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Food Processing Conclusion
The history of fast food in America
The history of fast food in America
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Contents
No Items Pages
1 Contents 1
2 Introduction 2
3 Toxicants formed during food processing 3~9
3.1 Acrylamide 3
3.2 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons 4~5
3.3 Nitrosamine 5~6
3.4 Benzene 7
3.5 Chorinated compounds 8
3.6 Amino acid Pyrolysates 9
4 Conclusion 10
5 References 11
Introduction
For most foods, the faster it spoils, the healthier it is. However, in the globalisation and rapid invention of technologies plus the shifting eating habit of mankind, we need our food to last for as long as possible. For this purpose of increasing food’s shelf life, the food industry has created an era of convenience for consumers through packaged, preserved, emulsified, pasteurized, sterilized, irradiated, chemically altered foods and all sorts of food processing techniques. The needs for food processing is simple as living foods contain dense amount of nutrients and will perish within days to weeks while processed foods can last months or even years due to the removal of all microorganisms, enzymes, oxygen, and moisture in food. The development of food processing technology has indeed expanded the potential of food supplies greatly in the modern era. Despite the advantages of being shelf-stable for a longer period, there is still advice that tells us to avoid processed foods as much as possible. At this point, we are wondering what processed foods are and why it is so important to avoid them.
A broad definition of "processed food" is food that is changed from its natural, raw state. Processed food is food altered chemically by additives such as flavours, flavour enhancers, binders, colours, fillers, preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc., or which has been manufactured through combining them or using other processing methods. Just take a look on some of the processed foods that may be bad for your health. Breads and pastas made with refined white flour instead of whole grains to improve their appearance but causes high glycemic index value, high-calorie snack foods like chips and candies which contains high amount of MSG and fats, breakfast cereals such as TRIX which is loaded with sugar results in obesity in most kid.
In order to make the processed food healthier, we may reduce salt, MSG, fats, colouring, additives and so on in the processing of food. However, we may overlook something more important. That is the toxicants formed during food processing. The formation of toxicants has a close relationship with the composition of foods and type of processing methods. In the following review, we are going to learn its occurrence, properties, effect and regulation on 6 selected toxicants which are commonly found in food consumed by us.
Toxicants formed during food processing
Acrylamide
Acrylamide is an odourless and colourless crystalline solid that is formed in many foods cooked or processed at temperatures above 120°C, especially in carbohydrate-rich foods.
The book Salt, Sugar, and Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us discusses the danger of food with its readers. The dangers of food discussed in the book are the ingredients of Salt, Sugar and Fat in the food individuals consume on a daily basis. Producers use these ingredients to their advantage to get the consumers bliss point. The bliss point attained is used by the food giants to achieve a profit. However due to research on the health risks of these ingredients food companies are strategizing in order to maintain their profit and earn more of a profit.
The article that I read on “Processed Foods: What’s OK, What to Avoid” say “It’s blamed for our nation’s obesity epidemic, high blood pressure and the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes.” (Jill Kohn, 2015) It also says that it is surprising to “learn that whole-wheat, homemade soup a chopped apple are also processed foods.” (Jill Kohn, 2015) Even some of the conveniences we have could be considered processed like our bagged spinach or even the roast nuts. The conveniences that are not so good are like canned fruits, vegetables, because of the sugar or sodium that is in them.
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.
Processed foods include those that contain sugar, grains, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, or preservatives. The Paleo diet sticks to fresh foods that are processed as little as possible.
Fast food contains high amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and preservatives. Americans in today’s society want food and they want it now. Manufacturers have figured this out and fill the food with many artificial and unhealthy chemicals. If a person saw what the food looked like in the pre processed state, one would most likely not buy it or eat it.
The processed food we eat has many chemical additives that mislead our scenes, which are actually mascaraing the manufacturing process of the food industry. Eric Schlosser does an excellent job proving this fact in his report “Food Product Design”. His arguments point out that fast food industries main goal is to entice you with a brand of flavor that you eventually will be addicted to. Subsequently over the last fifty years the flavor industry has manipulated the population into spending 90 percent of the money that they spend on groceries, to ensure they are buying branded processed food. In effect these corporations are employing scientific research and a human beings natural instincts and scenes to persuade us into eating their certain brand of food.
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.
Food has been a common source of necessity in our everyday lives as humans. It helps gives us nutrition and energy to live throughout our life. Over several decades, the development of making foods has evolved. They have changed from natural to processed foods in recent years. Nowadays natural ingredients are barely used in the making of foods like bread, cheese, or yogurt. The food industry today has replaced natural food making with inorganic ingredients. The cause of this switch is due to processed foods being easier, cheaper and faster to make. Artificial nutrition and processed foods have been proven to last longer in market shelves then natural foods. Also, due to artificial additives in processed foods they help satisfy consumers taste more than natural ingredients. The method of producing processed foods is common in today's food industry and helps make money faster and efficiently for companies. Examples of this can be found in all markets that distribute food. Even though processed foods may be easier and faster to make, they are nowhere near as healthy for consumers compared to natural foods. Natural foods are healthier, wholesome, and beneficial to the human body and planet then processed foods.
Weisburger, John. Hazards of Fast Food. Environmental Health Perspectives. 112.6 (2004) A336 1 Oct. 2007. < http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0091-6765%28200405%29112%3A6% 3CA336%3AHOFF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-7 >.
What are processed foods? It is food “composed of synthetic chemical additives, such as colorings, preservatives, sugar substitutes and trans-fats” (Fitzgerald, 2006, p.72). Fitzgerald reported that by the “1970s most meats and dairy products that were factory farmed were laced with growth hormones, antibiotics and a range of pesticides” (p.72). Furthermore, food that is frozen, packaged and canned is considered processed food. A brief explanation of the chemical additives in processed food.
Food safety is an increasingly important public health issue. Governments all over the world are intensifying their efforts to improve food safety. Food borne illnesses are diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food. “In industrialized countries, the percentage of people suffering from food borne diseases each year has been reported to be up to 30%. In the United States of America, for example, around 76 million cases of food borne diseases, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, are estimated to occur each year.” (Geneva 2)
The value of the market for disposable wrappers, dishware, and cutlery at fast-food restaurants, hospitals, and other facilities is $20 billion, and recyclable or compostable products are in demand nowadays. There is a lot of interest in edible food packaging but the only problem now for consumers is with its taste, texture, and appearance.
Food-borne illnesses fall into two categories, intoxicant and infections. An understanding of the causes and preventions will limit any contaminations. The food preparation process emcompresses the sanitation process from
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
The demand for easy to prepare and convenience of food create major scientific and technological challenges that cannot be fulfilled without experts scientific capable of understanding complex chemistry or biochemistry of food system and knowledge about method to preserved food which increases dependability of society towards ready-to-eat has led the greater responsibility for processors in terms of quality, safety and nutrition (McGill, 2011).