E numbers

http://www.food-info.net/uk/e/e200-300.htm
 Food safety
Preservatives used in processed meat :
Shelf life

Food
Potassium/Sodium Nitrate Nitrite; technology
purposes
• Excellent protection against Botulism
• Improve colour & flavour

Sulphide;

• Inhibit grow of microbes

• Retain fresh colour and appearance of fresh meat
(the bloom)
CHAPTER 2 :
FOOD ADDITIVES

CHAPTER OUTCOMES

At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:-

a) Explain why food additives are added in food products.

b) Define food additives according to Malaysian Food Regulation
(1985).
c) Explain the functions of antimicrobial agents, antioxidants,
humectants, pH regulators and sequestrants.
 TYPES OF FOOD ADDITIVES
1. Intentional – purposely added to the food to
provide desirable criteria/characteristics.
Eg: Antioxidants, Antimicrobial, Sequestrants & pH
regulators.
There are 3 categories:
a) Additives generally recognized as safe
(GRAS) – Handbook page 14
b) Additives with prior approval
c) Food additives
2. Incidental – indirect additives substances that can
accidentally get into food product during
production, processing or packaging.
Eg: Antibiotic, dirt, dust, hair, hormones, insects,
and chemicals from plastic migration
LIST OF SOME GRAS CHEMICAL
PRESERVATIVES

Refer to Handbook page 15

GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) :

a status label assigned by the USFDA (US Federal Food,

Drug and Cosmetic Act) to a listing of substances (GRAS list)
not known to be hazardous to health and thus approved for
use in foods.

OR

Compounds that are excluded from the food additive

regulation process since it is recognised safe by experts,
based on history of use or based on publish scientific
evidence. There compounds present insignificant hazard
with normal human food uses.
According to USFDA :

Food additive is any substance that is intentionally added

into food.

It is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA,

unless the substance is generally recognized, among

qualified experts, as having adequately shown to be safe
under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use
of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of
a food additive.
FUNCTIONS OF FOOD ADDITIVES
1) To improve or maintain nutritional value (nutrients are
lost during food processing especially those that involve
heat treatments. Foods like milk, margarine, and cereals
are enriched or fortified by additives like vitamins A and
D, iron, riboflavin, and folic acid).

2) To enhance overall quality and presentation of the foods

(texture, colours, aesthetics, taste and consistency).

3) To enhance consumer acceptability (foods become

tastier).
 FUNCTIONS OF FOOD ADDITIVES

4) To improve shelf life (antimicrobial agents and

antioxidants are added to prolong the shelf life of foods).

5) To increase varieties of products (providing choice for

consumer).

6) To make food readily available (convenience for

consumer).

7) To facilitate preparation or processing of the food (eg :

stabiliser, emulsifier).
https://apfoodonline.com/industry/enhancing-product-appeal-in-fruit-based-beverages/
MISUSE OF FOOD ADDITIVES IN INDUSTRY

a) Camouflage poor quality product

(Penyamaran produk berkualiti rendah)

b) Disguise/conceal an inferior product

(Menyamar/menyembunyikan produk yang lebih rendah)

c) Hide from defective manufacture/deteriorate

(Sembunyikan dari pembuatan / rosak yang cacat)

d) Hide from deterioration of the food

(Sembunyikan dari kemerosotan makanan)
 Malaysia : Food Act 1983& Food Regulations 1985

ACT281 : An act to protect the public against health hazards and fraud
in the preparation, sale and use of food, and for matters incidental thereto
or connected therewith.
DEFINITION OF FOOD ADDITIVES

Malaysian Food Regulations (1985), defined food additives as:

“Any safe substance that is intentionally introduced into or on a

food in small quantities in order to effect the foods keeping
quality, texture, consistency, appearance, odour, taste, alkalinity
or acidity or to serve any other technological function in the
manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packing,
packaging, transport or storage of the food and that results or
may be reasonably expected to results directly or indirectly in
the substance or any of its by-products becoming a component
of, or otherwise affecting the characteristics of the food and
include any preservative, colouring substance, flavouring
substance, flavour enhancer, antioxidant and food conditioner
but shall not include nutrient supplement, incidental constituent
or salt”
FOOD ADDITIVE OR NUTRIENT?

