Food ingredients and additives

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your MENU

Helping you and your team to be compliant

Food labelling, ingredients and legislation

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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 Offi ce Estate

La Lucia

4051

www.ufs.com

Copyright © 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

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or by any information storage and retrieval system without

permission in writing from Unilever South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

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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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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.

Food ingredients and additives

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.

Chapter 3 Food ingredients and additives

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Food ingredientsWith 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.

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.

Ingredients: Maltodextrin, fl avouring, corn fl our, sugar, starch, hydrolysed vegetable protein, salt, fl avour 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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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

identifi ed 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 fl avour).

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The table below contains some ingredients which are not commonly known.

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.

AmyloseA carbohydrate consisting of a lot of glucose molecules forming a long chain. It’s one of thetwo 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 attentionand 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 curdledwith rennet, it is the basis for making cheese.

Cheese, quark, products containing cheese, cheese fl avours.

Dextrose/Glucose

A simple sugar (monosaccharide), consisting ofthe 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 syrupA 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.

GlutenA 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.

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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.

LactoseThe sugar found in milk, a combination of twosugar 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 asa 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 proteinThe 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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AdditivesWhat are food additives?

Food additives are ingredients that are added to

foods to serve a specifi c function. Some additives

make the food taste better or sweeter (fl avours,

fl avour 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 fl avour, colour,

texture and nutrient value.

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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 fl avour

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 emulsifi ers, as

well as fl avour 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 fl avour of foods.

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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

scientifi c safety evaluation before

they can be approved for use.

Which food additives at which

maximum level can be added to

a specifi c 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 signifi es 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 knowOn 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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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, fi sh, soy,

gluten, milk and nut/peanut

allergies, not additive allergies.

Additives and adverse reactions

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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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 scientifi c

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, scientifi c capability and experience over 50 years within Unilever.

Research fi ndings are published in peer-reviewed journals and regularly

presented at international conferences and seminars.

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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

What do they do?

Acids increase the acidity of products and/or add a sour taste.

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 usesBeverages, 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 usesBaking powder, confectioner’s sugar, seasonings, spices, vegetable powder.


Calcium silicate (E552), silicon dioxide (E551), calcium phosphate (E341).


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Bulking agents

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.


Oxidized starch (E1404), cellulose (E460), calcium phosphate (E341), sodium carbonate (E500).

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 usedIn margarines, rancid flavours can develop when they are exposed to oxygen. Antioxidants prevent this.

Examples of usesFruit salads, beverages, oils, margarine, mayonnaise, beer, biscuits, baked goods, cereals.


Ascorbic acid (E300), citric acid (E330), tocopheroles (E306-E309), sulphites (E221-E228), BHA (E320), Rosemary extract (E392).

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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 usedOil 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 usesMayonnaise, margarine, syrup, salad dressing, coffee creamer, chocolate, ice cream, desserts.


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 usedFruit 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.


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 usedThey 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.


Glutamates (E621-E625[ MSG E621]), disodium guanylate (E627), disodium inosinate (E631).


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Foaming agents and Anti-foaming agents

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 usesFoaming agent is used in: Whipped cream, whipped desserts, beer. Anti-foaming agent is used in: Jam, cooking oil, soft drinks.


Dimethyl polysiloxane (anti-foaming agent) (E900).

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 usedTo avoid a bread becoming unstable after it’s been bakedand raised.

Examples of uses Breads and other baked goods.


Ammonium sulphate (E517), L-cysteine (E920).

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Gelling agents and Thickeners

What do they do?

Gives food the right texture and has an impacton the ‘mouth feeling’. Gelling agents give texture to a product throughformation of a gel.Thickeners increase the viscosity of a product without substantially modifying its other properties.

Why they are usedA dessert can get its structure by adding a gelling agent or a thickener.

Examples of usesSoup, sauce, jus, custard, jam, frozen desserts, ice cream, dairy products, pudding, salad dressings, mayonnaise, meat products.


