Food additives are the substances added to different processed foods for some purposes.More then 3000 additives are widely used in food technology processes at present.
Food additives are used for:
-to make food more attractive to consumers,through providing appealing features:colour and flavour that gives smell and taste
-to preserve food(chemical preservatives are added)
-to keep food fresh,by adding sodium nitrate and vitamin C to uncooked fruits,to prevent becoming brownish
-to help processing and improve texture and consistency of food
to improve nutritive value(fortification of certain foods,like baby powder milk,margarine,common salt for iodine,refined flour.
Uncontrolled use of additives may be unsafe whit potential risk of toxicity to body organs,specially the liver and kidney and carcinogenicity,specially on regular long term consumption.
Marketing of processed food must be submitted to quality and safety assurance regulation and must have as objecties:
-prevention of all forms of adulteration
-regulation of additives for safety:allowing only additives that proved safe,on laboratory and experimental animal testing,specifying maximal allowable concentration,giving name and concentration of additives on food lebel,regular inspectation for quality,validity(manufacture and expiry date),used additives and presentation.
Studies are ongoing for correlation of food and cancer.They suggest that according to circumstances both protective value of diet(anticarcinogens containing and protective factors as antioxidants) and the role risk(may contain carcinogens).
To decrease the risk of cancer we have to take in consider:
-just the needed calories,and caloric restriction if is necessary
-get energy from complex carbohydrates mainly whit reduce fat and sugar
-regular checking of dietry control of weight
-the alcohol must be avoided,and salted and smoked foods.
Saccharin is an artificial nonsucrose sweetener that gives no calories.
Saccharin is used sweetener for many diet products on the market,as soft drinks,syrops and sweets to be labelled "Diet" and personal used at home,to sweeten drinks as tea and sweets.
Saccharin has been implicated as potential carcinogen,based on experimental studies on rats.
Carcinogenic role in man,however,has not been established.There was no difference in the incidence of cancer in a study group of saccharin users and a control group of nonusers.
A balanced diet must provide vegetable and fruits(the main source of vitamins and essential elements,provide antionxidants that protect the body cells against the effects of free radicals and oxidants) and suitable fiber,from vegetable and fruits and high fibre grain.It is valuable for gastrointestinal mobility and contributes to prevention of cancer colon.
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