Enhancing Safety and Adding Flavor: The Role of Additives in your Food Supply
Last week, I ran across a post on Facebook from a childhood friend denouncing additives in the food supply. I had to quickly scroll by, otherwise I may have been tempted to dispute the facts of the post. I realized that no matter how long I had known this individual, I was never going to change their mind about the important role some food additives play in the safety and flavor of our food on social media. But it did cause me to want to address food additives in the blog post this month.
Over the years, the shopping habits of the average American has changed drastically. Because of this, our demand for shelf life has increased, which has impacted the additives that are used in our food. This also impacts the food we purchase in our foodservice operations. Combined with this shift, our economy has transitioned from the agricultural society we once were, focusing much more on services, technology, and manufacturing. While this isn’t a bad thing, it does mean that fewer and fewer American’s truly understand our food supply and where our food comes from. Few have grown up on a farm or worked in agriculture, leading to questions about things such as additives and the role they really play in our food.
So, what is a food additive? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a food additive is “any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result, directly or indirectly, in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristic of any food.” The FDA is responsible for approving any new food additive that is not yet recognized as safe, and these additives are more strictly studied and regulated today than any other time in our history.
A food additive is generally considered safe for its intended use if the amount an average consumer would consume daily of the additive is less than, or approximates, the acceptable daily intake. The acceptable daily intake is the amount that can be consumed on a daily basis for a lifetime without risk to the individual, and these amounts are based on human and animal studies.
Consumers today demand convenience without compromising on safety or quality. Food additives enable manufacturers to meet these demands by providing products that are convenient, long-lasting, and safe.
Once a food item has been recognized as safe, it can be added to the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list, officially known as the GRAS Substances Database. You will find many different substances on the list – many of which are likely very familiar to you, such as Sodium Chloride (table salt) and garlic. But you will also find those less familiar, such as Thiamine hydrochloride, which is used as a flavor enhancer and can be used to increase vitamin B1.
From preserving freshness to enhancing flavor and texture, food additives are an important tool for manufacturers to provide the product we find appealing and to help ensure the safety of the product. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C and tocopherols, help delay the onset of oxidation, which causes fats and oils to become rancid. Lecithin isn’t just a releasing agent, it can also be used to help with emulsification, improve texture and mouthfeel, and extend shelf life.
Food additives are also vital for food safety. Preservatives and antimicrobial agents help mitigate food safety risk by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and pathogens. For example, nitrates and nitrites are commonly used in cured meats to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium responsible for botulism. Citric acid and acetic acid are used to adjust the pH of foods, creating an environment that inhibits the growth of bacteria and prolongs shelf life. Sulfur dioxide is used in dried fruits to prevent microbial spoilage. By utilizing these additives in their formulation, manufacturers can reduce the likelihood of microbial contamination and help protect the public health.
Consumers today demand convenience without compromising on safety or quality. Food additives enable manufacturers to meet these demands by providing products that are convenient, long-lasting, and safe.
I would be remiss if I led you to believe that they are safe no matter how much is used. As I noted earlier in this blog, the additives are approved based on the acceptable daily intake. Thus, it is imperative to stress the importance of using additives judiciously and responsibly, adhering to regulatory guidelines and safety standards to protect public health and well-being. Risk Nothing.
Exclusion and Restrictions: Understanding Employee Health and the Food Code
I received a call earlier in the month from a foodservice operator who suspected that one of their employees may have fallen ill and wondered if they had to send the employee home for the day. Once I started to ask a few more questions, it became obvious that the operator wasn’t really in-tune with the food code requirements on restrictions or exclusions for employees who may not be feeling well. Given that most operations are dealing with staff shortages currently and the fact that we are about to head into the fall and winter – when we tend to see an increase in upper respiratory and other illnesses, such as the flu - it seemed like a very timely and important topic for the blog this month.
Cross Contamination and the Surfaces that go Unnoticed
In October, I ran across a new research study published in the Journal of Food Protection in early-September. The article explored cross contamination in consumer kitchens during meal preparation. One of the authors was a previous SafeBites presenter, Dr. Ellen Shumaker, at North Carolina State University. Although the setting was consumer kitchens and not the commercial kitchen many of you deal with daily, the findings were very applicable to what we often see in the foodservice setting.
Emergency Preparedness: The Not-so Calm After the Storm
If you and your foodservice operation have been hit by an emergency or other disaster, what comes next and how do you move forward? Much of the answer to this is predicated on the actual disaster that you are dealing with – a flood is certainly a much different than a fire, but some of the food safety considerations remain the same if your business has been left intact and has not been damaged by the disaster.
Emergency Preparedness and Responding to a Disaster with Food Safety in Mind
As I write the first blog this month, the realities of the devastation in Florida are coming to light as we also deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, which impacted Puerto Rico late in September. Recent news has been focused on the recovery efforts for all who have been impacted. Thus, I thought it would be fitting this month to discuss emergency disaster planning resources in our first blog and delve into recovering from a disaster in our second blog later this month.
