Esthetic product, preparation

Under certain circumstances, the undesirable components from the products can be removed by adding active carbon to the reactants. An example is the production of esthetic plasticizers. During their preparation, highly resinous substances are formed by side reactions, and these impart a dark color to the products, which is difficult to remove. By adding active carbon, the coloring matter is adsorbed immediately as it is formed and a pure product is obtained. 

Food additives are chemical substances, other than basic foods, used in commercial food preparation to achieve preservative, flavor, color, stability, and esthetic effects. Though some of the chemicals used are derived naturally, most of the additives used in food production are synthetic and with little or no nutritional value [21, 22]. A glance at almost any cookbook shows that chemical additives are not necessary for food preparation. Their use allows inferior ingredients to be used, extends the shelf lives of many products, and exposes people to toxic chemicals. 

Earlier sections addressed impurities allowed in food and examples of chemicals used to flavor and color food. Other xenobiotic chemicals are deliberately added to food during its preparation for preparation, esthetic, and storage purposes. The Handbook of Food Additives describes more than 8000 trade name and general chemical additives that are used in food products [48]. Those included are listed by category in Table 10.3. 

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