Explain how food additives are classified and outline their role in food production -10m

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Explain how food additives are classified and outline their role in food production  -10m

Food produced on mass scales and then distributed to supermarkets needs to have a longer shelf life than fresh foods produced at home which need to be consumed within a shorter time span. Additives are therefore added to such foods to prolong their sell by dates, to prevent the food from going off and giving someone food poisoning. Additives are classified by law into different categories including:

Colours are used to modify the appearance of the food and make it more attractive to the consumer and also in some cases to replace the colour lost during the processing to ensure a consistent colour. The most common colouring used is Plain caramel and it makes up 90% of all colouring used. It is brown/black in colour and is obtained from the heating of sugars. Plain caramel can be found in Coca Cola, beer and chocolate. Beta Carotene is another colouring and is found in plants such as carrots and tomatoes

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Emulsions in food are mixtures of oil and water and emulsifiers keep these mixed without the water and oil separating. They also slow down the rate of staling in baked products. There are two types: oil-in-water & water-in-oil, as water and oil do not mix emulsifier will prevent them separating into layers. Emulsifiers make food more appealing as well as giving it structure and texture. It also helps to maintain the quality and freshness to help prevent the growth of mould which could separate the oil and water. Common examples include bread, mayonnaise and chewing gum.

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