Basics in Food Technology FCH-11806
Lecture Summary
Lecture 0 – Introduction
Dictionary of Food Ingredients, Igoe, R.S. 2011
What is Food Technology?
Food technology: All know-how to transform raw materials into food products.
Sensory aspects and human nutrition is also related to food technology, but not part of it.
Food Can Be Spoiled in Three Different Ways
Microbial spoilage – caused by bacteria, moulds, and yeasts
Chemical spoilage – staling, discolorations, development of off-flavours and odours
Physical spoilage – e.g. due to harvesting, processing, or distribution
Fortification: Adding minerals/vitamins to compensate nutrient deficiencies/fight
malnutrition.
Functional foods: Foods with added bioactive phytonutrients with proven (health) effects
Lecture 1 – Food Additives (E-numbers)
31-08-2021
E-numbers and food additives are not the same, but similar
All e-numbers are additives, but not all additives are e-numbers.
The number is a synonym of the name of the component
o Both for additives, as well as naturally present ones
Additives are pure components
o E.g. yeast is not an additive
An e-number free diet consists of: water, salt, sugar.
Food additive: a component added to a food which is not a structural part of it, but is used
to keep the quality of a processed food during storage.
There are 17 classes of E-numbers:
1. Acidulants and buffers: regulate the acidity in a product (zuurteregelaars)
2. Anti-foaming agents: prevent foaming
3. Anti-oxidants: prevent negative effects of oxygen (preventing getting rancid)
4. Thickening or gelling agents: thickens a product
5. Sweeteners: any sweet component, not being sugar
6. Emulsifiers and stabilisers: components that prevent separation of a product
7. Leaving or rising agents: makes a dough rise
8. Preservatives and antibiotics: prevent microbial spoilage
9. Moisturisers: prevent drying
10. Colours: add a colour to a product
11. Bread enhancers: components that improve baking quality and bread stability
12. Propellants: gases (e.g. in spraying cans)
13. Flavour enhancers: enhances the savoury (flavour) of a product
14. Melting salts: need to make processed cheese
Not listed as additives are:
- Taste components (no definition at all in legislation)
o Mainly sugar and salt
1
,Basics in Food Technology FCH-11806
Lecture Summary
- Aromas and flavours (separately regulated; because complex mixtures of molecules & not
always constant)
Vrij van ‘smaakstoffen’ is a marketing term; the literal meaning of it is that it does not have taste.
Is Colour a Real Additive?
- Colours are not needed, but food without colour does not taste!
- Try putting colouring agent and aroma in a yoghurt, and the psychological flavour changes.
- Pure chemicals used for colour are additives
- The same chemicals, but as part of a natural powder are not additives
- Beetroot powder is an additive, beetroot extract is not (because it is less pure)
o The law states how far you can purify an additive before it becomes an ingredient
Sugar
- Sugar is not a sweetener!
- Coca cola has only sugar, no sweeteners. Zero contains other sweeteners (additives) but no
sugar.
Additives vs E-numbers
Additives are not defined by the EU, but by Codex Alimentarius.
- +/- 700 additives with a number are accepted
- +/- 350 are allowed in EU and have an E-number
- E-numbers are admitted in all EU/EEA countries
- Applications and dosage is very strictly regulated
- EU has the most strict regulation for food additives
- Most widely used additive/E-number Citric acid
- Most commonly used preservatives in food sugar, salt (both not additives) , gases (additive)
- All E-numbers are chemicals: food = chemistry: all what we eat are chemicals
- Misunderstanding: Chemical = synthetic/artificial
- Only very few additives are truly artificial (+/- 30)
- Only the doses can make the chemical dangerous/toxic
o We know more about additives than any other food
E.g. lettuce is not tested, but additives are
- A lot of additives are fibres: you can get bloated/laxative from that common side effect
Some facts:
1. Organic products do not contain E-numbers: wrong
2. I can live/cook without E-numbers: no
3. Does non-processed (‘natural’) food contain E-numbers: yes
4. Is there an E-number free diet: yes
5. How long can you live without ingesting E-numbers: 5 mins?
How is Safety Determined?
