Lesson 2: Influence of Surroundings On Nutrition
Food Additives
The food industry uses nearly more than 3000 food additives every year. This includes food coloring, added preservatives and what not!! It is recorded that nearly 150 pounds of food additives are consumed by an average American every year! Let’s take a look at why we consume processed foods…
One of the most probable reasons is that processed foods can be stored for a longer time. What we forget here is that, processed foods do more good to the manufacturer than to the health of the consumer. Secondly, some manufacturers claim they have enriched the processed foods with extra vitamins and minerals. In fact, they have just replaced some of the lost vitamins, which are usually lost during the production process. The great flaw is that many important vitamins and minerals, which are processed out of whole foods, are not added back. Examples are chromium and vitamin B6, which are lost during the processing of grains and flours and are not replaced. Increased use of processed foods is also because of the added flavorings, which often tempt our taste buds. The next reason is our laziness, as processed foods are much easier to prepare and can be prepared quickly.
People using processed foods take a risk. They risk their health and the environment. We should minimize the use of processed foods as much as possible. Avoiding processed or packaged foods completely is not possible. So, the next time you go out shopping to buy something, always remember two things. First, avoid buying those foods in which many additives are added. Second, read the labels on the package and if there’s something you don’t understand, DON’T BUY IT!!
There are different kinds of additives that we usually come across. One among them is the sweeteners. Some of these sweeteners are derived from the extracts of real food. Examples are beet sugar, brown sugar, fructose and barley malt. There are artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin too, which cause a great deal of harm to our health. Another kind of food additive commonly used is the flavorings and coloring agents. The common foods that contain artificial flavors are candies, meats, puddings, soda pops, sauces, desserts, baked goods and lots more. Examples of approved coloring agents by the FDC (Food and Drug Administration) include red #3 (erythrosine), blue #1 and yellow #6. Other additives include preservatives, emulsifiers, neutralizers and many more.
The best approach towards food additives is to consume foods, which are natural such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and beans. As much as possible, packaged foods must be avoided.
