Food additives are substances that are added to food to enhance it; they can be both chemical and natural ("Food Additives: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia"). Recently many food additives have been questioned by both the public and scientists world wide. One example of the food additives that have been studied is sodium stearoyl lactylate. It has recently been looked at due to indications that it might be unsafe for consumption. In this essay a couple main points and questions will be explained; what is sodium stearoyl lactylate, what are its effects both positive and negative, what are some indirect effects SSL has on society, is it ethical to use, and if sodium stearoyl lactylate safe for human consumption.
Bread has an average shelf
…show more content…
This is a very important aspect of additives in general as before its use the public should have the right to know its effects on society. So the question remains, what are the effects of sodium stearoyl lactylate on the human body? While there are few current published research on the effects of sodium stearoyl lactylate on the human body, experiments have been done in the past on rats. A study made by the World Health Organization in 1969 showed that when 20 male rats were given 5% sodium stearoyl lactylate for 28 days with 20 control on stock diet, their liver weights were slightly higher. (“Toxicological evaluation of some food colours, emulsifiers, stabilizers, anticaking agents and certain other substances") They also tested the effects of sodium stearoyl lactylate on a dog. They started out by feeding the dog SSL for one month at a level of 7.5%, then for two weeks at 12.5%, and finally for a month at 15%. (“Toxicological evaluation of some food colours, emulsifiers, stabilizers, anticaking agents and certain other substances"). When the study was completed, the results showed no changes in blood and organ weights, and the microscopic appearance of the dog's tissues remained the same. (“Toxicological evaluation of some food colours, emulsifiers, stabilizers, anticaking agents and certain other substances") This shows that the sodium stearoyl lactylate had no effect on the dog but a slight effect on rats; faintly increasing their liver weight. The reason this information can be used in order to determine whether or not it is safe for humans is because rats have a similar body structure as humans ("Why Do Scientists Prefer to Experiment on Mice and Rats? FAQ"). This study alone shows that while SSL shows no sign of damaging the body, it can somewhat increase our liver weight, which is a factor that has to be looked into. In all, according to the short term study,
Dietary supplements are used to add additional nutritional value to the diet. Some common forms of supplements include: vitamins, amino acids, minerals, herbs, and enzymes, and can be found in a multitude of forms such as capsules, liquids, gel caps, powders, and tablets. Dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular among Americans today. According to the Centers for Disease and Control, “Over half of the adults in the U.S. use at least one type of dietary supplement, the most common being multivitamins.”1 Many use these vitamins because they are believed to present a number of benefits, such as helping or treating diseases, etc. While dietary supplements can be beneficial to your health; Americans should also be cognizant of the health
Customers/Consumers were worried about the changes in the market for food and drugs because they no longer had a single clue of what was in their products. Food production was moving from household prepared to general markets. As food markets became more refined due to the improvement of technology. The difficulty in discerning the quality of their product heightened. With new and quicker ways make food, fears of the ingredients that the foods consisted grew. Preservatives and chemicals also instilled a concern to consumers. Health officials, chemists, and other individuals tested and proved the dangers of these new additives.
Michael Pollan makes arguments concerning the eating habits of the average American. Pollan suggests, in spite of our cultural norms, we should simply “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.”
An example is the Aspartame found in diet soda. Focusing on diet soda, it is shown that it is linked to even more diseases and causes more side effects than regular soda. Furthermore, “Numerous studies over the past several years have reported links between diet soda and weight gain, diabetes, heart problems, and other health issues. Most recently, headlines sounded alarms about a higher chance of dementia and stroke among diet soda drinkers” (Is Drinking…). The aspartame that is used in the diet soda is the main culprit for diet sodas effects. In fact, “Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death” (Aspartame…). Aspartame is a man-made chemical that is made up of aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. With, aspartic acid making up 40%, phenylalanine making up 50%, and methanol making up 10%. Taking in consideration the phenylalanine in diet soda,” Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of serotonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression” (Aspartame…). With the methanol, that is found in aspartame, it “…breaks down into formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin… With a recommended limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit” (Aspartame…). The effects of methanol are caused by the formaldehyde. “Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and causes birth defects” (Aspartame…). Overall it is shown that the aspartame that is found in diet soda is linked to a number of diseases
Obesity has continued to grow and affect not only the lives of the individual with obesity and their families but also the society around them. We have learned that from the growth of obesity money problems arise and the price of health care has risen. I believe that because of this problem nutrition labels are an important part of food for consumers. People should be watching what they eat if necessary and nutrition labels should be trustworthy and looked at wisely. Since this is important I feel that the government should have a say to what goes on the labels and making sure that they are informative to the American society. The FDA, which is the US Food and Drug Administration, are part of the US government Department of Food and Health. Their goal and slogan is “Protecting and Promoting Your Health.” The FDA has a very important role in nutrition labels and the protection of helping people become aware of what they are eating. Since their role is important the government should definitely continue to regulate what goes on the labels and how they can continue to help bene...