Many steps:
- Toxicity in chemical model systems
- Toxicity in biological model systems (cell lines)
- Toxicity in (a number of) test animals
- Determine the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) based on most sensitive
comparable animal (50g/kg body weight/day during whole life)
2
,Basics in Food Technology FCH-11806
Lecture Summary
- Correction NOAEL for difference between man and animal (10x) (5g)
- Correction NOAEL for difference between people (10x) (0,5kg)
- Corrected NOAEL is ADI (0,5g/kg bw/day)
- Convert ADI to maximum dose in products, including naturally occurring concentrations
- Adjust maximum dose for certain population groups
- Exclude for certain population groups
Chance of side effects minimalised
Rules are more strict than for medicine
Doubts Raised
- Animals are not humans
- Why factor 10 and not 5 or 100
- Who is paying these tests?
- How can you assure that this is true for all people?
- Can you guarantee that no-one will eat more than the maximum dose?
- No real answers, but it is the best we have..
- What is safe?
Nearly All Additives Have an ADI
Exceptions:
- The ADI would be unrealistically high (citric acid)
- Components with a long proven safety record (not tested again; e.g. pectin)
- Additives that are not really consumed (gases)
- Additives that are not in the final product (baking powder)
- Additives for which the maximum use is (far) below the ADI
List of ADI an maximum dose are never stable, regular adjustments
Natural products often exceed the maximum dose!
- Cranberries contain much more benzoic acid than allowed
- Tomatoes and (old) cheese contain much more glutamate than allowed
- Yoghurt and sauerkraut contain much more lactate than allowed
- Many berries and fruits have more colour than allowed…
Dangerous additive
- Nitrite (E250)
- Strangely this additive is not only allowed, but also the only required additive! Even in
organic products
- Creates a small chance of (indirect) stomach cancer, but it is the only preservative against
Clostridium botulinum (which is the most toxic component known)
Fear of E-numbers
- Marketing side of E-numbers.
- People can be afraid if there are things on the label of which they don’t know what it is
Clean Label
- A part of clean labelling is no E-numbers on the label.
- To solve this, companies replace additives by extracts (with the same additives in there…)
o Carotene to carrot extract (which is also rich in carotene)
3
, Basics in Food Technology FCH-11806
Lecture Summary
Lecture 2 – Microbiology – Introduction Food Safety
01-09-2021
“Our food has never been as safe as nowadays” – depends on what you consider ‘food safety’
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage in ways that
prevent foodborne illness.
- Not: dietary intake
- Includes allergies!
Food safety?
- Most samples contain glucose syrup, aroma, acid, a colour and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) as
preservative.
- Most honey is can sugar syrup with glucose and colour (caramel).
- 60% of local honey is neither local nor Belgian and more than 50% is diluted with sugar.
Hazard
Hazard: a biological, chemical or physical agent in food (or condition of food) with the
potential to cause an adverse health effect.
In other words: anything that can be in our foods that could cause harm.
- Pathogen
o Parasites
o Virus
o Bacteria
o Moulds
- Pesticides
- Foreign objects
- Non declared allergies
Potential hazards and risks in food
Notes:
Biological hazards are the most common
Chemical hazards – toxins. Everybody gets sick from those
4
Lecture Summary
Lecture 0 – Introduction
Dictionary of Food Ingredients, Igoe, R.S. 2011
What is Food Technology?
Food technology: All know-how to transform raw materials into food products.
Sensory aspects and human nutrition is also related to food technology, but not part of it.
Food Can Be Spoiled in Three Different Ways
Microbial spoilage – caused by bacteria, moulds, and yeasts
Chemical spoilage – staling, discolorations, development of off-flavours and odours
Physical spoilage – e.g. due to harvesting, processing, or distribution
Fortification: Adding minerals/vitamins to compensate nutrient deficiencies/fight
malnutrition.
