Sometimes the most important ingredient in a meal is the smallest — the tiny bite of pickle on sandwiches, the delicate, buttery pancakes or freshly cracked pepper on top. These are the hallmarks of all these favorite recipes: vinegar, baking soda, and spices.
These aren’t just for show. food additivesThese secret ingredients are some of our most favorite dishes. They’re the inspiration for some incredible cultural and global advancements.
Food additives were used to preserve food from the earliest days. Salting and smoking were used by early cultures to preserve and extend food supplies during times of shortage. All over the globe, people used local spices to preserve and enhance their food — this was the birth of foodies. Even the pursuit of spices has been credited with encouraging world exploration. Columbus found the Americas while seeking new trade routes to India for his spices.
Food additives are now far more sophisticated than their humble beginnings. Although we still need salt and vinegar to preserve foods, we can now use food additives in order to enrich and fortify the food and beverages that we consume. The healthiness of milk is enhanced by vitamins added to it. Yogurts contain probiotics which aid in digestion. Whole grain cereals can be made more appealing and fun with natural colors.
The modern cuisine movement uses food additives to create innovative and surprising new dishes that surprise and delight diners. “caviar”Made from fruit juice or powdered bacon. These applications are made with more complex additives than sugar or salt. Alginates can be used to make fruit juice look like caviar and maltodextrin helps create bacon powder. Although these ingredients might sound scary, they are actually natural derived. Maltodextrin and alginates come from starch, while maltodextrin can be extracted from brown seaweed. Chemistry is their source of power, just like baking soda.
The process of cultivating and monitoring additives has evolved with their uses. Food scientists and food safety agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have replaced early explorers. FDA and other scientists work together to regulate food additives and ensure they are safe in food and drink.
Since early civilizations discovered salt was a good food preservation agent, food additives have advanced a lot. Although they have improved the potential and availability of food, their main purpose is to make foods more delicious and accessible.
To learn more about food additives and their myriad of uses, visit FoodScienceMatters.com.