Source: MIKE SALTMARSH

HIERARCHY OF FOOD ADDITIVES

FOOD
ADDITIVES

INTENTIONALL INCIDENTAL
Y ADDED ADDED

FOOD FOOD FOOD

COLOURING PRESERVATIVES FLAVOURING

ANTI-
pH SEQUESTRANT
MICROBIAL ANTIOXIDANTS HUMECTANTS
REGULATORS S
AGENTS
 FOOD PRESERVATIVES
Chemicals food preservatives must satisfy these main
requirements:

a) Addition of extremely low concentrations must make the

food unacceptable for microflora.

b) Added in effective concentrations must be completely

harmless to human health

c) It should not impart colour, flavour or taste to the product.

d) It should be free from officially banned, deleterious

admixtures and impurities.
DO WE NEED CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES?
FOOD PRESERVATIVES AND THEIR
FUNCTION

Refer to Handbook page 17

 ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT
Function: to prevent food spoilage cause by growth of bacteria,
mould, fungi and yeast hence assuring safety of many
foods.

It helped to:
a) Extend shelf-life of food products
b) Protect the natural colour and flavour of the food.

Examples:
Sugar, salt, sodium benzoate, fatty acid salts such as sodium or
calcium propionate, sodium nitrite and nitrates, sodium chloride,
sulphur dioxide, sorbic acid and oxidizing agents like chlorine,
hydrogen peroxide and iodine.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS : Calcium
propionate
 ANTIOXIDANT
Function: Delaying or retarding the development of rancidity in
food or other deterioration due to oxidation
(enzymatic browning).

It must meet certain properties such as:

a) Do not cause any harmful physiological effects on human
b) Do not contribute to an objectionable flavour, odour or
colour
c) Do not destroy during processing
d) Effective in low concentration,
e) Fat soluble
f) Economical
g) Have carry-through effect
 TYPES OF ANTIOXIDANTS
1) Natural antioxidants such as:
a) Tocopherols,
b) Sesamol,
c) Gossypol,
d) Ascorbic acid,
e) Spices and Herbs (rosemary and sage)

2) Synthetic antioxidants such as:

a) Butylated hydroxylanisole (BHA),
b) Butylated hydroxyltoluene (BHT),
c) Propyl gallate,
d) Tertiary butylated hydroxyquinone(TBHQ),
e) Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA).
APPLICATIONS OF ANTIOXIDANTS
IN FOOD PRODUCT
1) BHA and BHT: added to prevent oxidative spoilage of
unsaturated fats and oils in potato chips, cheese balls,
ready-to-eat cereals, crackers.

2) α-tocopherols: used in vegetable oils to delay rancidity.

3) Ascorbic acid: reacts with unwanted oxygen, stabilising

colour, flavours and prevent formation of nitrosamines in
cured meats, applied to frozen fruits to prevent
browning.
 pH REGULATORS (ACIDULANT)

• Function: lower food pH, control food acidity and

alkalinity, improve of flavours and inhibit
microorganisms in food.

• Examples of acidulants are malic acid, tartaric

acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, citric
acid and acetic acid (vinegar).
 APPLICATIONS OF pH
REGULATORS IN FOOD PRODUCT
1) Phosphoric acid is used in cola soft drinks to reduce pH.
2) Acetic acid is used in mayonnaise and salad dressings
to provide tartness.
3) Propionic acid applied to surface of cheese and butter
for its antifungal properties.
4) Alkaline compounds is used to neutralize
the excess acid developed in fermented
foods. E.g : Sodium hydroxide and
potassium hydroxide
 SEQUESTRANTS
(METAL CHELATOR)
Function:  To improves the quality and stability of foods by controlling
the availability of a cation (metal elements – copper, iron).
OR
To combine with metals, forming complexes with them and
making them unavailable for others reactions.

