's new -- CSPI press releases. http://www.cspinet.org/new/caffeine.htm (29 Apr. 2000).

(1995). FDA and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). FDA Backgrounder. http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/msg.html (29 Apr. 2000).

Food additives to avoid. CSPI reports. http://www.cspinet.org/reports/food.html (30 Apr. 2000).

Problems in the food supply. Food chemistry; food allergy; food additives. http://www.nutramed.com/foodquality/foodadditives.htm (28 Apr. 2000).

The problems with Olestra. CSPI's the facts about Olestra. http://www.cspinet.org/olestra/11cons.html (29 Apr. 2000).

"Food Additives." Microsoft Encarta 98. CD-ROM. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 1993-1997.

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