A Proposed Solution to Artificial Food Additives Paper Example

Introduction

Food flavors are chemical components that are added during food manufacturing process to help preserve their nutritional quality and maintain the permanency of food to aid its packaging and storage. They might help alter the taste, color, appearance, texture, and stability of food. The food and drug administration (FDA) controls and commends these chemical components, and they are commonly renowned as safe.

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Different food additives serve different purposes when added to food. Some take multiple targets, but they fall under various categories which include bleaching agents, antioxidants, artificial sweeteners, coloring agents, antifoaming agents, flavor enhancers, anti-caking agents and food acids among others.

To date, experts have not deliberated non-natural food additives harmless for intake by breastfeeding and expectant women. Besides, by use compounds, scientists can develop natural food flavors and colors to make it appear natural and garden-fresh. Nevertheless, the purported organic food contains non-natural additives that comprise of unnecessary calories. On the other hand, breastfeeding women should avoid some additives since they are likely to have enormous impacts on their babies. These artificial food additives have some long-lasting impacts not only for the infant but also to the mum when breastfeeding or in the course of pregnancy. Notably, to counter the adverse effects of food additives, its use should be avoided and instead consume organic foods. Henceforth, natural food is the only ultimate solution for healthier living.

Effects of food additives

Intake of non-natural food additives roots some health hitches to youngsters including illnesses such as autoimmune ailment and cancer (Sharma, 1). Nonetheless, it is almost unavoidable to consume diets without synthetic additives since most food products that get purchased from food stores contain these chemicals. Besides, compounds are meant to act as preservatives or add some nutritional value (Sharma, 2). Lactating women who consume these products put their children at high risk of getting these infections since those kids do not have a robust immune system. Moreover, statistics show that 40% of infant deaths are as a result of consuming chemicals through breastfeeding.

Secondly, artificial food additives result in retarded growth on infants. Most of the food consumed by lactating mothers contains no nutrients or nutrients are in small quantities if any, then the required ratio component. Thus the mothers do not transfer required nutrients during breastfeeding. As a result, lower nutrients quantities leads to child's malnutrition which in return causes retardation in the infants' growth. These impacts may be realized immediately or in the long-run due to continuous contact or accumulation.

Also, food additives affect a child's behavior and diet. Scientists maintain that foods with high sugar components result to hyperactivity among other behavioral changes (Juhasz and Andras, 70). Notably, this change in behavior mainly affects kids in the age bracket of between two and eight years. Besides, food processing industries do not consider evidence that shows the adverse effects of chemicals they use in the additives. For instance, some of these chemicals may result in sleep disturbances, restlessness, and attentive span among others.

Causes of the effects

Preserving food has been the primary concern in the current world. The modern scientific food preservative strategies involve the use of chemical additives to maintain the natural form and enhance synthetic sugariness and emulsification. The measure aims at improving food security in the world as well as ensuring the increased shelf life of some food products. For instance, adding anti-caking agents has become a common food preserving procedure that retains ingredients freshness and stops clumsiness (Inetianbor, 1118). Notably, these artificial additives have been attributed to be the primary cause of chronic diseases in children such as cancer. Therefore, use of additives is a temporary solution food insecurity but a prolonged cause of population's health hazards, especially to infants.

Food publication contributes significantly to determining food consumption. Notably, advertiser exhibit slideshows on quality, taste, and affordability of food products without showing their nutrition value/components (Inetianbor, 1126). Placement of advertisement avenues tends to lure lactating/pregnant women to buy and take in televised food. Besides, these have tremendously added up to severe threats that face children who are exposed to chemical intakes globally.

Counterarguments

Indeed, despite the controversy concerning the negative impacts of food additives in infants and lactating/pregnant women, they are safe. Notably, there are some benefits associated with additives. Firstly, food additives prevent the food from going bad thus curbing food wastage significantly. About 35 million tons of food gets thrown away by American each year according to Environmental Protection Agency reports. Henceforth, increasing the shelf life of these foods minimizes the wastage greatly.

Secondly, foodstuff flavors and preservatives might also contain some nutrients. For instance, the ascorbic acid which is commonly known as vitamin C can be used to preserve food and also offer nutritional value. Lastly, food preservatives ensure food safety. Most microbes are capable of generating contaminants that boost the risk of infections and illnesses. Besides, this gives the reason why it is almost impossible to come across people who have fallen ill out of consuming a sausage or milk.

