Food Safety and Food Additives

FOOD SAFETY

Many people today are uncertain about the safety of the food available or supplied.

Safety is freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, change or loss.

Benefit is anything that is advantageous to the good of a person or thing.

Risk is the exposure to the chance of injury or loss.

The list of factors to be considered for food safety are

Food borne infection - These are the most important problems related to food safety.

Nutrition - with new products replacing other foods in the diet, are the essential nutrients being provided for dietary adequacy.

Environmental contamination - what are the problems of water and soil pollution relating to the food supply?

Natural toxicants - foods that contain them and the level of tolerance.

Pesticides - used and the presence of these in the foods and how much is removed in washing.

Intentional additions, colours and preservatives - how much of these is tolerated and excess of which affects normal functioning of the human organs.

FOOD ADDITIVES

An additive is any substance added directly or indirectly to any food product for technological purposes.

Improve the nutritional quality by the addition of minerals and / or vitamins.

Maintain or improve the keeping quality of a product - molding and rancidity.

Improve texture - yeast in bread making.

Make food more appealing in appearance and taste - colours.