Learning Biology

Additives that inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeast, and molds in foods are known as perservatives. Salt an example of an additive has been used for years to lower the water activity of meats and foods that inhibit the growth of bacterial growth. Adding acids like vinegar lowers the pH levels in food which also helps lower bacterial growth. Additives are used maintain nutritional value, control pH, enhance flavor, and provide color. Some foods additives are antimicrobial agents, antioxidents, artifical colors, artifical flavors, bleaching agents, nutrient additives, and thickening agents. The FDA has to approve all additives before they can use them in foods.

http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/A-Ap/Additives-and-Preservatives.html

http://www.foodsafety.gov/~lrd/foodaddi.html

Additives can be good but they also can be harmful. Additives like sodium nitrate used in hot dogs and luncheon meats contains small amounts of cancer causing chemicals called nitrosamines during cooking. Tests have been done that show that some additives can cause cancer like six artificial food colorings that include blues #1, #2, and #3, green #3, red #3, and yellow #6. Two artificial sweeteners saccharine and acesulfame K, or acesulfame potassium, and potassium bromate in white flour products. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can cause headaches, nausea, and difficulty breathing for people. Artificial coloring which is another additives has been shown to cause children to become more hyperactive and can worsen asthma. Aspartame an artifical sweetener has been reported that it has cause seizures, headaches, nausea, and mood disturbances.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1671688,00.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/22/health/webmd/main4682996.shtml

Additives can be good in some foods but not all additives are safe. I think that additives should be tested more thoroughly before they are put into the foods we eat. Food additves might help how our food tastes or looks but certain additives are being added like sodium nitrate that can cause cancer. When studies show that these additives are causing side effects as serious as cancer, worsening asthma, seizures, head aches, nausea, and others then they need to stop putting them in foods and find the problem with the additive. Additives are causing people’s health to get worse. Some additives may be safe but for the additives that aren’t safe they should be tested or even stop being used in foods. I think additives are bad because they cause health problems that can not be fixed.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/2008-04-01/Food-Additives-Hyperactivity-ADHD.aspx

http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/food-safety/are-additives-bad-for-you.aspx