M+S MS inhibit development of off-

flavour, off-odour
where,
M = metal
S = sequestrant
MS = complex
Viera, E.R. 1996. Elementary Food Science. 4 th
Ed. New York : Chapman and Hall.
 SEQUESTRANTS
(METAL CHELATOR)
• Food products that contact directly with bronze, brass, cold rolled
steel or black iron surfaces (containers or equipment) having
potential in off-odour, off-flavor and off-colour.

• Metal element, Copper (Cu2+) and Iron (Fe2+) are active in oxidation

off-odour, off-flavor and off-colour. Therefore, it is best to

use stainless steel.

• Sequestrant may posses antioxidant properties which enable to

stabilise food from oxidative rancidity and oxidative
discolouration.
Viera, E.R. 1996. Elementary Food Science. 4th Ed. New York : Chapman and Hall.
 SEQUESTRANTS
(METAL CHELATOR)
• Sequestrants have little or no activity alone but will enhance
the activity of true antioxidants through their synergistic effect.
• Sequestrants can also found naturally in foods such as:
Malic acid
Citric acid Acidulants with sequestrant properties.
Tartaric acid
• Other examples of sequestrants:
Ascorbyl palmitate
Ethylenediamine tetra acetate (EDTA) & amino acid cysteine
- significant effect in reducing oxidation in ascorbic acid

Viera, E.R. 1996. Elementary Food Science. 4th Ed. New York : Chapman and Hall.
APPLICATION OF SEQUESTRANTS

IN FOOD PRODUCTS
• Sequestrant is used to protect vitamin (important nutrient but unstable
when expose to metal-catalyzed oxidation).

• Sodium citrate: added in cooked cured meat and canned baby foods.

• EDTA: used in wine and cider to prevent undesirable effects on flavour or

appearance.

• Sequestrant added in normally added in metal canned food products

including beer.

• Sequestrant added used to stabilize the colour and antioxidants in many

canned products.

• Sequestrant helps to stabilize colour and lipids in

canned fish and shellfish (potential source of high concentration
metal).
Viera, E.R. 1996. Elementary Food Science. 4th Ed. New York : Chapman and Hall.
Carolyn D. B. 2014. Handbook of Nutrition and Food, 3rd edition.
 HUMECTANTS

Function: to attract water within a food product which

lowers the products water activity (aw).

• Water activity reduction achieved by adding humectants to

food enhances stability, maintains texture, and reduces
microbial activity

• The hygroscopic or “water-pulling” substances when

incorporated in food will promote the retention of moisture.

E.g: Salt & sugar (the oldest), Fructose, polyhydric alcohols or

plyols such as glycerol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, propylene
glycol, polydextrose and glyceryl triacetate (triacetin).
 APPLICATIONS OF HUMECTANTS IN FOOD
PRODUCT

Fructose, glycerine and sorbitol:

used in sweetened baked goods such as
marshmallows, flaked coconut, cake icings,
soft and chewy cookies.
HUMECTANT USAGE

Sorbitol Cakes, pastries, sugar

confectioneries, chewing gum,
snack bars
Xylitol (lower mw than More effective in softening
sorbitol) starch, sugar and protein
matrices
Maltitol Cakes, pastries, chocolate,
chewing gum, sugar
confectineries, tabletop
sweetener (similiar to sucrose)
Brown, A., (2008). Understanding Food Principle & Preparation. United States : Thomsom Wadsworth.
Brown, A., (2008). Understanding Food Principle & Preparation. United States : Thomsom Wadsworth.
Brown, A., (2008). Understanding Food Principle & Preparation. United States : Thomsom Wadsworth.
Marianski, S., and Marianski, A., (2009). Polish Sausages Aunthentic Recipes and Instructions. Florida :
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