For the majority of consumers, various food additives such as preservatives, pigments, emulsifiers, thickeners, flavors and other terms are no longer unfamiliar, but because food safety incidents occur, consumers are beginning to worry about food additives.

 

Food additives and “illegal additives” are different

 

With the emergence of a series of food safety incidents, consumers have a “panic” mentality, and the two concepts of food additives and “illegal additives” are ambiguous. According to the "Sanitary Standards for the Use of Food Additives", the additives allowed in China are divided into 23 categories, including 334 kinds of food additives and more than 1,850 kinds of food spices.

 

Ms. Sun told reporters that in order to eat with confidence, she changed her habit of drinking milk and eating bread in the morning. Now it is a porridge with white eggs. “Even if the additives are not toxic, I think it is better to eat less.”

 

Experts said that the public has confused the boundaries between food additives and non-edible substances. Melamine in milk powder, white stalks in tofu, and Sudan red in eggs are all chemical raw materials. They are toxic non-toxic products that are strictly prohibited by the state. Edible substances, not food additives. At present, there are two major problems in the illegal addition of food: one is to use non-food raw materials as food additives, such as adding lemon yellow, melamine, Sudan red, etc.; the second is to use preservatives, sweeteners, colorants, over- or over-limits. Bleaching agents, etc.

 

“Foods like instant noodles, biscuits, etc. contain relatively more additives, so try to eat as little as possible, especially children.” Professor Liu from Sichuan University said. Although the processed products we consume contain food additives, excessive consumption will definitely damage the body.

 

If there is no additive in life

 

"If there is no food additive, our experiment will not be carried out." Professor Liu from Sichuan University told the students to do food research. Without food additives, almost all processed foods will not be available, and the foods they produce in the laboratory will not be edible.

 

Professor Liu used the hoes we ate as an example. From flour to steamed bread, it is necessary to make a base to make it, not to mention the whitening agent that can add beauty. He picked up the "Fuma egg yolk pie" on the side, and there were 22 kinds of additives in the ingredients. “Even if we drink pure water, there are additives.” Professor Liu explained that the so-called natural pure water should be sterilized. The “auxiliary” used in sterilization is a chemical substance, and the pure water is not completely visible. "pure. The additives in people's usual drinks are more abundant, and food flavors, preservatives, preservatives, etc. are indispensable.

 

Food additives have the effect of improving food quality, extending the shelf life of foods and facilitating food processing, such as preservatives. If cancelled, cooked meat products such as bacon, ham, and cooked cans are gone. The general manager of Chengdu Xinfuli Food Co., Ltd. said: “When we make bacon, we can not pay attention to beauty and no pigment, but nitrite, preservatives, etc. are essential. Traditional cured bacon method, roast with fire or Air-dried, but in order to preserve, you need to add a lot of salt, and some carcinogens will be produced after curing. According to modern scientific experiments, some traditional “natural” meat products will obviously increase the risk of cancer; Additives, just do not have the possibility of "potential".

 

Some experts once said: "There is no modern food industry without food additives." Even if we no longer eat any processed products and make our own products, the daily seasonings such as soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, and salt are all in the category of food additives.

 

Safe diet experts for the public

 

Although the overall safety of food additives approved by the state is relatively high, if the intake in the diet is too large, there is still the possibility of side effects.

 

The latest General Rules for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods issued by the Ministry of Health requires that all food additives must be clearly marked on the food label and indicate the amount used.

Mr. Huang said that he can “accept” food additives. “It is best to buy things in large supermarkets, buy good foods with good brand image, and see the ingredients, production date and shelf life of food.”

 

Some senior dietitians also make tips for the public. In the choice of ingredients, it is best to buy fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, buy less finished products and semi-finished products; when choosing fruits, they can't be confused by its appearance, some glamorous and bright fruits are likely to be waxed, and ugly fruits are safer; For meat selection, it is better to have white meat (fish, chicken, duck, low fat and high protein) without red meat (bovine, lamb, high fat).

 

A hotel staff member Wan Xiaohui told reporters that she is very concerned about eating and drinking, and she rarely eats hot pot and fast food. "Our pursuit of food should focus on its nutrition and health, not on taste, color. Food should be light, especially in summer."