PROPERTIES

4 OF FOOD
Lesson 1

a Look at the photograph below and, in pairs or

group answer the questions.

1. What do you think these codes are?

…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
2. Are these codes give certain information
about foods or drinks you consume?
…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
3. Are they dangerous?
…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………
4. Do these substances cause certain sickness
and allergies?
…………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………

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❶

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 b Read the text very carefully.

Danger of Food Additives and Preservatives

While some food additives and preservatives provide
nutritional benefits or improve food safety, others --
from dyes and flavorings to thickeners and
whiteners -- are added for consumer appeal and
have known or potential health risks. Consider the
dangers of exposure from indirect sources your food
comes into contact with as well. Your best defense is
to avoid or limit eating processed, refined, packaged,
or convenience foods.
The real danger of food additives and preservatives,
natural or synthetic, is that no one knows what the
true collective dangers are. The U. S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) lists hundreds of approved
additives, however there are few clinical studies to
show if many of them are safe for human
consumption. The studies that exist are often
inadequate to assess the degree of risks.

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Food additives and preservatives have been linked
to the following, primarily in animal studies:
 Cancers in lab animals like rodents
 Asthma and allergic reactions associated with
chemicals, such as sulfites, and nitrites and
nitrates that prevent discoloration in meats and
are considered one of the worst food additives
 Bowel symptoms, such as nausea and diarrhea,
which could be part of an allergic reaction
 Preterm delivery linked to artificial sweeteners,
according to a 2010 Danish study and a 2012
Norwegian study
 Hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder in
children
 Human resistance to antibiotics because of use
in food animals
 Headaches from substances such as
monosodium glutamate (MSG)

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  Increased risk of heart disease from
accumulation of phosphates in the body in
those at risk
 Risk of weight gain from added sugars and
sweeteners, hormones, or substances that
interfere with hormone regulation
 Neurologic problems, like those from
aspartame consumption in rats

It is unclear if the adverse findings in lab animals can

be translated to health risks in humans because
there is not enough data on this question. The FDA
allows some food additives that are linked to risks as
long only small amounts are added. Lack of
adequate or no human studies and inconsistent
results leave many questions unanswered about the
dangers of food additives and preservatives.
Taken from : greenliving.lovetoknow.com

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 Answer these following questions based on
c
the text above.

1. From the text above, can you mention

the example of additives and
preservatives?
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………

2. To avoid additives and preservatives in

our food, what is the best we can do?
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………

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3. What diseases can be resulted from the
additives and preservation consumption
in the animal studies?
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………

4. What are the worst additives mentioned

in the text above?
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………

5. What sickness can be resulted from

additives and preservatives consumption
for children?
………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………

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 ………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………

d Read the list of dangerous additives and

preservation carefully. Find what additives or
preservatives that probably contained in the
following foods and drinks.

The Danger List of Additives

Additives Used in Potential Problem

E102 – tartrazine Sweets, biscuits, Hyperactivity, asthma,
mushy peas rashes
E124 - ponceau 4R Sweets, biscuits, Allergy, intolerance
drinks
E110 - sunset yellow Sweets, ice Gastric upset, allergy
cream, drinks
E122 – camoisine Biscuits, jelly, Allergy, intolerance
sweets, ready
meals
E104 – quinoline Sweets, smoked Hyperactivity, asthma,
yellow haddock, pickles rashes
E129 – allura red Soft drinks, Some evidence of
cocktails, hypersensitivity
sausages
E211 – sodium Soft drinks, Hyperactivity;
benzoate baked goods, asthma
lollies

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 Common Preservatives in Foods

Preservatives Used in Safety

Alpha Tocopherol Vegetable oils, Safe
(Vitamin E) breakfast cereal and
beverages
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin Cereal, fruit drinks Safe
C) and cured meats
BHA (Butylated Cereal, chewing BHA – Avoid
Hydroxyanisole) gums, potato chips, BHT - Caution
BHT (Butylated vegetable oil
Hydroxytoluene)
Calcium or Sodium Breads, rolls, pies, Safe
Propionate cakes
Heptyl Paraben Beer, non- Caution
carbonated drinks
Nisin Meat, poultry, Safe
cheese, liquid eggs,
salad dressings
Propyl Gallate Vegetable oil, meat Avoid
product, potato
stick, chicken soup
base, chewing gum
Sodium Benzoate Fruit juice, Certain people
carbonated drinks, should avoid
pickles
Sodium Nitrite / Nitrate Processed meats, Avoid
like bacons, hams,
frankfurters,
luncheon meats,
smoked fish
Sulfites Dried fruit, wine, Certain people

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 processed potatoes should avoid
Tartaric Acid Beverages, candy, Safe
ice cream, baked
goods, yogurt,
baking powder
TBHQ (Tertiary Butyl Vegetable oil, snack Safe
Hydroquinone) food, cereals, other
fat containing foods

FOODS AND DRINK MAY

CONTAIN…

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72
 Take turn with your partner to have short
e
conversation like the example below. You can
change the name of the food based on the
information table.

Student A : Is it okay if eat too much

potato chips?
Student B : I think, it is not good for your
health.
Student A : Why?
Student B : Because potato chips contain
sulfites, TBHQ and Propyl
Gallate.