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).

Food colours or Colouring agents

What do they do? Add or restore the colour in a product.

Why they are usedBeta-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 usesCandy, beverages, baked goods, cheese, dry soups, dry sauces, seasonings, margarine.


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).


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Preservatives

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 usesFruit sauces, cured meat, baked goods, margarine, dressing, snack foods, wine, processed cheese, energy-reduced jam.


Benzoate (E211-E219), sulphur dioxide (E220), sulphites (221-E228), nitrite (E249-E250), calcium propionate (E282), potassium sorbate (E202).

Humectants

What do they do?Prevent products from drying out as they help products to retain the water.

Why they are usedShredded coconut stays moist and marshmallows stay soft because of an added humectant.

Examples of uses Marshmallows, shredded coconut, confectioneries, soft candies.


Sorbitol (E420), glycerine (E422).

Glazing agents

What do they do?Give a shiny appearance to the external surface of products or provide a protective coating.

Why they are usedA 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.


Carnauba wax (E903), beeswax (E901).

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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.


EDTA (E385), Glucono delta-lactone (E575), Sodium gluconate (E576), Potassium gluconate (E577).

Propellant gases

What do they do? Create pressure in a product which expels the food stuff.

Why they are usedWhipped 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.


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 usedThe 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.


Sodium carbonate (E500), calcium phosphate (E341), calcium carbonate (E170).


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Sweeteners

What do they do?Provide sweetness to a product.

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 usesLight products like beverages, replacement of table-top sugar, energy-reduced candy.


Saccharin (E954), cyclamate (E952), aspartame (E951), acesulfame-K (E950), sucralose (E955), Isomalt (E953).

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 usedMayonnaise made of oil and watery ingredients will splitafter a while. A stabilizer prevents this from happening.

Examples of usesFrozen desserts, dairy products, salad dressings, margarine, mayonnaise, sauces, meat products.


Phosphates (E339-E343), calcium sulphate (E516), agar (E406), sorbitol (E420), pectin (E440), Arabic gum (E414), EDTA (E385), locust bean gum (E410).

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Glossary AdditiveAdditives are substances that are added to foodstuffs for technical reasons, to improve their quality or to achieve certain propertiesor 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 specifi c 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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FAOThe 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 high-quality 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.

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.

JECFAThis 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.

Nature identical 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.

pH-valueThe 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.

PigmentA substance or material used as a colouring/ used to give colour to a product. The colouring principles of natural foods are called pigments.

SaltsSalt 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/Artifi cialSynthetic means that it’s not made by nature, but man-made. Some additivesare 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 artifi cial has no bearing onits safety.

WHOThe World Health Organisation focuseson 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.


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FAQs

What are the ingredients in this dish?

• Every day you use several fresh ingredients and products to prepare your dishes. The ingredients in a specifi c 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 productwhat is in it.

• Fresh ingredients often don’t have an ingredient list. In this case justinclude the name of the ingredient.

• To be able to answer this question, it’s crucial to know the ingredientsin 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 itis technically necessary to use them.

• To check whether your dishes contain any preservatives, check the labelsof the products you use.

Below are some frequently asked questions by guests concerning food ingredients and additives.

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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 signifi cant 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 functionand name or code e.g. Thickener (pectin) or Thickener (E440).

Do you use any fl avour enhancers in your dishes, such as MSG?

• Flavour enhancers are additives that enhance the fl avour of foodstuffs without having any pronounced fl avour themselves.

• MSG is one of the most well-known fl avour 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 fl avouring properties. MSG has fl avour enhancing properties and has been in use for a long time. It has the specifi c fl avour of ‘umami’, a savoury and meaty taste.

• MSG is a food additive affi rmed as safe by the EU, FAO/WHO and by theFDA 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 thelabels of the products you use.


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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]

Eldin Food Consulting, 2012. Your Specialist in

Food Safety and Labelling. [Online] http://www.

eldin.co.za [Retrieved on 10 October 2012]

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