Are melamine and clenbuterol food additives? Can we eat additives?

When it comes to food additives, people have gradually changed from initial fear to acceptance.

What are food additives? Food additives are mainly used to improve food quality and color, aroma and taste, as well as for preservation, freshness and processing needs. There are about 15,000 food additives approved worldwide, and more than 2,300 food additives are currently approved for use in my country. Preservatives, colorants, sweeteners, food flavorings, etc. are the most common.

With the release of the relevant national standard - "National Food Safety Standard - Food Additives Usage Standard", the production and use of food additives are also more standardized. Of course, everyone should still strengthen their self-protection awareness and learn more about food safety related knowledge, especially do not buy foods with too bright colors, too strong flavors, and abnormal tastes. There are also many unscrupulous merchants who add some illegal additives under the banner of food additives. Clenbuterol, melamine, etc. are more common, but how do we identify them? Let's learn about it together!

1. Illegal additives

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Non-food chemical substances refer to chemical substances other than food additives and preservatives permitted by national laws that are added to food during food production. Most of these substances are additives used in industry and are additives that have not been approved by the state or have been expressly banned. Once these substances are added to food and sold on the market, they can cause food safety accidents such as poisoning or even death of consumers. For example, clenbuterol hydrochloride and ractopamine (lean meat powder) are added to pig feed to breed "bodybuilding pigs"; melamine is added to milk powder made from milk to increase the nitrogen content; ginger smoked with sulfur has a beautiful appearance and good appearance, etc. Lean meat powder, melamine, sulfur, etc. are all chemical substances that are harmful to health. This issue is also the issue with the greatest social impact at present, and it is precisely this issue that has led to many people's misunderstanding of food additives. The National Health and Family Planning Commission, together with relevant units, revised the six batches of "Lists of Non-food Substances that May be Illegally Added to Foods and Food Additives that Are Easily Abused" announced by the former Ministry of Health, and proposed a "List of Non-food Substances that May be Illegally Added to Foods", such as melamine, industrial sulfur, Sudan red, bleaching powder, waste oil, malachite green, hair water, fluorescent whitening substances, etc.

Sudan Red

Sudan Red is mainly used to dye food, making the food more colorful and less likely to fade. Sudan Red can often be seen in chili powder, chili oil and fermented bean curd.

Sudan Red is a Class III carcinogen. Studies have shown that long-term and excessive intake of Sudan Red may damage the human liver and induce liver cancer.

Therefore, when buying red foods, try not to buy those made in small workshops or those without any ingredients clearly stated.

Melamine

It is a concrete additive, plastic additive and coating additive.

Clenbuterol

It is a type of animal medicine. Adding clenbuterol to feed can increase the lean meat content of animals, reduce feed usage, bring meat to the market earlier, and reduce costs. However, considering its side effects on humans, it has been banned in my country.

2. What are the common food additives?

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Food additives are divided into 23 categories according to their functions. The most familiar ones include preservatives, leavening agents, spices (flavors), colorants (pigments), etc.

0 1****Preservatives: benzoic acid, sorbic acid

If these preservatives are not added, many foods may breed harmful microorganisms during transportation and storage. Preservatives can ensure the freshness of food and extend the shelf life of food.

0 2****Antioxidants: sulfurous acid, sulfites

Foods with high fat content are easily oxidized by air during storage, causing rancidity, deterioration, and discoloration. Antioxidants can effectively prevent or delay the oxidation process of food.

0 3**** Moisturizer: Propylene glycol, maltose

This type of food additive is widely used in food processing. It can be added to meat products to maintain the water retention of meat, increase the tenderness of meat, and prevent beverages from becoming turbid.

0 4****Sugar alcohol sweeteners: xylitol, sorbitol

This type of food additive can bring sweetness without causing blood sugar levels to rise. It also has the effect of preventing tooth decay and is especially suitable for diabetic and obese patients.

3. Learn a few tips to reduce the intake of additives

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"From canned cereals people eat for breakfast to chocolate biscuits for snacks and fruit juice drinks for afternoon tea, a rough estimate is that each person consumes hundreds of food additives every day, and this is just a basic number," said Ji Heli, executive deputy director of the Expert Committee of the Shanghai Food Additives Association.

Japan's "food additive god" Tsukasa Abe once made a calculation: a person consumes about 10 grams of additives per day, about 4,000 grams per year, which is roughly equivalent to the average daily salt intake. Just eating a sandwich may consume more than 20 additives such as emulsifiers, yeast powder, seasonings, pH adjusters, phosphates, spices, etc.

Several experts said that living in cities, people have no way to completely isolate themselves from foods containing additives and can only take some measures to minimize their intake.

1. Be careful when buying prepared food

There is no need to worry about processed products in supermarkets. Generally, regular companies add flavors and spices to food in accordance with national regulations, which will not cause harm to the human body. Moreover, if most products add flavors and spices, they will be marked in the ingredient list.

It is best not to eat barbecue, cooked meat and other products sold at roadside stalls because there is a lack of supervision and there is a greater chance of adding non-edible substances or abusing food additives.

2. When ordering dishes in a restaurant, order fewer brightly colored dishes.

For example, some restaurants add pigments to the "three yellow chicken" to make the meat look yellower. Some cold dishes, such as kelp, sea lettuce, and tribute vegetables, also add corresponding synthetic pigments to make them look fresher and more beautiful.

Nowadays, many recipes come with pictures, so it is better to order less dishes that look too bright.

3. Spend half a minute looking at the label

When consumers go shopping for food in the supermarket, they should read the labels carefully and try to choose foods without additives or with small amounts of additives.

4. Buy raw materials and make them yourself at home

In addition to fortified foods, it is best to eat more fresh, less processed foods. The best way is to buy the raw materials home and cook them yourself.

Experts suggest that you should eat less highly processed foods, such as potato chips, cookies, pies, etc. Drinking beverages is worse than eating fruits, but juicing is not recommended. You should choose foods rich in various vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. If you follow this principle, you can also exclude some additives.

This article is compiled from Science Popularization China, Life Times, Guangdong Health Information, Shandong Food Safety Testing Technology Co., Ltd.

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