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Food labelling, ingredients and legislation
Helping you and your team to be compliant
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The UFS Food Labelling Guide 2012 is published by: Unilever South Africa (Pty) Ltd. 15 Nollsworth Crescent, La Lucia Ridge La Lucia Ridge Office Estate La Lucia 4051 www.ufs.com
Copyright Š 2012 This work is the property of Unilever South Africa (Pty) Ltd. This work is protected under the Berne Convention. In terms of the Copyright Act 98 of 1998, no part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from Unilever South Africa (Pty) Ltd. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information published in this work is accurate, Unilever South Africa (Pty) Ltd, the editors, publishers and printers take no responsibility for any loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of the reliance upon the information contained therein.
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Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
Food ingredients and additives Every day you use several types of ingredients to craft your menus and prepare your dishes. Ingredient lists provide useful information about what’s in your food. Some ingredients are well known, such as tomato, others are not. This chapter helps you to understand the different ingredients mentioned on food labels, particularly focusing on the unfamiliar ones, and making it easier to: • Understand what they are, why they are used in foods and how they are regulated for safe use. • Answer guest questions about food ingredients in the dishes and menus you serve in your establishment. • Comply with local legislation. 25
Food ingredients With a few exceptions,* all pre-packed foods must be labelled with their ingredients. The ingredient list can be found after the word ‘ingredients’ on the product label and lists all ingredients in descending order of their weight. Some ingredients which characterize a food are also given with the percentage. This allows comparison of foods from different manufacturers so that consumers can make an informed choice. *Example: Foods consisting of only 1 ingredient, for example black tea, do not need to give a list of ingredients.
Ingredients: Maltodextrin, flavouring, corn flour, sugar, starch, hydrolysed vegetable protein, salt, flavour enhancers (E631, E627, E920), onion powder, vegetable oil (palm fruit)(contains antioxidant TBHQ), colourant (E150d), thickener (E412), garlic powder, yeast extract.
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Ingredient list The ingredient list shows any ingredient in the food, including added water, food additives and compound ingredients (those ingredients that are themselves made up of two or more ingredients, e.g. sausages), in descending order of their weight.
Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
There is always a reason for using an ingredient in foods. Because consumers need to be informed about the ingredients which have been used, every ingredient is identified in the ingredient list with its name. Some substances may cause allergic reactions when consumed by susceptible consumers. These substances are always mentioned in the ingredient list even if they are part of a compound ingredient (e.g. milk as part of a flavour).
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The table below contains some ingredients which are not commonly known.
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Ingredient
Description
Can be found in
Allspice
This is a plant with a strong aroma. The berries of this plant are often used in the English, Dutch and American kitchen for meat, stews and sauces. Allspices paste is often used in the red filling of olives.
Meat, stews, sauces, olives.
Amylose
A carbohydrate consisting of a lot of glucose molecules forming a long chain. It’s one of the two main components of starch.
Baked goods, bread, chips.
Caffeine or Guaranine
A substance found naturally in many plants, especially in coffee, tea and cocoa. Caffeine is a well-known stimulant which improves attention and alertness at low to moderate doses.
Coffee, cola, energy drinks, chocolate, black tea, ice tea.
Casein
The name for a family of related proteins commonly found in milk from all mammals. Casein is the protein that precipitates from milk when curdled with rennet, it is the basis for making cheese.
Cheese, quark, products containing cheese, cheese flavours.
Dextrose/ Glucose
A simple sugar (monosaccharide), consisting of the one sugar molecule called glucose/dextrose.
Fruit, honey, candy, baked goods, soft drinks.
Gelatin
Natural protein which derives primarily from animal by-products such as bones and hides. It is considered as food and usually available in powder and sheet form. Gelatin has a variety of uses. Important properties of gelatin in food are: gel formation, binding of water, formation of texture, use as a thickening agent, formation and stabilization of emulsion, formation and stabilization of foam.
Desserts, marshmallows, confectionery, dairy products and many others.
