8.

0 Food additive: Stabilizer,

Preservative & Sweetener
 Introduction
 Food Stabilizer
 Food Preservative
 Food Sweetener
 Other additives
8.1 Introduction
 Food additives are substances that are added to foods to enhance their
quality and make them more appealing.

 They are used for nutritional purposes, preservation of flavour and

shelf-life, improvement in processing and general consumer
acceptance.

 The use of additives is quite common in the food industry but is not
without controversy.

 The final decision regarding additive use typically falls on government

agencies that evaluate the potential risks and benefits of specific
additives.

 Regulatory references, such as Food Act and Food Regulation (1985) in

Malaysia must always be reviewed before choosing a food additive.
8.2 Food Stabilizer
 Stabilizers or texturing agents, are food
additives used in the greatest total quantity.

 Starches, emulsifiers and gums are the

primary ingredients in this category.

 They modify the overall texture or mouthfeel

of food products.
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FOOD STABILIZER

Starch Emulsifier Gums

a. Starches
 Starches in their native or modified form, are used
extensively in the food industry.

 They are relatively inexpensive and easily available.

 Most starches are extracted from corn, wheat,

sorghum, rice, potatoes and tapioca.

 The character of the starch depends on its source.

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 Several factors must be considered before selecting the starch
that will provide the desired properties such as:

1. Product’s structure
2. Flavour
3. Shelf stability
4. pH
5. Storage temperature
6. Processing conditions

 The desired physical attributes such as clarity, opacity,

smoothness, colour and ability to suspend particulates, must
also be known.
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 Modified starches have been developed to expand the
usefulness of starches in many application.

 Modifications such as cross-linking allow the starches to

perform better under numerous adverse conditions such as
extreme pH, temperature, physical abuse and interactions with
other ingredients.

 Pre-gelatinized starches have the same behavioral patterns of

cook-up starches, but swell in cold water.

 Their applications include salad dressings and desserts.

b. Emulsifiers
 The most obvious function of food emulsifiers is to:

- Assist the stabilization and formation of food Emulsifiers

emulsions.
- By reducing surface tension at the oil-water
interface.
Oil Oil
 The usual method of forming an emulsion is to:
Water
- Apply mechanical energy through vigorous
agitation.
Surface
- Using a stirrer colloid mill, homogenizer or
ultrasonic mixer. tension

 The most common examples of emulsions are:

- Mayonnaise and margarine.

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 Monoglycerides and diglycerides:

- Are very often used as emulsifiers.

- In shortening, margarines, ice-cream and baked goods.

 Lecithin,

- A naturally occuring emulsifier,

- Is widely used in margarines, sauces, gravies and confections.

- Is the emulsifying component in eggs, which are used in

mayonnaise, salad dressings and baked goods.
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 Aerated or whipped toppings:

- Contain propylene glycol monostearate.

 Polysorbate 60:

- Is used in salad dressings and sauces,

- While polysorbate 80 is contained in flavour emulsion.

 Many other emulsifiers exist:

- But their specificity limits their performance to specialized

applications.
- For example, sorbitan esters are often combined with
monoglycerides in whipped toppings, icings and cream fillings.
c. Gums
 Gums are edible polymeric materials that are soluble or dispersible
in water and provide following properties in food systems:

i. Thickening, Gelling, Suspending

ii. Emulsifying
iii. Stabilizing and film-forming

 They are:

- Effective primarily in oil-in-water emulsions,

- Usually used at relatively low concentrations (0.1-2.0%),
- Have varied tolerances to pH, salt and processing conditions.

 Many gums are:

- Difficult to disperse directly into water,

- So it is advisable to use sugar or some other powdered ingredient in the
formulation as a dispersing agent.
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 Xanthan gum:

- Has become one of the most widely used gums in the food
industry.
- It is effective in very low concentrations.
- Quite tolerant to many processing and storage conditions.

 It also is compatible with starches and other gums, especially

alginates.

 Xanthan gum is used for a variety of product characteristics,

including

i. Emulsion stability in salad dressings

ii. Uniform viscosity in sauces and gravies
iii. Suspension of solids in toppings and beverages.
8.3 Food Preservatives
 Antimicrobial preservatives combined with good manufacturing
practice, provide a useful role to ensure safe food products.

