What exactly does the “zero additives” on food packaging mean?

On March 27, 2023, the new version of food safety standards issued by the National Health Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation attracted widespread attention.

The standardized management of "zero additives" labels is like a wake-up call, making people re-examine the tempting "no additives" and "zero additives" slogans on food packaging. What exactly does "zero additives" mean? Do we really need to pursue "zero additives"?

0 1The Origin of Food Additives

In the modern food industry, food additives are like invisible magicians. From bread in the morning to snacks at night, from bright juice to mellow soy sauce, they inadvertently affect every aspect of food. According to national standards, food additives are substances added to improve food quality, color, flavor, and preservation, and include two categories: natural and synthetic.

On supermarket shelves, we can see additives everywhere: lactobacillus in yogurt maintains the activity of probiotics, sodium benzoate in soy sauce protects the traditional flavor, and emulsifiers in ice cream create a silky taste.

These additives, which have passed rigorous safety assessments, are actually the crystallization of human wisdom - without them, the modern food industry would regress a hundred years.

However, the public's misunderstanding of additives has never disappeared. Some consumers believe that "food additives are all chemically synthesized", while others believe that "zero-additive foods are safer". This cognitive bias provides a breeding ground for marketing hype by businesses.

0 2Are “no additives” and “zero additives” really healthier and better quality?

There is a word game behind "no addition" and "zero addition". Take a certain fruit juice drink as an example: the food label says "no sucrose added", but in fact sucrose is just one of the large family of "sugar", and the ingredient list may also contain fructose, fructose syrup, etc.

The claim of "no added sucrose" in such products does not mean that the products contain no sugar, but it can easily cause misunderstanding among consumers.

In order to avoid misleading consumers, after the implementation of the new version of the general rules for pre-packaged food labeling, pre-packaged foods are no longer allowed to use terms such as "no additives" or "zero additives" to place special emphasis on food ingredients.

In addition, according to the new standards, the ingredients or components mentioned in the food name must be indicated on the food label. For example, bird's nest mooncakes must indicate the content of bird's nest.

0 3 “Zero” food additives? Yes, but not necessary

Experts point out that from a purely technical perspective, it is indeed possible to produce food without food additives. However, taking soy sauce as an example, most of the soy sauce produced by modern industry cannot be separated from the "help" of additives.

Traditional brewing takes six months to ferment, but modern technology can shorten the period to one month by adding enzymes while ensuring a stable flavor. If additives are completely abandoned, not only will production costs double, but food safety risks may also increase.

As long as food additives are used within the range and prescribed dosage specified by national standards, there is basically no need to worry.

Food additives that meet national standards have the functions of preserving food, preventing spoilage, improving taste, and maintaining or enhancing nutritional value. They are also an indispensable part of modern food.

Take the umami substance disodium ribonucleotide as an example. The main component of this substance is nucleotide, which exists in all living organisms. It is not an artificially synthesized substance. It is a common food additive and will not have negative effects on the body when consumed normally.

Food additives that comply with national food safety standards are legal and safe. Food additives ≠ illegal additives, and we should view food additives rationally and scientifically.

04How to avoid excessive intake of salt, oil and sugar?

To choose food scientifically, it is best to understand the nutritional content first. This requires the help of nutrition labels.

The new version of the general rules for nutrition labeling of pre-packaged foods requires that saturated fat (acid) and sugar be added to the mandatory labeling content on the original basis, and that the label "Children and adolescents should avoid excessive intake of salt, oil and sugar" be added.

Deng Taotao, associate researcher at the National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center, said that an unreasonable diet high in salt, fat and sugar is a risk factor for obesity, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and other diseases. To implement a healthy lifestyle of reducing salt, oil and sugar, it is necessary to improve nutrition labels to facilitate consumers to control the intake of energy, fat, sugar and other foods according to their needs.

Standing in front of the supermarket shelves, we don't have to be overly obsessed with the "zero additive" label. What we really need to pay attention to is the substantive information such as the nutritional composition of the food, the production date, and the storage conditions. After all, food safety has never been an either-or multiple-choice question, but a comprehensive question that requires scientific cognition. When we tear off the label of prejudice against additives, we may find that the progress of the modern food industry has already built an invisible safety barrier for our dining tables.