Glucose syrup
A solution (up to 80%) of glucose, maltose and higher sugars in water. Starch from wheat, corn, potato or any other plant can be used for this purpose.
Confectionery, candy, baked goods, jams.
Gluten
A protein found in wheat (all forms including durum, semolina, spelt, kamut, einkorn and faro) and other cereals like rye, barley, oat.
Bread, biscuits, baked goods, pasta, soups, sauces.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
Syrup obtained from corn starch with a high concentration of fructose. Used as high intensity sweetener. Also called glucose-fructose syrup.
Bread, baked goods, breakfast cereals, candy, soft drinks.
Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives Ingredient
Description
Can be found in
Hydrolysed vegetable protein
A protein derived from a vegetable source, such as maize, soy or wheat, which has been broken down into its amino acid components. It has a meaty flavour and is widely used in savoury products for flavouring purposes.
Soups and sauces, chips, pizza, meat products.
Invert sugar
Invert sugar is a mixture of glucose and fructose. It is obtained by breaking down sucrose into these components. Invert sugar produces a smoother product.
Candy, baked goods, some syrup.
Lactose
The sugar found in milk, a combination of two sugar molecules (galactose and glucose).
Dairy products, baked goods.
Maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate produced by the break-down of starch (from corn, wheat or potato). It has a low level of sweetness, largely flavour neutral and quite water-soluble. Used particularly as a carrier for sensitive or soluble substances such as extracts or spices and bulking and thickening agents.
Pudding powder, coffee creamer, candy and many others.
Maltose
Also known as malt sugar. A carbohydrate derived from starch consisting of two glucose molecules (dissacharide).
Candy, beer, sport drinks, bread.
Modified starch
Products derived from starches (e.g. from maize, wheat and potato) that have undergone one or more chemical modifications to produce desirable properties e.g. allowing it to function properly under high heat during food processing.
Baked goods, snacks, pudding, soups, pie filling.
Saccharose/ Sucrose
A carbohydrate made of two sugar molecules (glucose and fructose). Regular cane sugar or beet sugar is chemically saccharose.
Sugar cubes, table sugar, candy, bakery goods, soft drinks, many other products.
Sodium chloride
Chemical name for table salt.
Meat, ready-to-eat meals, soups, sauces, bread, baked goods, savoury snacks.
Whey protein
The proteins in whey, the watery part of milk that remains after the casein is separated.
Light products, cookies, chocolate products, baby nutrition.
Yeast extract
An ingredient that brings an intense, aromatic, spicy mixture and also supports the flavour of the other ingredients in a product. To produce yeast extract, yeast proteins are broken down into a mix of smaller protein parts and amino acids. This mix of proteins provides yeast extract with its unique taste-delivering qualities.
Gravy, stock, ready to eat meals, savoury snacks, soups, sauces.
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Additives What are food additives? Food additives are ingredients that are added to foods to serve a specific function. Some additives make the food taste better or sweeter (flavours, flavour enhancers and sweeteners) or give colour to the product (colours). Other additives make the product thicker (thickeners) or prevent the food from spoiling (preservatives). Some food additives may have unfamiliar names that sound complex and even chemical. But all foods, even completely natural ones, consist of chemical compounds that are found in nature.
Did you know? Every food we eat is made up of chemical compounds that determine flavour, colour, texture and nutrient value.
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Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives Tomatoes may appear as if they don’t contain chemical compounds. However if we look in more detail tomatoes contain natural compounds, which at the same time are authorised as food additives, such as the colourant lycopene (E160d), the antioxidant ascorbic acid (E300), the flavour enhancer glutamic acid (E620) and the acids – malic acid (E296) and citric acid (E330).
