Modern food production is not complete without the use of various preservatives, thickeners and flavor enhancers. Simply put, a nutritional supplement is included in almost every product we see on store shelves. As a rule, it is not difficult to find out about the presence of a particular impurity, because manufacturers do not hide anything from the consumer. A complete list of product components is indicated on the packaging, and the food supplement is indicated in the form of a letter E with a three-digit number.
It is obtained artificially and contained in food products with the aim of extending the shelf life, changing its structure or taste characteristics. Many people identify the concepts of “food supplement” and “dietary supplement”. This is completely wrong, because a biologically active supplement, the so-called dietary supplement is a complex of various minerals, vitamins and other useful substances. Usually, dietary supplements are taken with food for better absorption and to saturate the body with essential trace elements.
Food additives should not include auxiliary substances that are actively used in industrial activities. Such can be safely considered the means used in cleaning or clarifying the product. That is, they are used to improve the process and obtain a better product, without changing its natural taste.
Today it is impossible to imagine food production activities without the inclusion of thickeners, dyes and other things in the goods. Every day, new, more advanced additives are developed that maintain the perfect appearance of the product for a long time, while maintaining taste.
Among the variety, nutritional supplements can be distinguished:
- Responsible for maintaining a beautiful appearance and maintaining taste characteristics;
- The so-called preservatives, which are responsible for the safety of microflora;
- Used in the process.
The taste and beautiful appearance of the product is supported by dyes, flavors, substances that change the consistency and taste of the product, for example, the food supplement "Crystal". Preservatives help create a special microbial environment that provides excellent product retention over time. They may be of chemical or biological origin. The additives actively used in the production include various disintegrants, bleaches, gelling agents and other means of similar action.
A large number of impurities of different directions are isolated. Their number already exceeds 500 items. In order to streamline, each food supplement has received its own personal identification number, consisting of three or four digits.
It is believed that the most harmful food supplement is used in manufacturing activities. In fact, impurities obtained synthetically are not as harmful as they seem. After all, every additive, before being launched into mass production, goes through a cycle of lengthy research and tests that are able to fully reveal its effect on human well-being. If even the slightest deviations from the norm are found, then it will never be allowed for use in food activities.
All newly invented supplements are certified, they are checked by the National Ministry of Health for danger to the human body. You should be aware that a specific list of standards and requirements is associated with each food supplement, which is even more stringent than that presented for medicines.