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FOOD.ADT
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1979-12-31
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What are food additives?
A food additive is a substance not usually eaten as a food. It is added to
food to enhance its acceptance.
Additives may:
* maintain nutritional quality
* maintain or improve keeping quality or stability, thus reducing waste; or
* make food attractive by enhancing taste, colour or consistency.
In the latter half of the 20th century, food additives have become important.
People today seem to spend less time at home and have less time to prepare
food; there is a new generation of `instant meals' and a revolution in
packaging and distrubition.
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Without additives, much of the food in our supermarkets would be unattractive,
unpalatable and would not keep.
Although additives are particularly important when much of our food is
processed and packed before it reaches the retailer, many of the substances
added to food today are the same as those that have always been in our food.
A large number were first used after having been found naturally in food.
These are now added as a purer form of the naturally occurring substances or
as a synthetic additive identical to the natural substance.
Every food additive must have a specific purpose as detailed in the following
list.
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* anti-caking agents to make sure that products such as salt, flow freely when
poured.
* antioxidants to prevent food containing fats and oils from becoming rancid
* artificial sweetening substances for use in low-jule foods
* colours to restore losses during processing and storage and to ensure a
uniform colour standard in the finished product
* emulsifiers to ensure that oil and water mixtures don't separate into layers
* enzymes to breakdown a food like milk into curds and whey
* flavours to make up for processing losses and to maintain uniformity
* flour treatment agents to make stored flour mature more quickly before it
is used for baking
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* food acids to maintain a constant acid level in food despite variations in
the acid level of ingredients
* humectants to prevent foods from drying out
* minerals added to make up for losses during processing and storage
* mineral salts to enhance the texture of foods such as processed meats which
might loose fat and meat juices
* preservatives to prevent deterioration
* propellants used in aerosol food containers
* thickeners and vegetable gums to ensure constant consistency
* vitamins to make up for losses in processing and storage
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Each state and Territory has its own food laws. Under these laws are the
requirements for food additives. However the individual States and Territory
administrations have followed closely in health matters - including food
standards - the recommendations of the National Health and Medical Research
Council. The NH & MRC in its turn takes advice in food matters from its Food
Standards Committee and its Food Science and Technology Sub-Committee.
A food additive may not be used if:
1. its intended function can be performed cost effectively another way;
2. it disguises inferior quality food or faulty processing
3. it deceives the customer
4. it significently reduces the nutritive value of the food
5. its safety in use is not recognised or
6. there is no benefit to the consumer.
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The Food Science and Technology Sub-Committee thoroughly assesses additives
against all these criteria before it recommends for or against their use. It
also recommends on allowable levels of additives. In its assessment the Sub-
Committee evaluates all additives according to procedures laid down by the
World Health Organisation and endorsed by the NH & MRC.
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What will the new labelling system mean?
Under present laws packaged food labels must list all ingredients. The label
must list, in descending order by mass, all the ingredients that have gone
into the food in the package. Additives must, of course, be listed, but only
by their `class name', such as, `preservative', `colour' or `emulsifier'.
It is not necessary to use specific names, such as `Sodium metabisulphite',
`tartrazine', or `lecihin', but under the new system specific additives must
be identified.
The spelling out of long scientific names on labels presents obvious problems,
so a number system has been devised. The system to be introduced to Australia
is based on that already operating in European countries.
Approved additives have their own numbers and lists of these are widely
available.
With the new system people will know a lot more about the food they buy.
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The idea, however, is not just to educate the public, to satisfy people's
curiosity or to provide more interesting breakfast reading.
A greater public interest in diet and nutrition is recognised and welcomed by
those concerned about the health of Australians. However, there are people in
the community to whom food additives are of much more than academic interest.
These are the people and the families of people with allergies or sensitivity
to certain substances which are quite harmless to others. These people must
know exactly what is in the food they buy - or risk illness or discomfort.
The new system will mean, for example, that if a manufacturer uses tartrazine
in food, it may no longer be listed amongst the ingredients as `colour'.
The manufacturer must use the specific name:
`COLOUR (TARTRAZINE)' or, to simplify the label, the tartrazine number:
`COLOUR (102)' may be used instead.
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Someone who is allergic to tartrazine then will know to avoid this product.
They will know also that a similar food labelled `colour (sunset yellow FCF)'
or `colour (110)' is not going to give them any trouble unless they are
allergic to that colour as well.
The following is an example of a food with its ingredient list now and in the
future:
______________________________________________________________________________
INGREDIENT LABELLING
------------------------------------------------------
FOOD CURRENT FUTURE
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Ingredients - skim Ingredients - skim
Confection milk, vegetable fat, milk, vegetable fat
glucose syrup, glucose syrup,
thickener, emulsifier thickener (gelatine)
vegetable gums, salt emulsifier(463),
flavours, colours, vegetable gums(407,
water added 410), salt flavours,
colours(102,110),
water added.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The target set by the MH & MRC for use across Australia of specific additive
labelling is January 1987.
However, States and Territories are already preparing to write the new system
into their own legislation and food manufacturers and packers are arranging to
include the full names or numbers as new labels are ordered.
Observant shoppers may have already noticed the European numbers on imported
foods. The same numbering system will be used in Australia without the `E'
before each European number.
After Europe, Australia is one of the first countries to adopt the number
system for domestic food.
The new food additive laabelling system should make shopping easier and less
worrying for people with allergies and provide a lot more information for the
growing number of people who take serious interest in what they and their
families eat.
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Source for preceding text:
Commonwealth Department of Health.
R84/1119 Cat. No. 85 0215 6
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