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The use of food additives Nowadays, we are demanding more variety, choice and convenience alongside higher standards of safety and wholesomeness at affordable prices. To meet these guest and chef expectations, modern food technology uses food additives. Food additives serve many useful functions in food, so there are different types of food additives such as colours, preservatives, antioxidants, sweeteners, thickeners, stabilisers and emulsifiers, as well as flavour enhancers. The second table gives you a short description of the different types of food additives. Detailed information on each individual additive can be found in the Appendix. Despite modern-day associations, many food additives have been used for centuries. Our ancestors used natural ingredients to optimize their food. For example, they used the sour juice of a lemon to avoid fruits and vegetables turning brown, egg yolks to make emulsions of water and oil, and added herbs and spices to improve the flavour of foods.
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Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
The main use of additives in foods are: • To maintain or improve safety and quality. • To improve or maintain nutritional value. • To improve or maintain taste, texture and appearance.
Foods are impacted by many environmental conditions such as temperature changes or air humidity which change their original composition. Food additives help to maintain the food quality and characteristics from farm to fork.
How are food additives regulated? Some people have concerns about the safety of additives for health. All food additives however must have a demonstrated useful purpose and undergo a rigorous scientific safety evaluation before they can be approved for use. Which food additives at which maximum level can be added to a specific food product is regulated as well. At an international level, the safety evaluation of additives is done by JECFA (Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives), an organisation created by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). All food additives which have been found safe for use are numbered by an INS code (International Number System).
What’s an E-number? An E-number signifies approval of an additive by the European Union (EU). To obtain an E-number, the additive must have been fully evaluated for safety by the European Food Safety Authority. The E-number generally corresponds with the INS code, but not always.
Good to know On the product label, food additives are listed in the ingredient list according to their function and name or code e.g. Thickener (pectin) or Thickener (E440).
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Additives and adverse reactions Adverse reactions to food additives are not common, but some people may be sensitive to some preservatives, like benzoic acid and some azo colourants. The most common food allergies are egg, fish, soy, gluten, milk and nut/peanut allergies, not additive allergies.
Did you know? Many food additives are derived from natural sources, e.g. lecithin from soya beans; others are from synthetic sources, e.g. sodium salts of silicate. Both are labelled with an E-number in the ingredient list.
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Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
The role of Unilever’s Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC) is to assure the safety and environmental sustainability of Unilever products, and the processes used to manufacture them. Safety and sustainability is designed into technology early in the innovation process. SEAC works with Research & Development teams to understand the nature and scope of the technology, how this will be incorporated into products and processes, and how consumers will use the product. SEAC has a diverse range of scientific expertise that is dedicated to providing risk assessments for the consumer, occupational and environmental safety, and assessments of environmental sustainability across the life cycle of products and processes. For example, when Unilever develops or uses a new food additive (e.g. Stevia) an expert safety risk assessment will be conducted. Risk assessment is the process that SEAC uses to identify the hazard, quantify exposure and thereby determine potential risk. SEAC has built extensive information systems, scientific capability and experience over 50 years within Unilever. Research findings are published in peer-reviewed journals and regularly presented at international conferences and seminars.
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Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
Types of food additives Food additives are grouped by what they do. The types of additives that you are most likely to come across on food labels are summarized in the tables on the following pages.
Acids/Acidity regulators Acids increase the acidity of products and/or add a sour taste. What do they do?
Acid regulators are used to regulate the acidity or alkalinity (pH-value) of a product which is important for processing and food safety.
Why they are used
Citric acid is used in soft drinks, teas, juices, and other beverages to create a slightly sour, refreshing flavour and balance sweetness. Lactic acid can be used in dressings and salads to regulate the acidity which is important for food safety.
Examples of uses
Beverages, baked goods, baking powder, frozen desserts, dressings, salads, processed meat, dairy products.
Names found on product labels
Citric acid (E330), lactic acid (E270), acetic acid (E260), malic acid (E296), ammonium hydroxide (E527), sodium acetates (E262), calcium acetate (E263).
Anti-caking agents
What do they do?
Prevent ingredients clumping together and forming lumps. This ensures that products flow and mix evenly during production and packaging. Anti-caking agents also ensure that ingredients don’t clump together during storage.
Why they are used
Dry products, such as seasonings can clump together when exposed to moisture during storage. Anti-caking agents prevent food from absorbing moisture. They also ensure even mixing and flowability for e.g. vegetable powders and spices.
