Food is the basic necessity of our life, and in the same way, a food preservative is essential for food products to last longer, maintain quality and nutrition and continue to be in a perfectly edible condition upon purchase.
Here is the list of the most common food preservatives that you can find in your daily meals.
Starting, we have MSG, which is the most common artificial additive. In addition to this, it can be found in several processed foods, such as your frozen dinners, that include ready to eat noodles, soups, processed meat, etc. Most of your canned food, which you see on the shelves is using MSG to preserve the food present inside.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, “MSG is generally safe to eat.” On the other hand, many companies use Glutamate property, which is an amino acid to enhance the flavors of your canned food. MSG is present in the natural form within tomatoes and cheese too.
In 2020, food corporations are using the fermentation process to produce MSG for food successfully. This fermentation process is the same one that your mother uses at home, to make yogurt and Dahi.
Are you looking at something in the restaurant that looks too unreal to be true, and the colors just popping out from the dish? Then there is a sure chance you are looking at a dish that is made by using artificial food additives or coloring. There are lots of ways to make your food look beautiful, and one of the most common approaches to accomplishing this task is by using food coloring.
You might think food coloring is restrained to your kids’ candies and morning cereals. It’s not restricted to these food items. You need to read the ingredients of your packaged food items, and you will find food coloring lurking in between other ingredients too.
In the past 50 years, the consumption of dyed food has increased by 500%. Most of the junk food you found on the streets of your city use artificial coloring. Moreover, food coloring in shades of turmeric, coffee, chilly red powder, etc. all come as a natural food coloring material.
Furthermore, several medical conditions might occur in people who have a sensitive body. Thus, it’s fair to consume only a little amount of artificial food additives coloring with your food. While, most of the time, try to avoid it as it doesn’t give you any taste or nutrition benefit whatsoever.
This chemical helps in preserving your meat products from getting harmful bacteria. In addition to this, it adds a salty flavor to your meat, while giving your meat a pinkish color. Furthermore, Sodium Nitrate blocks the growth of botulism and prevents your meat from spoilage.
You can also find a higher amount of sodium nitrate in green veggies such as Spinach, which can easily contain 500 to 1900 parts per million of sodium nitrate. Only 5% of your daily intake of sodium comes from meat, and the rest of it comes from the vegetables. When the sodium nitrate, which is present in the veggies, comes in contact with your saliva, it turns into sodium nitrite, which is not known to be harmful for human consumption.
During our research, we have found out that Sodium nitrate, when it comes in contact with high heat, turns into amino acids and nitrites. That can turn into nitrosamine, which is not suitable for you to consume. It is best if you keep the levels of Sodium Nitrate medium to low in your diet.
Thus, you need to stop eating processed meat as your daily meal. Try to include freshly cut pieces of meat in your diet, as they are way more nutritious than the packed ones. Likewise, they provide a high amount of proteins and carbs to your body.
When talking about losing weight and getting a toned body, most people will tell you it’s more to do with your daily diet than the exercise you do in the gym.
Many cola and beverage companies use artificial sweeteners to enhance the flavor of their soft drinks to make them more pleasing to young kids and teenagers. Some of the most common types of sweeteners are aspartame, sucralose, and potassium. While it is true that in moderation, artificial sweeteners can help you reduce your weight, and people who are diagnosed with diabetes may use it on occasion to maintain their blood sugar levels; the fact remains that rampant use of artificial sweeteners is not good for the health in the long run.
Another sweetener that is widely used in sodas is corn syrup. It is used in many of your fruit drinks, that say they are made from 100 natural fruits. Well, they are not lying to you as corn sugar does occur naturally in corn.
HFCS has been linked to a variety of health issues over the years and is considered really bad. It is counted as a major reason for growing obesity in the world. It is said to be one of the most versatile food additives that are present in the market as it is used across a variety of food products.
Trans fat is another additive that is present in both synthetic and natural forms. Trans fat is a kind of unsaturated fat that is present in the meat and dairy products that are produced by ruminant animals. Some of these animals include cattle, sheep, and goats. Trans fat occurs naturally in their stomach when they eat and digest grass.
The trans fat available in dairy products is a mere 2-6% of the total fat. On the other hand, speaking of trans fat quantity in cuts of beef and lamb you will find it near around 3-9%.
Moreover, you can find vegetable oils that have gone through chemical processing to remain liquid at room temperature. Lastly, trans fat also increases the shelf life of vegetable oils.
Avoid foods with trans fat as it is not good for health.
Just Like Sodium Nitrate, Sodium Benzoate is also used in packaging meat-related food items. It helps in the prevention of your meat products from getting attacked by fungi that could quickly spoil your food and make you feel sick once you eat it.
Sodium gets inside each of the cells that are present in your diet and helps in balancing its pH value. Thus, increasing the acidity of your food, making the intracellular pH lower, of your diet, Sodium Benzoate creates an environment that doesn’t allow fungi to grow and spread inside of it.
Many soft drinks come with a high amount of Sodium Benzoate as it enhances the flavors of your soft drink. If you look at the ratio of the ingredients of your soft drink on its cover, you will see Sodium Benzoate be present in E211. That’s the number assigned to it as a food chemical or as an additive.
Also, the pickles bought from your local grocery store all of them contain Sodium Benzoate in one form or the other. Any of the food products present in your diet, which contains vinegar, may also have this chemical.
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