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For centuries, people have enhanced their foods with various flavorings, preservatives and dyes. But some ingredients on today's food labels can be downright scary.
Few foods reach today's supermarket' free of additives—substances
that do not occur naturally in a food but are added for various reasons. These include preservatives to prevent spoilage; emulsifiers to prevent water and fat from separating; thickeners; vitamins and minerals (either to replace nutrients lost in processing or to increase nutritional value); sweeteners (both natural and artificial), salt, flavorings to improve taste; and dyes to make everything from candies to soft drinks more visually appealing.
In all, North American food processors may use any of about 2,800 additives. Although many people question the safety of these additives, the fact is that their use is governed by stringent regulations. Authorities require extensive studies before an additive is allowed on the market. In spite of this, rare reactions to certain additives are possible. The appropriate use of additives, though, allows us to enjoy history's safest and most abundant assortment of foods.
The most common food additives are sugar, corn syrup, other sweeteners, and salt; they are used both to enhance flavor and to retard spoilage. Other additives offer their own unique health benefits; these include calcium, as well as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin E, and other antioxidants that prevent fats from turning rancid and may also offer some protection against cancer, heart disease, and other ailments.