Examples of uses
Baking powder, confectioner’s sugar, seasonings, spices, vegetable powder.
Names found on product labels
Calcium silicate (E552), silicon dioxide (E551), calcium phosphate (E341).
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Antioxidants
What do they do?
React with oxygen in the air and prevent the oxidation of different food components. This prevents undesirable colour changes (e.g. browning), off-odours and off-flavours known as rancidity. Antioxidants also protect the vitamins in food.
Why they are used
In margarines, rancid flavours can develop when they are exposed to oxygen. Antioxidants prevent this.
Examples of uses
Fruit salads, beverages, oils, margarine, mayonnaise, beer, biscuits, baked goods, cereals.
Names found on product labels
Ascorbic acid (E300), citric acid (E330), tocopheroles (E306-E309), sulphites (E221-E228), BHA (E320), Rosemary extract (E392).
Bulking agents
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What do they do?
Help to increase the volume of a product without contributing significantly to the energy content (caloric value) or affecting the taste.
Why they are used
Bulking agents can be used as diluents or carriers. They can be used to increase the volume of an ingredient which is only required in small amounts. For example flavours and colours which are only required in small amounts in a product are easier to dose by adding a bulking agent. They also can be used as fillers in all kinds of products to increase the volume/weight without having a significant impact on taste and caloric value.
Examples of uses
Low calorie foods, cereals, meal replacements, bread, pastries.
Names found on product labels
Oxidized starch (E1404), cellulose (E460), calcium phosphate (E341), sodium carbonate (E500).
Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
Emulsifiers
What do they do?
Make it possible to form or maintain a stable, homogeneous mixture of two or more ingredients/phases which can normally not be mixed (e.g. oil and water).
Why they are used
Oil and water normally don’t mix. By using an emulsifier both substances can be mixed and form a stable, homogenous mixture such as in mayonnaise.
Examples of uses
Mayonnaise, margarine, syrup, salad dressing, coffee creamer, chocolate, ice cream, desserts.
Names found on product labels
Lecithins (E322), mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471), polysorbates (E432-E436), polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (E475).
Firming agents What do they do?
Help maintain crispiness and firmness of fruits and vegetables.
Why they are used
Fruit and vegetables taste better when they are crispy. So firming agents are added to keep the firmness and crispiness.
Examples of uses
Processed fruits and vegetables.
Names found on product labels
Calcium chloride (E509), calcium citrate (E333), calcium carbonate (E170), calcium phosphates (E341), magnesium chloride (E511).
Flavour enhancers What do they do?
Enhance the existing flavour of food.
Why they are used
They are mainly relevant for savoury products as they add/increase the mouthfeel and ‘umami’ taste of products. They help to maintain a full Savoury taste despite salt reduction.
Examples of uses
Sauces, soups, seasonings, savoury snacks, meat products.
Names found on product labels
Glutamates (E621-E625[ MSG E621]), disodium guanylate (E627), disodium inosinate (E631).
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Flour treatment agents
What do they do?
Improve the baking functionality of flour and dough. They are used to increase the speed of dough rising and to improve the strength and workability of the dough.
Why they are used
To avoid a bread becoming unstable after it’s been baked and raised.
Examples of uses
Breads and other baked goods.
Names found on product labels
Ammonium sulphate (E517), L-cysteine (E920).
Foaming agents and Anti-foaming agents
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What do they do?
Foaming agents create foam during the industrial process or the product use. Anti-foaming agents reduce and stop a product foaming during the industrial process and also during cooking and product use.
Why they are used
Foaming agents can be added to beer to build foam. Anti-foaming agents reduce and prevent the formation of foam in situations where it is not wanted, e.g. producing soft drinks or when frying with oil.
Examples of uses
Foaming agent is used in: Whipped cream, whipped desserts, beer. Anti-foaming agent is used in: Jam, cooking oil, soft drinks.
Names found on product labels
Dimethyl polysiloxane (anti-foaming agent) (E900).
Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
Food colours or Colouring agents What do they do?
Add or restore the colour in a product.
Why they are used
Beta-carotene is an orange-yellow colour found in plants such as carrots which is used as colourant in margarine. Caramel colours are used to add the brown colour to dark Roux.
Examples of uses
Candy, beverages, baked goods, cheese, dry soups, dry sauces, seasonings, margarine.
Names found on product labels
Annatto (E160b), caramel colours (E150a-d), carotenes (E160a-e), Indigotine (E132), brilliant blue (E133), allura red (azo dye) (E129), erythrosine (E127), tartrazine (azo dye) (E102).
Gelling agents and Thickeners
What do they do?
Gives food the right texture and has an impact on the ‘mouth feeling’. Gelling agents give texture to a product through formation of a gel. Thickeners increase the viscosity of a product without substantially modifying its other properties.
Why they are used
A dessert can get its structure by adding a gelling agent or a thickener.
Examples of uses
Soup, sauce, jus, custard, jam, frozen desserts, ice cream, dairy products, pudding, salad dressings, mayonnaise, meat products.
Names found on product labels
Alginates (E401-405), sodium alginate (E401), Arabic gum (E414), carrageenan (E407), xanthan gum (E415), locust bean gum (E410), guar gum (E412), konjac flour (E425), pectin (E440), Agar (E406), cellulose (E460), tragacanth (E413).
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Glazing agents What do they do?
Give a shiny appearance to the external surface of products or provide a protective coating.
Why they are used
A candy that is dull isn’t as attractive as one that shines. A glazing agent provides a nice shine on the product.
Examples of uses
Pastries, cakes and confectioneries, dry fruits.
Names found on product labels
Carnauba wax (E903), beeswax (E901).
Humectants What do they do?
Prevent products from drying out as they help products to retain the water.
Why they are used
Shredded coconut stays moist and marshmallows stay soft because of an added humectant.
Examples of uses
Marshmallows, shredded coconut, confectioneries, soft candies.
Names found on product labels
Sorbitol (E420), glycerine (E422).
Preservatives
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What do they do?
Prevent spoilage of food due to micro-organism such as fungi, bacteria, yeasts and moulds and therefore help to ensure food safety.
Why they are used
While the high sugar content of conventional jam prevents micro-organisms from growing, energy-reduced jam doesn’t have a long shelf life. A preservative extends its shelf life by decreasing the growth of micro-organisms.
Examples of uses
Fruit sauces, cured meat, baked goods, margarine, dressing, snack foods, wine, processed cheese, energy-reduced jam.
Names found on product labels
Benzoate (E211-E219), sulphur dioxide (E220), sulphites (221-E228), nitrite (E249-E250), calcium propionate (E282), potassium sorbate (E202).
Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
Propellant gases What do they do?
Create pressure in a product which expels the food stuff.
Why they are used
Whipped cream wouldn’t come out an aerosol without the help of gas. This gas creates pressure when you press the button.
Examples of uses
Oil cooking spray, whipped cream.
Names found on product labels
Carbon dioxide (E290), nitrous oxide (E942).
Raising agents What do they do?
Release gas and thereby increase the volume of a dough or batter.
Why they are used
The raising agent releases gas (usually carbon dioxide) in the dough which helps to raise the volume of bread during baking | and results in a light and soft, sponge like texture.
Examples of uses
Bread and other baked goods.
Names found on product labels
Sodium carbonate (E500), calcium phosphate (E341), calcium carbonate (E170).
Sequestrant What do they do?
Form complexes with metallic ions. They improve the quality and stability of the food and act as a kind of preservative.
Why they are used
Sequestrants react with trace metals such as copper, iron and nickel which can degrade food stuffs by initiating the oxidation of fats. Sequestrants form complexes with these metals and, thereby prevent the degradation of food.
Examples of uses
Mayonnaise, dressings, canned food, liquid sauces and soup.
Names found on product labels
EDTA (E385), Glucono delta-lactone (E575), Sodium gluconate (E576), Potassium gluconate (E577).
