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.
Developing Good Food Safety Habits
Good habits and habit development are something that has fascinated me for several years. If you’ve attended any the training programs or presentations that my colleagues and I have conducted through our Center for Food Safety in Child Nutrition Programs, you’ve likely heard me opine about the importance of habits and how habits are created. Many times, in foodservice operations we wonder why our staff don’t follow the food safety practices we have established in our operation. Perhaps they don’t wash their hands when they are required, perhaps they just don’t use the proper method of handwashing, or perhaps we find that they don’t complete our HACCP logs as often as our program dictates should occur. And while we can stomp our feet and say “it is their job, they should just do it”, it really isn’t that simple. We can’t order people to change, although if we could, business and human resources would be so much simpler.
Getting Your Playbook for Food Safety Organized
As anyone who has ever worked in a foodservice operation knows, from the time food is received in your establishment to the time it is served to your customers, following proper food safety practices is crucial. What many don’t often think about is this time really should extend from the time the manager places their orders with their suppliers (including which purveyors you utilize), through the time the food is consumed – even if that consumption occurs off your premises and days after the original order was picked up by the guest. This is something that has certainly been highlighted by the pandemic as customers across the nation are utilizing take-out, curbside to go, and third-party delivery options more so now than ever before.
Getting Started with Building the Infrastructure
Hopefully in our first January blog, we convinced you of the importance of establishing an infrastructure within your operation to support a safe food culture. So, how does one go about doing this? Well, like any major project, break it into small bites. In our opinion, having a written guide for employees that documents expectations related to food safety basics of employee health and hygiene, temperature controls, and cleaning and sanitizing is the first step. Having this documentation serves as a reference for training and helps fulfill the mission of most foodservice operators which is to serve safe, quality food.
Food Safety Resolutions for the New Year
Finally, 2020 is in our rearview mirror and we can all turn the page to 2021! Resolutions for the new year might be more of the same from prior years (lose weight, exercise more, less screen time, etc.) OR you may have identified new practices to implement in your operation. If the latter, likely goals included some practices related to food safety – especially given the turmoil of 2020 and heightened concern by customers. It is our philosophy that attention to safe food handling practices is a win-win for any operation because of the direct relationship between food safety and food quality, which in turn leads to customer satisfaction. This past year has also demonstrated that attention to safety can affect the bottom line. Thus, the topic of our first SafeBites webinar for 2021 is on the topic of the return on investment of food safety, it is scheduled for January 20, so register now and please plan to attend.
