[Chinese Packaging Network News] hot summer, ice cream roots, most people buy ice cream, mostly to see the taste and brand, few people pay attention to its composition. However, there are more than ten species of additives, one of which is dense and dense.
In order to make the additive look "less", some companies only write the code when labeling, and many food additives marked on the ice cream package are not a definite name but a numerical code. In a snowman ice cream package, the ingredient list on the package showed emulsifiers (322, 471, 433), thickeners (412, 415, 407), flavour enhancers (621), and colorants. (150C). What these numbers represent is like a book of heaven.
Fan Zhihong, associate professor of nutrition and food safety at the Food College of China Agricultural University, pointed out that these additives can be divided into four categories: seasoning, coloring, shaping, emulsification, and they are all essential ingredients for the sweet taste of ice cream.
The first is emulsification. Glycerol fatty acid esters, phospholipids and the like are all emulsifiers, which can make the texture of ice cream even, stable and delicate.
Followed by shaping. Mainly rely on thickening agent, such as sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, etc. Thickener can make ice cream easy to bite, not easy to melt, and will not become a large ice block, nor will it Take it out and turn it away.
It is seasoning again. Seasoning requires sweeteners, sours, and flavors. Lactic acid, sodium lactate, etc. belong to the sour agent, aspartame and cyclamate are sweeteners. Adding these ingredients can reduce the cost while ensuring sweetness. The essence is used to simulate the realistic aroma.
The last is coloring. Bright blue and lemon yellow are colorants.
Fan Zhihong pointed out that without these additives, the texture of ice cream cannot be even, and the frozen state is as hard and unpalatable as large ice cubes, neither sweet nor flavourful.
Is the nostalgic old ice cream cake relatively healthy and less additive? In this regard, the above-mentioned experts of Jilin Agricultural University admitted that the more expensive and brightly colored ice cream on the market contains more additives and pigments, but it will not affect health under the nationally-adopted content. The taste of the old-fashioned ice cream is relatively single, and the color is generally white. It does indicate that the additives and pigments added are less and relatively healthier. The brighter colors of those colorful ice creams means that more pigments are added and should be kept as far as possible.
According to Xu Wei, a dietitian at Wenzhou Central Hospital, in many cases, processed foods are only less safe without suitable additives. Food additives should not be added when they are not added, nor should they be added. Microorganisms are always ready to compete with us for nutrients in food. The oxygen in the air is also ready to oxidize the nutrients in food. Processed foods that are completely additive-free are very rare and not very reassuring.
For food additives, we should accept it calmly and affirm their contribution to the safety, deliciousness and convenience of food. However, consumers should avoid overly pursuing misunderstandings of taste, color and taste, accept the natural characteristics of food, and look at the packaging carefully. The ingredients on the instructions to choose food wisely. As for those harmful substances that are not food additives at all, as long as they are added to food, they should be severely punished by law.