ABSTRACT
With the increasing use of processed foods since the 19th century,
there has been a great increase in the use of food additives of varying levels
of safety. This has led to legislation in many countries regulating their use.
On the course of the study, the researcher made some objectives; additive and
preservative substances as used in processing and preservation of foods and
their health implication of foods in preservation and processing industry. Food
preservative like curing involves adding some combination of salt, sugar,
spices, vinegar, or sodium nitrate to animal foods. The importance of food additives and
preservatives are innumerable hence, the quest for more knowledge and awareness
through researches should be promoted by the government. Based on the
objectives and recommendation above, the researcher concluded that the
nutritional value of modern processed and preserved foods is no probably greater than it has even
been before and the major food chemical
(carbohydrates, fats and proteins) are kept in a fresh palatable and
nutritional satisfactory state.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
of Study
Additives
and preservatives have been in use in foods for centuries. When meats are
smoked as means of preserving them, compounds such as butyl gallate and
butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) are formed and provide both bacteriostatic and
antioxidant effects. Salt has been in use as a preservative for centuries. Salt
preserves by lowering the water activity (aw) of meats and other
foods as well as inhibits the growth of bacteria. Excess water in foods often
can encourage the growth of microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria.
Pickling, which involves addition of acids such as vinegar, lowers pH of foods
to levels capable of retarding the growth of bacteria. Some herbs and spices,
such as cinnamon, chili pepper, and curry, contain antioxidants and may offer
bactericidal effects.
Food
additives are substances which are added to food to preserve its flavor or
enhance its appearance, taste, or other qualities. Some food additives have
been under use for centuries, e.g., preserving foods by pickling with vinegar,
brining or salting, as with bacon, preserving sweet or using sulfur dioxide as
in wines. With the advent of many processed foods in second half of twentieth
century, several more additives were introduced; both natural and artificial
(or synthetic) origins. Also, food additives include the substances that may be
indirectly introduced to foods (known as indirect additives) during the
manufacturing process, by packaging, or during transport or storage (FDA, 2017;
FDA, 2018). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes food additives as
any substance, intended use of which results or might reasonably be expected to
result, indirectly or directly, in it becoming a constituent or otherwise
affecting characteristics of any food. The WHO stated that substances which are
added to foods to improve or maintain the taste, texture, appearance, safety,
or freshness of foods are known as food additives (WHO, 2018). Some food
additives have been used for centuries for food preservation, such as salt in
meats like bacon or dried fish, sulfur dioxide in wine, or sugar in marmalade.
Food additives may also be used to confer a specific functional property in
foods (Chinaza, 2019b; Chinaza et al., 2019a). Over time, many food additives
have been developed to meet the requirements of food production and food
industries, as producing foods on large scale is quite different from making on
a small scale at home or for household. Additives are required to ensure the
processed foods remain safe, in good condition, and fresh throughout its
journey from the factories or industries, during the course of transportation
to shops and warehouses, and finally to the consumers, who often look out for
fresh, safe, nutritious, and wholesome foods.
The
use of additives in foods is only justified when their use does not mislead
consumers, has technological need, and serves well-defined technological
function, such as to enhance the stability of the food or preserve the
nutritional quality of the food. Food additives can be derived from animals,
plants, or minerals, or can be synthetic. They are added to food intentionally
to perform some technological purposes which the consumers often take for
granted (WHO, 2018), or unintentionally added through food-package interactions
or from other sources such as pesticides used in growing crops, mycotoxins such
as aflatoxin, patulin (Chinaza et al., 2019b) found in grains and other foods;
also, some components such as methanol and ethyl carbamate (Igwe et al., 2018a;
Igwe et al., 2018b) may be formed in some traditional beverages and become part
of the foods. There are several thousand food additives in use, which are all
designed to do specific job in making foods more appealing, safer, or
nutritious. Bisphenols, perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), and phthalates are
indirect additives used in packaging or manufacturing. In July 2018 the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) called for more study of Bisphenols,
perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), and phthalates, along with food coloring and
nitrates, as they might harm the children during development (American Academy
of Pediatrics, 2018).
The
safety assessments completed by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives
(JECFA) are used by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a joint
intergovernmental body of the FAO and WHO that sets food standard, to establish
the levels for maximum use of preservatives and additives in food and drinks
(WHO, 2018). Codex standards serve as reference for national standards for the
consumer protection, and for international trade in foods, so that consumers
everywhere will be confident that the foods they consume meet the agreed
standards for quality and safety, no matter where they were produced (WHO,
2018). Once a food additive is found safe for use by the JECFA and the maximum
use levels established in Codex General Standard for Food Additives, the
national food regulations require to be implemented permitting actual use of
food additive. The use of food additives in the US is closely regulated by the
governmental agencies responsible for health, agriculture, and consumer safety.
This is also the case in other developed nations in Europe, Canada, etc.
(Encyclopedia, 2020). Chemicals cannot be used as food additives in those
countries except regulators are convinced, they have been shown to be
toxicologically safe, with wide margin of security. Additionally, chemicals
added to commercially made foods must be listed on packaging so that the
consumers will know what is present in the foods they choose to eat (Branen,
2002; Encyclopedia, 2020; Clydesdale, 1997; Potter and Hotchkiss, 1995). As a
result of the intrinsic nature of low-level, toxicological risk, especially
those associated with the diseases that may take long time to develop,
researchers and scientists are never able to show that trace exposures to any
chemical or additive are absolutely safe—there is often a level of risk, no
matter how small.
1.2 Statement of Problem
Literature
on health implications of these additives are scanty; majority of what we have
are anecdotal, thus making it difficult to draw conclusions for evidenced based
decision making. With the increased propensity to embracing western diets by
the Africans, it becomes imperative that we are sure of the safety profile of
these additives especially as it relates to the health of human. It was in view
of this that we sought to identify documented reports in Africa on health
implications of food additives on human for whom additives have become
“integral components” of their foods both at home and everywhere. This is
necessary to ensure well- informed policy responses for addressing the issue
among these highly vulnerable individuals. The safety of processed foods is an
issue of public health importance, especially in Africa where there is
unchecked rate at which many food industries turn out novel ‘chemicals’ aimed
at increasing the acceptability of their products. This is particularly true
for processed foods targeted at children, who remain the most vulnerable group.
1.3 Research Objective
The
aim of this review was to identify health implications of food additives and
preservatives on human based on findings from original research works.
1.4
Methodology
The
systematic review evaluated the current updates and development in food
additives and preservatives, their effects and their applications in food
industries and homes.
1.5
The Research Instrument
A multi-method approach is used in this
study. Information about food additives and preservatives were obtained by
using available literature. The literature included books and articles in
libraries, archives and local newspapers.
1.6 Significance of Study
The study provides thorough and concise
information on the major food additives and preservatives that are currently
used at home and food industries to preserve food flavor or enhance its
appearance, taste, or other qualities and their health implications.