❶ Food Additives E: Why They Use

Foods sold in stores often contain ingredients with the letter E and three to four numbers (characteristic of the additive). This is how food additives are used all over the world. Location: Location:

Food additives are included in the composition of the product in order to increase the shelf life, improve the nutritional properties of the product, and give it an attractive appearance. E additives are used as defoamers, thickeners, leavening agents, preservatives, stabilizers, flavor and aroma enhancers.

The code that follows the letter E and begins with 1 denotes dyes (gives a rich color), 2 - preservatives (increases shelf life), 3 - antioxidants (used to prevent product spoilage), 4 - stabilizers (preserve the consistency of the product) and emulsifiers (added to maintain structure), 6 - flavor and aroma enhancers, 9 - defoamers, glazers and sweeteners, 11 (four-digit index) - enzyme substances.

Food additives with the letter E replace natural ones and, as a result, make the product cheaper. For example, for the production of Coca-Cola used one part of nuts and three parts of the leaves of the tropical coca tree. The product was patented as a medicine and sold in a pharmacy. Later, the syrup began to be diluted with sparkling water. It was kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of a week.

If you look at the composition of Coca-Cola now, you can see more than one letter E. That is why the drink has become so cheap and can be stored for several months.

Almost all E food additives are man-made chemicals. Therefore, even the safest (for example, E1404 - starch, E152 - activated carbon, E500 - soda), they can cause an individual reaction in people sensitive to these substances.

There are food additives E, which are strictly prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation:

E121 - red citrus dye;

E123 - red amaranth, dye;

E240 - formaldehyde, preservative;

E173 - powdered aluminum, which is used to decorate sweets and confectionery.

There are allowed in Russia and even harmless E. For example, E450 (stabilizer) - phosphates necessary for bones, dye E163 - anthocyanin from grape peel.

But doctors, nevertheless, agree on one thing - even additives made from natural raw materials undergo deep chemical processing. Consequently, the consequences can be unpredictable. Therefore, check what you eat. Better yet, try not to eat foods that contain the letter E.