In this research paper I will be discussing the non-professional subject matter of Glycerin. The point of writing this paper is to inform on the current issue of glycerin. There are many several reasons that a supplement will work or may not work, and the main cause for this paper is to go over the controversy pertained. According to the article The Benefits of Glycerin, Glycerin is a thick, colorless liquid made from fats and oil used in making soaps (Singleton, 2016).
Nutritionism and Today’s Diet Nutritionism is the ideology that the nutritional value of a food is the sum of all its individual nutrients, vitamins, and other components. In the book, “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, he critiques scientists and government recommendations about their nutritional advice. Pollan presents a strong case pointing out the many flaws and problems that have risen over the years of following scientific studies and government related warnings on the proper amount of nutrients needed for a healthy diet. Pollan’s main point is introducing science into our food system has had more of a negative impact than a positive one, we should go back to eating more of a traditional diet. I believe food science has given us
America is a capitalist society. It should come to a surprise when we live like this daily. We work for profit. We’ll buy either for pleasure or to sell later for profit. It should come to no surprise that our food is made the same way because we are what we eat. We are capitalist that eat a capitalist meal. So we must question our politics. Is our government system to blame for accepting and encouraging monopolies?
The proposed stakeholders in medical advancements are the doctors, scientists and patients combined as they all hold interest in the outcome of the product. The scientists are the researchers who receive recognition, doctors receive patients who provide for their income and patients benefit from their body being healthy again due to the laxative. Focusing merely on healthcare, any advancement which can help to maintain one’s body in good condition is reason enough to have a positive impact as these developments can improve our ultimate life expectancy and well-being. Adversely, this laxative as mentioned before, is suitable and recommended for certain people only, reducing its propriety for all. Conjointly, polyethylene glycol is FDA approved and as of now, no study shows any negative impact the chemical may have on the environment. This chemical is readily available and is refined from petroleum, becoming one of the hundreds of oil based chemicals out there, making it a minor influence on any environmental concerns. To support the argument, a study conducted by EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in 2000 stated that the main element considered to be carcinogenic-ethylene glycol- has
My food items do have an impact on wildlife and the environment. Due to tomatoes and pineapples being grown on plants, those plants need fertilizer and soil to grow. Some farmers who grow these fruits might be using chemical fertilizers to increase the amount of food grown. Since many chemical fertilizers are toxic, it can pollute the air and water. If it pollutes the water or a species’s water source, that species may die because the water could to lethal to them. Also since all three of my food components are processed in factories, trees are removed from the area to actually build the factory and to built a parking lot for the factory workers. Due to the removal of the trees, animals living in that area could have lost their habitat. Since
Processed foods are in everybody’s lives, but are they safe? Processed foods are foods that are in boxes, cans, or bags usually containing artificial colors, flavors, and other chemical ingredients that most people can’t pronounce or recognize (SFGate). Processed Foods may taste good but can have terrible side effects. Most people don’t see the harmful effects of processed foods. Processed foods should not be eaten.
Imagine someone who is sitting at a grocery store. After shopping they decide to buy a snack. They look at the food label to make sure there are no peanuts. The food label says nothing so they go ahead and munch away. That is the last thing they remember as they wake up in the emergency room.
Each and every year millions of people become sick because of food poisoning and other food related illnesses. Many of these illnesses can easily be prevented by properly cooking and handling food in the kitchen. Unfortunately, many people around the world are unaware of the consequences that can occur from contaminated and undercooked food. It is important for every individual who is planning on making a meal in their life (virtually everyone) to understand how to properly prepare their meal.
Food additives are natural or artificial substances added during food processing or production. They are added to foods for maintaining and improving flavour, appearance, texture and colour.
Food Preservation is the ways to retain the food quality in a longer times. It is to prevent the food decomposition and fermentation. Besides that, food preservation not only to prevent the food getting spoilt in a long period of time but also preserved the colour, taste and the food nutritive value. Nowadays, food preservation has become more and more important component in the food industry as the consumers expect that able to purchase those foods that are out of season or imported from other countries. Furthermore, there are few reason why food preservation is important in our daily life such as preservation foods when they are in season it may added variety choices in our meals for example smoke meats and