There’s a lot of talk in the media about food additives, and a lot of scaremongering to go with it – speaking badly of food additive suppliers. People online speak of trying to avoid food additives altogether, but that would actually be a very poor idea. Without additives, nearly every food on your local store shelves would go bad within a matter of days, disintegrate into mush within the bottle, or worse.
The truth is food additives have an extremely important role to play in feeding the world – and they’re nothing to be concerned about. Here are some facts.
Why Are There Food Additives in So Many Products?
The vast majority of food additives are there to act as preservatives. That is, they slow down the process of decay so that food can remain edible for longer. In many cases, they allow these foods to be eaten many weeks – or even months – past the point they would be inedible without preservation.
Food additives can serve numerous other roles as well. They can act as firming agents, preventing food from getting mushy, or they can act to preserve the flavor of the food over long periods. Others preserve the color and texture of a food, such as stopping oxidation on the outside of cut fruit.
Without food additives, a trip to the grocery store would be very different!
Are Food Additives Safe?
In nearly all cases, yes. For one thing, even the most basic of ingredients and spices can be considered food additives. Sugar, salt, curry… these are just a few of the additives which have been used as preservatives throughout human history.
Even when the additives are less commonplace as those ingredients, they are carefully regulated. The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) closely monitors all food additives, and regularly tests them for their safety. Similar governmental bureaus around the world do the same thing. In all cases, the additive is either declared to be safe, or it’s kept out of foods.
In addition, these governmental agencies include guidelines and standards on maximum allowed amounts, just to make sure the preserved foods remain safe.
FBC Industries Is A Top Food Additives Supplier
FBC supplies the world with the best in food additives, distributed in liquid form to ensure the highest possible quality and purity. To learn more about our products, or request free samples for testing, just contact us.