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Stabilizers
What do they do?
Help maintain the physical and textural properties of food stuffs through their production, transport, storage and cooking.
Why they are used
Mayonnaise made of oil and watery ingredients will split after a while. A stabilizer prevents this from happening.
Examples of uses
Frozen desserts, dairy products, salad dressings, margarine, mayonnaise, sauces, meat products.
Names found on product labels
Phosphates (E339-E343), calcium sulphate (E516), agar (E406), sorbitol (E420), pectin (E440), Arabic gum (E414), EDTA (E385), locust bean gum (E410).
Sweeteners Provide sweetness to a product. What do they do?
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In general sweeteners are used to replace sugar, i.e. they don’t increase the energy content of the product significantly.
Why they are used
More and more people use light products to consume less calories. Sweeteners can be used as a solution as they add sweetness to a product without increasing the energy content significantly.
Examples of uses
Light products like beverages, replacement of table-top sugar, energy-reduced candy.
Names found on product labels
Saccharin (E954), cyclamate (E952), aspartame (E951), acesulfame-K (E950), sucralose (E955), Isomalt (E953).
Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
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Glossary Additive Additives are substances that are added to foodstuffs for technical reasons, to improve their quality or to achieve certain properties or effects.
Chemical All foods, living matter and, indeed, our bodies themselves are made up of chemicals. Even water is a chemical. Every substance has its own specific molecular composition, also called the chemical structure. This name is often confused with a non-natural process of creating a substance. But even natural substances have a chemical name and structure. For example the chemical name of vitamin C is ascorbic acid.
E-number Is a number identifying chemical compounds which have been approved as food additives. E-numbers make it possible to identify any additive in any country within the European Union, regardless of the language spoken in that country – the E stands for Europe. For example, E160c denotes the colouring, paprika extract. Code numbers use less space on labels than full names of additives.
EFSA The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is Europe’s food safety watchdog. Its task is to scientifically assess the risks associated with the food and animal food chain, helping to ensure that Europe’s food is safe. EFSA plays a key role in the safety evaluation of food additives.
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Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
FAO
pH-value
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO’s efforts – to make sure people have regular access to enough highquality food to lead active, healthy lives. As a knowledge organization, FAO creates and shares critical information about food, agriculture and natural resources in the form of global public goods.
The pH of a food is the measure of that product’s acidity. The pH-scale ranges from 0 to 14. When the pH-value is below 7, the product will taste sourer. The lower the value the more sour the taste of the product and vice versa.
INS code On a worldwide level, the Codex Alimentarius, a joint WHO/FAO organisation, has prepared the International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS), which provides an agreed international numerical system for identifying food additives (a system similar to the E-numbering system in the EU). Only those additives that have been evaluated by the JECFA (the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) are included.
Pigment A substance or material used as a colouring/ used to give colour to a product. The colouring principles of natural foods are called pigments.
Salts Salt is not only the salt you sprinkle over your food. There are many different salts. It’s a collective name for chemical compounds containing metals (like sodium, calcium and magnesium) and non-metal atoms (like oxygen and chloride). For example there is magnesium salt or calcium salt. The salt you sprinkle over your food is mostly sodium chloride, a sodium salt.
Synthetic/Artificial
This is the abbreviation for Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives. An important task of this committee, created by the FAO and WHO, is to evaluate food additives.
Synthetic means that it’s not made by nature, but man-made. Some additives are manufactured from natural sources such as soybeans and corn, which provide lecithin to maintain product consistency. Other additives are not found in nature and so are man-made. Whether an additive is natural or artificial has no bearing on its safety.
Nature identical
WHO
A nature identical additive is an additive which is man-made (by a chemist) but has the same chemical structure/composition as the natural counterpart. For example, vitamin C or ascorbic acid may be derived from an orange or produced in a laboratory. Our bodies do not make any difference between nature identical or natural.
The World Health Organisation focuses on the health of all United Nation countries. It’s responsible for maintaining health, carrying out studies of health, new standards for food and production processes, and much more.
