Types of food additives

Food additives are called different substances added to foods to improve their flavor, color, giving them a special texture, increase shelf life. In recent decades, the chemical industry is developing by leaps and bounds, and on the products that we buy, we are seeing more and more is not always clear to us the names of: thickeners, sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives and so on. There is debate as to their necessity and safety. In any case, we all need to know what is the meaning of these labels on packages.

Food additives are divided into several groups according to the functions they perform.

Nutritional supplements increase the nutritional value of food products. It is through these additives have the opportunity to buy products that contain a large number of different vitamins and minerals, the right amount of fat, carbohydrates, fiber.

In order to permanently maintain the freshness of the products used antioxidants Antioxidants: the truth about the notorious benefits . They should avoid the interaction of metals and food components, loss of its color, taste.

Supplements that help to get the right kind of product, color, contribute to a better whipping cream to a froth, curtailment of dairy products. These include chelating agents and sequestering agents and substances that alter the texture.

• Preservatives - a terrific additives which allow you to store the product for a long time without losing its taste, nutritional quality. The ancient people used as preservatives, sugar, salt, smoke, in which smoked products. Today, for the storage of fruits and vegetables using sodium benzoate, potassium. The vinegar employed as a preservative. For dry storage of vegetables and fruit are used sulfites, sulfur dioxide. In the production of flour and dairy products play a great role propionate, which do not allow to breed molds.
• Dyes are used throughout to give the products of a certain color. Colorants may be natural or synthetic. In recent years, along with the fashion for a healthy lifestyle and eco-friendly products people prefer dyes with natural basis, which are mainly extracted from various plants.
• Teksturanty - additives to impart special products, improved texture. For example, calcium makes the canned tomatoes stronger and more resilient. Phosphates contrary, mitigate, reduce the density of the products. Emulsifiers give a more dense texture, oily liquid. Leavening agents used in baking, for the relevant characteristics of bakery products.
• Sweeteners from ancient times extracted in large quantities. The most common, of course, is sugar. However, the desire to reduce the calorie content of foods has led to what began to withdraw and use artificial sweeteners. Some artificial sweeteners is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, so now continue to conduct research on breeding the best options for improving the palatability of foods.

Many tend to think that the mere combination of "food additive" already carries the meaning that this kind of chemical compound, certainly harmful and dangerous. It is worth noting that today there are many substances that meet all sanitary-epidemiological norms and are thus extracts of natural products: citric acid, acetic acid, lactic acid Lactic acid - shows our health Sucrose. Of course, there is really no advantage to our body additives such as nitrites contained in the smoked sausage (rate of content of the substances above, because it is considered that they are used in smaller amounts). Artificial dyes are often easy to recognize by the characteristic unnatural color and smell.

Disputes over food additives are still underway, and are also studies on the development of new species, which will improve the taste and appearance of food products. Pokupatelm same., In his turn, it is useful from time to time to read the labels and be attentive to their health.

Most high-calorie food in the world

Experts on nutrition, which the list of world champions in calories, note that the restaurant food - especially, of course, fast food - is getting worse, that is, more fat and calories. If fifteen years ago were amazing meals for 1500 calories, now even the 2000-3000 kcal, fit in a single serving, very few people are shocked. Researchers also believe very symbolic that this list is composed entirely of dishes native to the United States - a country where the first started talking about this issue, as the obesity epidemic.

The dish is called Mega Mel Burger (Mega Mel Burger), which may please those wishing to gain weight in record time and terrify nutritionists, served in one of the catering establishments of the US state of Texas. For its preparation it takes about 700 grams of minced beef, 450 grams of bacon, 115 g of American cheese, and lettuce, tomatoes and, of course, a classic hamburger buns. The energy value of food - 4556 kcal.

Do you think there's nowhere to high-calorie? There - in Las Vegas, you can eat a burger, which is made of four beef patties (each weighing 230 g), twenty strips of bacon, eight pieces of cheese, one tomato, onion halves, and contains 9982 kcal. In places that serve this dish, an appropriate name - Heart Attack Grill (grilled "heart attack"). People weighing over 160 kg it can have (but do not drink) for free, provided that they weigh to confirm your weight before you make the order, and eat every one of them - according to the rules can not treat his companions.

The restaurant Jack n Grills in Denver can be treated with burritos weighing little more than three kilograms, with an energy value of 3764 kcal. By the way, a woman who will eat this meal in one sitting, never leaving the toilet in this place until the end of life will be fed for free.

In the so-called Chicago deep pizza contains a daily rate of calories the average person - 2310 calories, and 165 grams of fat. Of course, the above-described burgers to pizza this far, but it can eat alone, not every person.

Milk cocktail with chocolate called Oreo containing 2600 calories, if desired, can try some of the inhabitants of cities of Russia - it is served in the cafe some network Baskin Robbins.

Sweets

• Protein bars, depending on the size and composition may contain from 150 to 250 Kcal. They were advised not to eat too much, because many of them contain a lot of sugar, but they should not be abused, even to those who seek to gain weight.
• Muesli bars, too, can not be attributed to a truly healthy food. They are very high in calories - one bar may be 100-200 kcal, and sometimes more. Ideally, such a high energy value to be achieved only by the beneficial ingredients (honey, nuts, cereals), but in fact often contains chocolate bars, sugar, artificial sweeteners and flavorings.
• Ice cream. 100 g of cream contains 200 calories or more; exact caloric depends on the type and various additives. This is not the most useful product, but those who gain weight can without harm to health afford two to four servings of ice cream a week.
• Chocolate. 100g of chocolate contains 500 calories, so that a sweet tooth may gain weight quickly enough due to this delicacy. However, if you want to increase the weight thanks to the muscle, rather than fat tissue, it is not necessary to abuse chocolate.
• Sweetened condensed milk contains 320 calories per 100 At that already, it contains a surprising amount of nutrients, such as vitamin A Vitamin A: An important element of the health and beauty , B vitamins B vitamins: the body useful helpers , Vitamin D, iodine, phosphorus, selenium, magnesium, calcium. Add a little condensed milk in porridge, cottage cheese or yogurt to make these more high-calorie meals.
• Chocolate and peanut butter - Nutella and its analogs. 100 g of this oil contains an average of 541 calories, so you can use it quickly enough to gain weight. However, despite the fact that for its manufacturing are used in all respects useful nuts, oil is classified as products containing the so-called empty calories - at very high caloric nutrients therein is extremely small.