Additives

1. Additives

2. Food Processors Can Also Use Additives • Some food additives occur naturally • Some food additives are chemical combinations created in a lab • Over 3000 are in use • Monitored by the FDA – Food and Drug Administration • Have specific uses

3. Additives are used to: • Add Flavor – growing and processing conditions can cause loss of or inconsistent flavors • Improving Nutrition • Increasing Shelf Life – delaying spoilage • Maintaining texture – which can be lost during processing • Helping foods age to create new foods • Improve appearance, feel or behavior • Reduce production costs

4. What’s In Your Tank? Objective: Recognize how technology impacts our food supply

5. What’s In Soda? Yellow 6 Carbonated Water Citric Acid High fructose corn syrup and/or sucrose Potassium Benzoate Natural Flavors Brominated vegetable oil Acacia Glycerol ester of wood resin Red 40

6. Video Set with your research team and gather answers to worksheet while viewing video. Everyone needs their own copy, but you can confer.

7. Sodium • Sodium is a mineral essential for maintaining the proper fluid balance in the body. We all need some sodium • 500 mg per day is needed • Too much sodium can increase blood pressure, which can lead to stroke, heart attack, and atherosclerosis. • 1 out of every 3 American adults have high blood pressure • 4800 mg is the amount the average American consumes daily • 2400 mg a day will be ok for most people. Don’t cross the line!

8. Where is that Sodium hiding?? • The average American consumes • 11% of their sodium from the salt shaker • 12 % of their sodium from inside of food that comes from nature. • 77% from processed (additives) foods

9. Predict… • Where would you draw the line for: • A fast food cheeseburger ¼ tsp = the amount of salt needed everyday

10. Scavenger Hunt • 1. Examine the label of the food item at your seat. On the index card write down the name of one of the additives. • 2. Each team will get a computer station and an additives glossary. Complete the chart to show at least 5 additives and their functions. If you can describe how the additive is made, you will earn bonus points.

11. To Reduce Additive Intake: • Read the labels and choose items with less sodium • Eat less convenience food • Do more of your own cooking • Eat organic foods. • Organic regulations ban or severely restrict the use food additives, processing aids (substances used during processing but not added directly to food) and fortifying agents commonly used in non-organic foods including preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavorings, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Materials that handlers and processors may use are defined by the U.S. National Organic Program's List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. • To be labeled an "organic" processed food, 95 per cent of package contents must be organically produced. The 5 percent of non-organic ingredients usually fall in the "additives" category. While most conventional additives are prohibited in processed organic foods, organic foods may contain natural additives, and in some cases, one of several synthetic additives permitted by the National Organic Program. Restrictions as to how a permitted additive may be used may also apply. Some additives found in organic food, especially vitamin fortifying agents, are there for legal reasons.