JECFA
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FAQs Below are some frequently asked questions by guests concerning food ingredients and additives.
What are the ingredients in this dish? • Every day you use several fresh ingredients and products to prepare your dishes. The ingredients in a specific dish are all the items listed on the ingredient lists of the products and ingredients used. For example, if you prepare a dish with steak, sauce, baked potatoes and green beans, you can see in the ingredient list on the packaging of each packed product what is in it. • Fresh ingredients often don’t have an ingredient list. In this case just include the name of the ingredient. • To be able to answer this question, it’s crucial to know the ingredients in your dishes. To write your own ingredient declaration for your dishes, use the easy step plan on page 21.
Do your dishes contain any preservatives? • Preservatives are additives that prolong the shelf life of foodstuffs by protecting them from micro-bacterial spoilage. They kill off micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeasts and moulds, or inhibit their growth or reproduction. Food preservation methods, such as curing and dehydration, have been used for centuries to guarantee the safety and quality of many foodstuffs for a set period of time. • The safety and use of preservatives is strictly regulated and monitored by local government and global regulatory bodies. Preservatives are only permitted as additives for foodstuffs if they are harmless to health and it is technically necessary to use them. • To check whether your dishes contain any preservatives, check the labels of the products you use.
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Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives
Do your dishes contain any additives? • Additives are substances that are added to foodstuffs for technical reasons, to improve their quality or to achieve certain properties or effects. Adding additives to foodstuffs can make them safer by protecting them against micro-organisms or improving their sensory properties. • All food additives must be approved by authorities and strict limits are put on the amount and types of additives used in foods. The media often attributes ‘allergenic’ effects to additives, however adverse reactions to additives clearly play a less significant role than allergies and low tolerance reactions to natural foodstuffs such as milk protein, lactose, gluten and eggs. • As chefs you regularly use, for example, baking powder as a raising agent. This is an example of an additive. • To know which additives are present in your dishes, check the ingredient lists of the packed products and ingredients you use. On the product label, food additives are listed in the ingredient list according to their function and name or code e.g. Thickener (pectin) or Thickener (E440).
Do you use any flavour enhancers in your dishes, such as MSG? • Flavour enhancers are additives that enhance the flavour of foodstuffs without having any pronounced flavour themselves. • MSG is one of the most well-known flavour enhancers. MSG stands for monosodium glutamate, the sodium salt of glutamic acid, which is a natural amino acid found in most foods. Mushrooms, tomatoes and parmesan cheese have high levels of glutamate, and these are foods often used for their flavouring properties. MSG has flavour enhancing properties and has been in use for a long time. It has the specific flavour of ‘umami’, a savoury and meaty taste. • MSG is a food additive affirmed as safe by the EU, FAO/WHO and by the FDA in the US. The amount of MSG that is added to food is normally in amounts similar to that found naturally in food. Some individuals have reported headaches and nausea with high intakes of MSG, symptoms that disappear within a couple of hours. These perceived effects may be due to the food itself, with strong spices used in these dishes. There is no known MSG allergy. • To check whether MSG is an ingredient in your dish, please check the labels of the products you use. 49
Data sources The Consumer Protection Act South African Government Online, 2012. What is the Consumer protection Act. [Online] http:// www.info.gov.za [Retrieved on 10 October 2012]
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ. do?uri=OJ:L:2008:354:0016:0033:en:PDF COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1129/2011 of 11 November 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing
Eldin Food Consulting, 2012. Your Specialist in
a Union list of food additives http://eur-lex.
Food Safety and Labelling. [Online] http://www.
europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.
eldin.co.za [Retrieved on 10 October 2012]
do?uri=OJ:L:2011:295:0001:0177:En:PDF
A Guide to the Consumer Protection Act, PDF Online, 2012. What is the Consumer Protection Act? [Online PDF] http://www.restaurant.org.za/
Dietary requirements
pdf/A_Guide_To_The_Consumer_Protection_Act.
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, 2012.
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