 They also extend the shelf-life of foods, thus reducing waste,

disposal and costs.

 Several factors must be considered when selecting a

preservative:

i. Antimicrobial spectrum of the preservative

ii. Chemical and physical properties of both the preservative and
the food product
iii. Storage conditions and interactions with other processes
iv. The safety and legality of the preservative
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FOOD PRESERVATIVES

Organic Acids Salts

a. Organic Acids
 Organic acids are commonly used for flavour and tartness, to
stabilize colour, reduce turbidity, enhance gelling and as
antimicrobial agents.

 Acetic acid is effective against yeasts, bacteria and to a lesser

degree, molds.

 It is used as a pickling agent in condiments, cheese, dairy

product analogues, sauces, gravies and meats.

 The salts calcium and sodium acetate have similar activity to that
of acetic acid at the same pH.
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 Lactic acid is the primarily preservative in fermented
products, as well as being a pH-control agent and
flavouring.

 It has a broad range of uses, including salad

dressings, sauces, soups and desserts.

 Propionic acid and propionate are used against

molds and some yeasts and bacteria in flour, bread,
whole-meat products and cheese products.

 Citric acid although not used directly as an

antimicrobial agent, has activity against some molds
and bacteria.
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 Benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are used to control yeasts
and molds.

 They are most effective at pH 2.5-4.0, and least effective at pH

above 4.5.

 Sodium benzoate is extensively used in beverages, salad

dressings, condiments, margarine, sauces, gravies and pastry
fillings.

 The usage level typically does not exceed 0.001%.

 Other organic acids that have seen limited use as preservatives

include malic, succinic, tartaric and caprylic acids.
b. Salts
 The primarily use for sodium nitrite as an
antimicrobial agent is to inhibit the growth and
toxin production of Clostridium botulinum in
bacon, sausage and other poultry products

 Sulfur dioxide and its salts are used as

antimicrobial agents and to prevent enzymatic and
non-enzymatic discolouration in foods.

 The sulfites are used primarily in fruit and

vegetable products to control acetic acid
producing, fermentation and spoilage yeasts, and
molds.
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 Sorbates (e.g. potassium, calcium or sodium salts)
are effective inhibitors of fungi.

 The antimicrobial effectiveness of sorbates depends

on pH, processing, packaging, storage temperature
and length, and other ingredients.

 Typical applications include baked goods, icing, fruit

and cream fillings, carbonated and still beverages,
condiments, margarine and various salads.
8.4 Food Sweeteners
 Sweetness is one of the most important taste sensations for
humans, as well as many animal species.

 The most commonly used sweeteners are sucrose, glucose,

fructose and lactose, with sucrose being the most popular.

 The major food industries using the largest quantities of

sweeteners are the soft drink, baking, confectionary, canning,
dairy and brewing industries.

 These ingredients, however, are usually classified as food rather

than additives.
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FOOD SWEETENERS

Nutritive Non-Nutritive
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 Sucrose has many functional properties other than sweetness.

 It is a:
1. Bulking agent
2. Texture and mouthfeel modifier
3. Preservative
4. An energy source for food fermentations.

 To avoid obesity, dental carries or disorders in carbohydrate

metabolism, many countries now use sweeteners rather
sucrose.

 These other sweeteners may be:

i. Nutritive - fructose and sugar alcohols
ii. Non-nutritive – saccharin and aspartame
a. Nutritive Sweeteners
 Fructose is the only carbohydrate with a greater
sweetness than that of sucrose (~50%).

 It is more slowly absorbed than sucrose and

glucose and does not stimulate insulin.

 Therefore, it is a recommended sweetener in

diabetic and dietetic foods.

 Good applications for fructose are found in

breakfast, beverages and ice-cream.
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 Sugar alcohols are produced by the hydrogenation
of sugars and syrups with the aid of a catalyst.

 They include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol and

lactitol.

 Sugar alcohols are functionally similar to sucrose.

 Their most attractive feature is that they have not

been implicated in the formation of dental caries, as
has sucrose.
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 Sorbitol has special properties of high viscosity, humectancy
and crystalline form.

