Natural food additives

Synthetic pigments traditionally used by food processors continue to be utilized with success however, with the increasing consumer preference for natural food additives, natural colorants from plants now present big business and most of the research efforts within the scientific field of colorants are conducted on natural materials. Among microalgal production methods, marine background is a very positive aspect in the success of P-carotene produced by Dunaliella salina. 

Locally, especially in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and central Europe, as well as among eco-food supporters, the term E-number is understood and used as a pejorative term for artificial food additives. Nonetheless, benefits derived from using food additives along with the Westemalization of life lead to an ever increasing average consumption of such substances (natural food additives and xenobiotics) (Tuormaa 1994). 

Colours and some of the other agents added to food, however, have less obvious benefit for the consumer and are probably more important for the manufacturer. Enhancing the attractiveness of food, for example, increases its saleability, which would appear to be the main reason for the use of some additives such as colouring agents. Often we as consumers prefer to have attractively coloured food, but recently many consumers have begun to question the unnecessary use of additives in food and to demand additive-free food or the use of natural additives. While this may satisfy those who believe that natural substances are intrinsically safe, the fact is that natural products can be just as toxic as synthetic ones (see pp. 145-58, 240-57). Therefore each natural food additive also needs to be assessed for safety. For example, a tin of custard powder may claim to contain no artificial colours but contains annatto as colouring, which while it may be of natural origin has been associated with adverse effects (see below). 

Lac color is a natural food additive extracted from a stick lac, which is a secretion of the insect Coccus laccae... 

Lac dye is a natural food additive extracted from a stick lac, which is a secretion of the insect Coccus laccae (Laccifer lacca Kerr), and is widely used for coloring food. It is known that its red color is derived from water-soluble pigments including laccaic acids A, B, C, and E. 

Ltithy, J., Safety Evaluation of Natural Food Additives, paper presented at International Symposium Food Additives of Natural Origin, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 1989, p. 35. 

Uematsu, Y., Hirata, K., Suzuki, K. et al. (2002) Survey of residual solvents in natural food additives by standard addition head-space GC. Food Add Contam, 19 (4), 335-342. 

L-Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is very widespread in nature, and it is gaining importance as a versatile natural food additive due both to its vitamin activity and its ability to improve the quality and extend the shelf life of many food products. In addition, vitamin C is recognized as an antioxidant nutrient with multi-functional effects depending on the conditions of the food system. ... 

Natural food additives, ingredients and flavourings Edited by D. Baines and R. Seal... 

Meat and meat products are prone to both microbial and oxidative spoilage therefore, it is desirable to use a natural preservative with both antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. This chapter aims to critically review the use of frait and pomace extracts in order to improve the safety and quahty of meat and meat products, as described in studies recently carried out worldwide. In particular, the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of these natural food additives in fresh or frozen beef, pork and chicken meat products are evaluated. 

Maqsood, S., Benjakul, S. Shahidi, F. (2013). Emerging role of phenolic compounds as natural food additives in fish and fish products. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 55,162-179. 

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