Food Additives Essay

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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.

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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,

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