Facts about Chinese Food Additive You Must Know

This article introduces the facts about food additives and explains the argument for the Chinese food additive to help you better understand Chinese and world food additive application conditions.

What is Food Additive?

There is a saying that food additive is the spirit of the food industry for the insiders while the common people’s nerve is jangled by the negative statement about food additive. Especially a saying that there seems abuse of food additives in the Chinese food industry, which creates tension among Chinese people and also foreign prejudice to Chinese food additives.

What is the food additive and what is the true condition of Chinese food additive on earth? Let’s find the answer together!

Food additives are synthetic or natural substances added to food to enhance quality, appearance, and taste, preserve freshness, and facilitate the processing of food. They include nutritional fortifiers, flavor enhancers, base materials in confectionery, and processing aids for the food industry.

Is it necessary to use additives in food?

To discuss the necessity of the food additive is actually to discuss its functions and importance. Food additive is developed together with the food industry, showcasing their functions in 2 major aspects: to satisfy the demand for food processing technology and the demand for taste and nutrition.

There are the major purposes of using the food additive:

1. Preserving food and preventing spoilage;

2. Improving food quality and stability;

3. Improving sensory characteristics like color, smell, taste, and shape;

4. Maintaining or boosting nutritional value;

5. Taking as the necessary ingredients of certain special foods, such as potassium bicarbonate, the acidity regulator is used in infant formula foods.

6. Expanding food varieties and bringing convenience to life;

7. In favor of food processing and accommodating to the mechanized and automated production;

8. Catering to specific requirements, for example, the diabetic is not allowed to eat sugar, so Nutrient-free or low-caloric sweetening agents like sucralose and aspartame are good alternatives.

The above introduction might be too theoretical for you to understand, I will give some examples, therefore you will understand if the food additive is necessary or not.

In ancient times, there were no preservatives so people could only buy the food nearby. Only pickled, smoked, dry, or fermented food could be transported over long distances or preserved for a long time. However, the presence of preservatives changed the condition, those perishable foods could take long journeys, and people can enjoy the various flavors from all over the world at home.

Besides, sweetening agent for the diabetic is another great example. Sucralose, aspartame, and other sweetening agents satisfy these patient’s demand for sugar but would not supply too much energy which is fatal for the diabetic.

Now you should have the answer to this question. Without food additives, humans will not lose a life, just like in ancient times. However, today under the great industrialization, food additive exerts significant influences on our life.

Why is there an argument about Chinese food additives?

A saying that there is abuse of Chinese food additives because many food additives are prohibited in developed countries but are still in use in China, which brings tension among Chinese people and also causes prejudice internationally.

Actually, there are about 2000 food additives allowed to be used in China, and about 4000 in America. Other countries like Japan also allow more food additives in use. Each additive must be evaluated and tested strictly and systematically before being applied in actual use, which is the same in every country.

There are different additive species and quantity standards in different countries’ food industries. Some food additives in China even have stricter limits compared to international organizations or developed countries.

For instance, the limit for Potassium Sorbate (a preservative) in Chinese jelly is 0.5 grams per kilogram, while the EU allows 1 gram per kilogram. Conversely, some additives are permitted by international standards or developed nations but not approved in China. For example, Peroxybenzoic Acid (flour bleaching agent) is acceptable internationally and in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, but China has banned its use. These variations highlight the diverse regulations governing food additives worldwide.

Therefore, we can judge a country’s food additive simply by a few specific indexes is low or high, or if a country uses a certain additive or not. That’s not scientific and objective.

Some people feel upset as there are arguments like “there is exceeding xxx found in xxx food, which will cause serious result if used for long term”, hence, hate additives and hate them completely. That’s less rational.

As mentioned above, food additives undergo safety evaluations considering lifetime, daily, and extensive intake. Thus, additives used within standard limits don't pose risks from "long-term extensive" usage. Additives typically remains far from causing health hazards, as we don't consume excessive amounts of these substances daily throughout our lives.

Conclusion: 

Based on the above comprehensive analysis, we understand that the additives serve various functions, including enhancing flavor, preserving freshness, and improving texture. Each country or area including China has a comprehensive regulatory framework in place to ensure the safety and proper use of these additives, with strict standards and testing procedures in effect to safeguard consumer health. Therefore, we should take the Chinese food additive and other countries’ additives rationally, and propose and support more research and regulation on food additives to ensure a safer food life around the world.