The proposed solution to the effects of food additives

Remarkably, the masses have turned out to be quite attentive on the type of food they consume due to health hazards that pose due to poor lifestyle (Corocho, Patricia and Isabel, 285). Studies prove that greatest of the population desire diets that has natural flavors rather than the non-natural due to health motives. Also, the writer still asserts that food is an essential requirement and most of the times the industry is incapable of meeting the demand for the difficult market.

Also, diet flavors are harmless if they get used in lesser quantities (Silvia and Fernando, 368). Silvia and Fernando's article further emphasize that food processing companies should use additives according to international numbering to minimize possible side effects such as itching, skin rashes, stomach upsets among others (368). In support to Silvia and Fernando, it is commendable that the government agencies keep a close eye on the type and quantity of additives that the food industry uses to minimize the health hazards they cause among its citizens. Not forgetting that, to use additives is inevitable since food security is still a challenge in the current world (Silvia and Fernando, 370).

Besides, despite the perception that artificial food additive bridges the gap between food securities in the world, it is of paramount importance to keep an eye on portion amount of meals to dodge overdose. Additionally, it is essential for food processing industries to opt for natural flavors when refining the food to minimize the harm that results from artificial chemical constituents for fortified supplements. For instance, the masses should keep off foods with added sugars, high sodium or Tran's fats. Again, when choosing what is, in current world asserted for a healthy lifestyle with distinct artificial additives, it's essential to keep an eye on what these composites will in due cause impact our bodies, especially in youngsters.

Notably, the World Health Organization (WHO), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administrative (AFDA) should increase awareness on fortified food consumptions. This step will help the public in addition to boosting policy limiting approaches on food engineering and processing firms to minimize the number of non-natural flavors put in a single diet supplement to counter the health hazards that are posed by consumption of food with excessive additives. On the other hand, health nutritionists ought to teach lactating and expectant women on the correct quantity of vital supplements eating for them and their kids to diminish the overdose of inorganic consumption in infants.

Consumption of whole grain and organic diets will help a great deal towards keeping additives out of many infants system. The menus have natural packaged foods containing little or zero synthetic additives or preservatives.

Examples of natural food additives and preservatives and how they work

Remarkably, several natural ways make food last longer without using, and they have very little or no side effect. These ways include the use of lime juice which contains ascorbic acid that acts as antioxidants, the citric acid present in lime juice also serves as a natural antibacterial and aids in preserving food color, flavor, and taste. Another natural way of keeping food is through freezing. Freezing makes food last for up to six months as long as they are sealed without air and freeze to below zero degrees. Therefore, baked foods, animal proteins, and fruits can last longer in a freezer as they last when enriched with non-natural food additives and preservatives. Another example of natural food preservative is natural salt. Salt preserves food such as meat, poultry and by removing moisture and reducing water content level available for bacterial yielding.

Pickling comes in as another example of employing natural food preservatives which involves preserving vegetables with vinegar. Vinegar allows fruits, eggs and vegetables last for some months not forgetting that it enhances their flavor. The acetic acid in vinegar kills bacteria that damage food and its acidity creates an unfavorable environment for the bacteria's to survive.

Last but not the least example of natural preservatives is honey which is known to be one of the ancient methods of conserving dishes especially fruits and vegetables. Its ability to draw moisture and unique acidity are some of the factors that makes honey a suitable natural food preservative.

Advantages of natural food preservatives over artificial food preservatives

On the other hand, some of the benefits of preserving foodstuff using natural methods cannot be foregone. It should be noted that organic food preservatives and additives aids on minimizing food wastage. Therefore, it is of the essence to enlighten the population who has shifted to consumption of natural food about the above-mentioned natural preserving methods to minimize the amount of food they dispose of due to spoilage. Secondly, natural preservatives add some nutritional value to diet as well. For instance, taking ascorbic acid found in lime juice can both preserve dishes and directly satisfy nutrients chucks. Thirdly, one of the prime advantages of food preservation is food safety. Preserving foodstuffs mitigates risks of consuming toxic diets which might result in several health hazards.

Therefore, it is commendable that the ultimate solution towards a healthy lifestyle and reduced mortality rate for infants is by use of natural additives and preservatives to keep food safe for a more extended period. Also, consumption of whole grain and organic products by lactating and pregnant women will serve a great deal in ensuring that their babies are safe from various health hazards that come along with consumption of food with artificial food additives and preservatives. Besides, most natural food preservatives are nutritious thus this may significantly boost infants' growth rate thus countering retarded growth issues that result mainly from consumption of dishes artificial food additives and additives which greatly lacks nutrient components. Lastly, some f...