 It is used in confections, candies, preserves, jellies and table-top

sweeteners.

 Mannitol is a good anti-adhesion agent and is used in the

manufacture of sugar-free chewing gum, sweets and ice-cream.

 Xylitol is primarily used in sugarless confectionery products and

diabetic and dietetic foods.

 Maltitol has excellent heat stability and aids moisture retention in

baked goods.
b. Non-nutritive sweeteners
 Saccharin is the most widely used sugar
substitute in the world because of its low cost and
high stability.

 It is the only non-caloric sweetener that can

withstand heating, baking and high acid, and it
can be used in virtually and dietary product.

 Its biggest disadvantage is a bitter, metallic after-

taste, which may be overcome by mixing
saccharin with ingredients such as other
sweeteners, flavours or citric acid.
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 Aspartame has become today’s prime sweetener for many
dietetic foods, including soft drinks, candy, ice-cream and
chewing gum.

 However, a loss of sweetness is observed in foods that have a

very low pH or are heated for a long period of time.

 Its good taste has promoted its acceptability even though it costs
more than other sweeteners or sugar.

 Aspartame is one of the most thoroughly tested food additives

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 The safety of aspartame’s component amino acids, aspartic
acid and phenylalanine, has been questioned.

 Appropriate warnings on product packaging are necessary to

alert sufferers of phenylketonuria, since there is a need to
control the amount of phenylalanine in the diets.

 Acesulfame-K and sucralose are recently introduced

sweeteners that are still being evaluated.

 Cyclamate has the benefits of good taste and low cost but its
association with tumors in rats caused it to be banned in the
UK and USA.
8.5 Other Food Additives
 Other food additives are:
1. Anti-caking agent
2. Bulking agent
3. Nutritive additive (e.g. vitamin, mineral)

 The use of additives has facilitated the

development of many food items that
otherwise would not exist such as low-calorie
foods, convenience foods, snack items and
food substitutes.

 Additives have provided a food supply that is

safer, more nutritious and less costly, with
more variety to the consumer.
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OTHER FOOD ADDITIVES

Anti-caking Bulking Nutritive

agents agents additive
a. Anti-caking Agents
 Anti-caking agents are used to impart free-flowing properties to
dry foods (granular & powdered forms that are hygroscopic in
nature).

 They can be considered processing aids to improve the blending

or filling of dry mixes, or they can play an important role in
preventing caking over the shelf-life of the product (especially
when the product is stored under conditions of high relative
humidity).

 The amount of moisture and/or fat will determine the degree of

caking, clumping or bridging during processing or filling.

 Surface area and particle size are other characteristics that are
important when choosing anti-caking agents; the greater the
surface area, the more moisture and oil can be adsorbed.
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 Silicas, such as silicon dioxide and sodium
aluminium silicate, are commonly used as anti-
caking agents at a usage level of 1 - 2%.

 Spices and spice blends, especially those

containing oily ingredients such as paprika or
essential oils, often require anti-caking agents.

 Tricalcium phosphate may be used in crystalline

products like salt and sugar.
b. Bulking Agents
 Non-functional bulking agents are ingredients added to foods to
contribute only bulk, that is, basically a filler or extender.

 There are relatively few situations where a bulking agent fits this
description.

 Dietary fibers and forms of cellulose are frequently used as

bulking agents and calorie reducers.

 Rusk is a filler used mainly in sausage-making.

 It is made from wheat flour, chemically raised, baked, then

coarsely ground. Rusk can absorb up to four times its weight of
water.
c. Nutritive Additive
 Nutritional additives have increased in use as
consumers have become more concerned
with health and nutrition.

 They include vitamins, minerals, proteins and

fiber.

 Nutrients are used to improve the biological

value of foods for the prevention or
elimination of nutritional deficiencies.
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 Vitamins are commonly added to cereal products to restore
nutrients lost during processing.

 The flour-milling industry adds thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid

and iron to flour.

 Many fruit beverages are fortified with vitamin C, and milk has
added vitamin D.

 Many baby foods are supplemented with iron.

 Additives have provided a food supply that is safer, more

nutritious and less costly, with more variety to the consumer.
THANK YOU!