What will happen to Food Without Additives?
Minerals and vitamins are some of the food additives that are used in the food industry today. As coloring agents, sweeteners, seasonings, preservatives, stabilizers, and so on food additives are essential enhancers given their versatility in serving diverse functions. But have you ever thought about what would happen to food which is prepared without any additives in it? What is the real picture of food without additives? Can food additives be so critical in the food chain or have they been over-publicized and are there replacements for them? In this article, we explore varied kinds of food additives and exactly what would happen to food if additives were not added to them.
Acidity regulators
Acidity regulators are a very popular type of food additives in foods that need to be preserved for long periods, or which need flavor enhancement. Other names for them include acidifiers and they are quite versatile given the fact that they help in maintaining the pH of foods they are added to. Without additives, it would mean that foods would be short-lived and this would not be good news to manufacturers of mass-produced foods that must be preserved for long periods.
That is mainly because they shift the pH levels of the foods and thereby change the environment of the product against bacterial invasion. Without acidity-regulating additives, food would not only spoil much faster but also lack that special sort of acidity that adds to its taste and makes it more appealing and popular among people.
Common food additives which possess acidifying qualities include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, and citric acid. These acids can be organically and inorganically produced, based on their need and used extensively in a wide variety of food products such as a lot of beverages, canned fruits, fermented foods, and many others.
Further reading： Acidulants Used In Food
Freshness Retaining Agents
Freshness-retaining agents are vital in ensuring that perishable foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats, maintain their natural qualities for an extended period. By slowing down the natural processes that lead to spoilage, these agents help preserve the taste, texture, and nutritional value of food. Examples of commonly used freshness-retaining agents include ascorbic acid and benzoic acid, which are added to a variety of foods to keep them fresh and suitable for consumption for longer durations. This not only improves the availability of perishable products but also reduces food wastage by extending their shelf life.
Food Preservatives
Preservatives play a crucial role in protecting food from microbial growth, which can lead to spoilage and make food unsafe for consumption. By inhibiting the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast, preservatives help ensure that foods like sausages, canned meats, and other perishable items remain safe for longer periods. Additives such as BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) 、potassium sorbate E202 are frequently used in these products to prevent the development of foodborne illnesses while keeping the food affordable for consumers. Without preservatives, many foods would spoil rapidly, leading to limited availability and increased costs due to wastage.
In Food without Additives
1. In Food without Antioxidants
Several food additives are used for antioxidant functions to become a promising food additive in lots of sorts of food products including fried food, food with animal fats, or vegetable oils such as snack products, butter, beverages, etc. The intended function of antioxidants is to make foods to which they are included not to become rancid. This can happen in food without antioxidants since it leads to very quick oxidation of the ingredients which translates into rotting.
What this also means is that food manufacturers would be hard-pressed to produce a large quantity of food or transport it over long distances as the food would go bad soon. The antioxidants then help in preventing the oxidation of the fats and oils which are present in some specific types of foods thereby increasing their shelf life and thus enable the producers to produce these products in large quantities without pumping more money to make them last longer and then pass these advantages to consumers in the form of cheaper prices. Consumers also benefit from this because the foods can be easily available to them in supermarkets and stores, and will be safe for consumption for longer periods.
2. In Food without Enzymes
More so for the baked food products, the additives are pertinent as they contribute enzymes to the food products making them more impacts on shelf life, taste as well as texture and softness. These foods without enzymes prevent the breakdown of the starch content and thus result in a hard texture of the baked foods. To add to this, such fresh foods would not stay fresh for long especially bread and pastries which would result in the arrival of poorly baked final products that are rigid and almost hard to swallow anybody.
When food additives are incorporated during the preparation of the baked goods, the baked goods are soft, fluffy, and perfect in terms of aeration. Besides the baking sector, it is used in the production of a wide range of beverages such as products like beer and wine. This is so because they are useful in the process of fermentation.
3. In Food without Water Retention Agent
There is hardly any other food additive as vital as water retention agents, especially in meats such as ham, canned meats, sausages and more. In food without water retention agents, the moisture of the meat can get dry in no time; thus, the juiciness that makes it delicious and yummy is gone. When adding food additives to these foods, it assists the meat in maintaining its texture, tenderness as well as flavors thus making it palatable for a longer period.
4. In Food without stabilizers
Stabilizers are food additives that play an important role in the maintenance of the structure of such products as yogurt, ice cream and other milk products including beverages. Also in food products without stabilizers, due to inconsistent ingredients, they are more prone to segregate and the whole product will spoil, rot and look unappetizing not only in appearance but also in taste. For example, if a stabilizer is not included in ice creams, the mixes will coagulate and crystallize hence, leading to the production of an ice cream which has texture like sand and lacks the creamy feel.
5. In Food without Leavening Agent
Some of the common food acids include baking soda and baking powder which also have leavening capability and are used in the preparation of baked foods. In these products, leavening agents assist the food products such as breads and pastries to rise thus giving them the desired fluffy look and feel as well as the taste.
If baking powder or other rising agents were not used, the resulting food in food without leavening agents would be compacted, rigid, sometimes even stony and thus, indigestible let alone the aesthetic value which is nearly nonexistent. For instance, when added to the batter of a pancake or waffle baking soda which is a very popular leavening agent and a major household item contributes to the fact that the final cooked product is soft and fluffy.
6. In Food without Emulsifiers
Another class of food additives that are used commonly in the preparation of food products are emulsifiers. Some of them are used to disperse various ingredients used in food products such as oil and water which if not emulsified will separate and ruin the products. In food without emulsifiers, the ingredients of the food will separate and that makes it unfit for human consumption. For example, if a milkshake is not made correctly, the components of this beverage, including cocoa, milk, water and others if left in a cup will layer on top of each other and are inedible.
Conclusion
The function of food additives in the modern food processing industry is incomparable. Thus, the type of food supply and food availability today in the global area would not be possible if food additives were not invented, or if they were not promoted for consumption. Always, food additives are of significant importance in preserving the quality of foods, it is therefore necessary to identify the best food additives in the market, which can be bought from reputable dealers such as Mondstar- a company dealing with fine quality food additives.
Related Posts：
1. Food Additives Buying Guide
2. What is Phosphoric Acid？
