The Kinds of Preservatives
People used to shop at the local market each day. Everything was fresh, organic, and locally produced. But the modern reality is quite different. Food is flown from country to country, and we all want to do a big shop, once a week or even for a fortnight. To stay fresh for so long, food needs to be preserved. Old fashioned ways of preserving food, like salting, smoking and pickling are not done as much by manufacturers, and many foods have preservatives added to them.-
Safe
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Preservatives that are considered safe include natural acids such as acetic acid found in vinegar, and citric acid, which is used to preserve fruit drinks and desserts. Alpha tocopherol, or vitamin E, prevents cooking oils from going rancid, while dextrin, made by mixing starch with an acid, prevents sugar from crystallizing. Countless other chemicals added to food are considered safe, and you can find them on the Center for Science in the Public Interest website.
Unsure
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More worryingly, some chemicals are added to foods about which little is known. Butylated hydroxytoluene prevents oils from turning rancid, but it has been found to increase the risk of certain cancers in animals, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Diacetyl makes butter last longer, and is safe in small quantities, but factory workers with long-term contact face obstructive lung disease. Heptyl Paraben is used to preserve beer, but its long term benefits are still unknown.
Avoid
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Sodium benzoate, or benzoic acid, is used to preserve acidic foods. It's considered safe for most of us, but can cause asthma symptoms in some. When combined with vitamin C, benzene is produced. Benzene is known to cause cancer, and though the levels are tiny enough to be considered safe, consumers are still lobbying for a ban.
Dangerous
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More disturbing still, sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are used by the meat industry in excessive amounts, despite the fact that they have been linked to various types of cancer. These preservatives can be replaced with much safer preservatives like ascorbic acid and erythorbic acid, so look out for these ingredients when buying bacon, hotdogs and cured meats.
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