DEAR HEALTHY PROFESSOR: What are food additives?
A: Simply stated, a food additive is any substance added to a food either intentionally (for example, food coloring) or unintentionally (for example, chemicals that leach into food from packaging).
To protect the consumer, the FDA regulates and tests for food additives. Research on their safety, however, often raises more questions than answers, and you can find arguments for and against their use. Food additives are used to enhance our food supply in many ways, and it is hoped that the benefit of a particular additive outweighs the risks of consuming it. Yet, even with regulations in place, consumers are still concerned.
If you want to know which additives are in a food, look at the ingredients list on the package. Some additives are taken right from nature, such as plant fibers, vitamins and sugars. Other additives, like synthetic colors and flavors, are designed in the laboratory. There are about 3,000 additives, and in case you are looking for something to do this weekend, you can look them all up on the FDA website (Google EAFUS, which stands for Everything Added to Food in the United States).
You may be wondering, "What are all these additives are doing in our food supply?" Additives serve many purposes. For example, they can prevent spoilage, improve texture and flavor, retain moisture, allow mixing and stabilization of ingredients, and add a pleasing color to foods.
Fortification and enhancement of foods are two ways that we have benefited from additives. Orange juice fortified with added calcium and bread products enriched with B vitamins and iron are just two examples. Additionally, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and tocopherols (vitamin E) are commonly used to delay food spoilage. Additives like artificial colorings and other chemicals, however, have come under scrutiny for their ill effects. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a potent flavor enhancer, it just one example of an additive that can have negative effects on sensitive individuals.
Some additives have unfamiliar names, but are essentially natural products. For example, xanthan gum is a product of bacterial fermentation and carrageenan is extracted from red seaweed. They are used to provide a creamy ''mouth feel'' to reduced-fat foods.
When eaten in excess amounts, however, these additives may be linked to negative side effects. The more common additives, like sugar, salt and corn syrup, have contributed to excess consumption of empty calorie foods and have lost favor with health professional and consumers alike.
Fortunately, there is a solution to protecting yourself from over-consuming food additives. Before you eat a food, examine the ingredients and make the decision to limit products that have long lists of additives and choose whole, unprocessed foods instead.
Switching topics a bit, I'd like to introduce a new feature of my column. In my role as a nutrition professor, I get asked lots of questions, both in and out of the classroom, and I'd like to begin sharing them with you. Every so often, I'll be giving a shout-out to someone who has asked me a particular question. I won't use names, just initials, so you'll know who you are.
Recently, J.G. asked me if it's OK to eat a steak every once in a while. In a well-intentioned effort to keep him healthy, his wife has avoided making steak for dinner. I agree that cutting down on red meat is certainly a good move, but there is no need to avoid beef all the time. The American Heart Association recommends eating no more than 6 ounces of meat a day (including poultry, fish and beef).
If you are going to eat beef, pick lean cuts like top-sirloin, top-round and eye of the round. Instead of "prime" cuts, choose beef labeled "choice" or "select," which will help to cut the fat. Let's be honest: Every so often a strip steak is a welcome treat and can fit into a healthy diet, as long as you eat a moderate portion. You can also balance your diet with a meatless meal or two each week, which is a good way to have your steak and stay healthy too.