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Student A : ……………………………………………
……………………………………………
Student B : ……………………………………………
……………………………………………
Student A : ……………………………………………
……………………………………………
Student B : ……………………………………………
…………………………………………..

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 Lesson 2

a Fill in the blank with the provided words in the

box.

natural processing appealing substances

Food additives are 1)………………..that become part of

a food product when they are added during the
2)……………………..or making of that food. "Direct"
food additives are often added during processing to
add nutrients, help process or prepare the food,
keep the product fresh, make the food more
3)…………………... Direct food additives may be man-
made or 4)………………………..

during purpose preserve herbs

Natural food additives include 1)………………….or

spices to add flavor to foods, vinegar for pickling

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 foods and salt, to 2)…………………………..meats.
"Indirect" food additives are substances that may be
found in food 3)…………………….or after it is
processed. They were not used or placed in the food
on 4)……………………. These additives are present in
small amounts in the final product.
Taken from : The New York Times

b Solve this crossword below with the common

function of substances used in food
preservations. Then guess what word you found
vertically.

P
❶ E N H A N C E R
❷ E M U L S I F I E R
S
E
❸ C O L O U R I N G
V
A
❹ S W E E T E N E R
I
❺ F L A V O U R I N G
E
❻ S T A B I L I S E R S

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 ❶ Substances used to enhance the existing flavour
in the food

❷ Substances which help prevent oil and water

mixtures (e.g. in mayonnaise) from separating.

❸ Substances which add or restore colour to

foods, to make it more attractive on cakes.

❹ Substances which replace the sweetness normal

provided by sugars in foods without
contributing significantly to their available
energy

❺ Substances used to create flavours in

foods rather than nutritional.

❻ Substances which maintain the uniform

dispersal of substances in a food

c Read the text very carefully, then fill the table

with the information provided in the text.

For centuries, ingredients have served useful

functions in a variety of foods. Our ancestors
used salt to preserve meats and fish, added

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herbs and spices to improve the flavor of foods,
preserved fruit with sugar, and pickled
cucumbers in a vinegar solution. Today, despite
the practical and efficiency reason, consumers
are recommended to use herbs and spices as
natural preservatives and additives as they can
give more advantages than the artificial.

a. Turmeric and curcumin

The components of turmeric and curcumin and
related compounds called curcuminoids appear
to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral,
antibacterial, and antifungal properties, with
potential activity against cancer, diabetes,
arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic
diseases.

b. Nutmeg
Nutmeg displays bactericidal activity toward
Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli. But

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nutmeg lovers need to be cautious, as 1 to 2
ounces of nutmeg have been known to cause
prolonged delirium and toxicity.

c. Cinnamon
Not only for its antioxidant capacity and
antimicrobial effects, Cinnamon also has its role
in insulin activity. Cinnamon also has a possible
modest effect in lowering plasma glucose levels
in patients with poorly controlled type 2
diabetes.

d. Pepper
Pepper is a concentrated source of capsaicin, the
powerful phytochemical that gives chiles their
heat and appears to have chemopreventative
activity. Capsaicin is also powerful analgesics.

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e. Garlic
Garlic contains substances which has anticancer
effects, including allicin, allixin, allyl sulfides,
quercetin, and organosulfur compounds. There is
some evidence that consuming one half to one
full clove of garlic daily may have a cholesterol-
lowering effect of up to 9%.

f. Oregano
Oregano had the highest antioxidant activity
among 27 culinary herbs and 12 medicinal herbs
tested, ranking even higher than fruits and
vegetables. Oregano also presents antimicrobial
activity against pathogens like Salmonella
typhimurium, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and
Staphylococcus epidermidis.

g. Rosemary
Rosemary, like other green herbs, possesses
antioxidant and antimicrobial activities linked to

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its polyphenol composition. Animal studies have
demonstrated its chemopreventative action.
Even the aromatherapy effects of this fragrant
herb have been studied regarding its relationship
to relieving pain and improving mood.

h. Ginger
Ginger, a mixture of several hundred known
constituents, including gingerols, beta-carotene,
capsaicin, caffeic acid, curcumin, and salicylate,
has a long history of medicinal use that dates
back 2,500 years. Dried ginger may be efficacious
for nausea and vomiting associated with
pregnancy with little risk of harm.

i. Mint / Peppermint
The main volatile components of the essential oil
of peppermint are menthol and menthone.
Peppermint has significant antimicrobial and
antiviral activities, strong antioxidant and

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 antitumor actions, and some antiallergenic
potential.

j. Basil
Basil is one of the medicinal plants widely used
to reduce plasma cholesterol and the risk of
atherosclerosis-related diseases. Basil extract
appears to contain hypolipidemic and
antioxidant substances that have shown some
protection against carcinogen-induced cancers.
Function Herbs and Spices
Microbial and bactericidal
activity
Chemopreventative
activity
Antioxidant activity
Against cancer
Against diabetes
Against tumor
Reduce pain
Efficacious for nausea

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d Match the pictures below with the names of
herbs and spices provided in the texts.

Pictures Names
basil

ginger

pepper

peppermint

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 rosemary

garlic

oregano

cinnamon

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 Curcumin/turmeri
c

nutmeg

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