Are atural additives better than artificial ones?
Some additives are manufactured from natural sources such as soybeans, which provide lecithin to maintain product consistency, or beetroot, which provides beet powder used as food colouring. Other useful additives are not found in nature and must be made. Artificial additives can be produced more economically, with greater purity than some of their natural counterparts. Whether an additive is natural or artificial has no bearing on its safety. Are sulphites safe? Sulphiting agents are sometimes used to preserve the colour of foods such as dried fruits and vegetables, and to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in fermented foods such as wine. They may also be used in fruit juices, soft drinks, and sausages. Why so many additives? Choice and variety are important in our enjoyment of food. The nature and purpose of a food and how it is processed determine which additives may be needed. Additives differ from one another in a number of important respects. Some examples are given below: • S