Functional foods: Foods with added bioactive phytonutrients with proven (health) effects
Lecture 1 – Food Additives (E-numbers)
31-08-2021
E-numbers and food additives are not the same, but similar
All e-numbers are additives, but not all additives are e-numbers.
The number is a synonym of the name of the component
o Both for additives, as well as naturally present ones
Additives are pure components
o E.g. yeast is not an additive
An e-number free diet consists of: water, salt, sugar.
Food additive: a component added to a food which is not a structural part of it, but is used
to keep the quality of a processed food during storage.
There are 17 classes of E-numbers:
1. Acidulants and buffers: regulate the acidity in a product (zuurteregelaars)
2. Anti-foaming agents: prevent foaming
3. Anti-oxidants: prevent negative effects of oxygen (preventing getting rancid)
4. Thickening or gelling agents: thickens a product
5. Sweeteners: any sweet component, not being sugar
6. Emulsifiers and stabilisers: components that prevent separation of a product
7. Leaving or rising agents: makes a dough rise
8. Preservatives and antibiotics: prevent microbial spoilage
9. Moisturisers: prevent drying
10. Colours: add a colour to a product
11. Bread enhancers: components that improve baking quality and bread stability
12. Propellants: gases (e.g. in spraying cans)
13. Flavour enhancers: enhances the savoury (flavour) of a product
14. Melting salts: need to make processed cheese
Not listed as additives are:
- Taste components (no definition at all in legislation)
o Mainly sugar and salt
1
,Basics in Food Technology FCH-11806
Lecture Summary
- Aromas and flavours (separately regulated; because complex mixtures of molecules & not
always constant)
Vrij van ‘smaakstoffen’ is a marketing term; the literal meaning of it is that it does not have taste.
Is Colour a Real Additive?
- Colours are not needed, but food without colour does not taste!
- Try putting colouring agent and aroma in a yoghurt, and the psychological flavour changes.
- Pure chemicals used for colour are additives
- The same chemicals, but as part of a natural powder are not additives
- Beetroot powder is an additive, beetroot extract is not (because it is less pure)
o The law states how far you can purify an additive before it becomes an ingredient
Sugar
- Sugar is not a sweetener!
- Coca cola has only sugar, no sweeteners. Zero contains other sweeteners (additives) but no
sugar.
Additives vs E-numbers
Additives are not defined by the EU, but by Codex Alimentarius.
- +/- 700 additives with a number are accepted
- +/- 350 are allowed in EU and have an E-number
- E-numbers are admitted in all EU/EEA countries
- Applications and dosage is very strictly regulated
- EU has the most strict regulation for food additives
- Most widely used additive/E-number Citric acid
- Most commonly used preservatives in food sugar, salt (both not additives) , gases (additive)
- All E-numbers are chemicals: food = chemistry: all what we eat are chemicals
- Misunderstanding: Chemical = synthetic/artificial
- Only very few additives are truly artificial (+/- 30)
- Only the doses can make the chemical dangerous/toxic
o We know more about additives than any other food
E.g. lettuce is not tested, but additives are
- A lot of additives are fibres: you can get bloated/laxative from that common side effect
Some facts:
1. Organic products do not contain E-numbers: wrong
2. I can live/cook without E-numbers: no
3. Does non-processed (‘natural’) food contain E-numbers: yes
4. Is there an E-number free diet: yes
5. How long can you live without ingesting E-numbers: 5 mins?
How is Safety Determined?
Many steps:
- Toxicity in chemical model systems
- Toxicity in biological model systems (cell lines)
- Toxicity in (a number of) test animals
- Determine the No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) based on most sensitive
comparable animal (50g/kg body weight/day during whole life)
2
,Basics in Food Technology FCH-11806
Lecture Summary
- Correction NOAEL for difference between man and animal (10x) (5g)
- Correction NOAEL for difference between people (10x) (0,5kg)
- Corrected NOAEL is ADI (0,5g/kg bw/day)
- Convert ADI to maximum dose in products, including naturally occurring concentrations
- Adjust maximum dose for certain population groups
- Exclude for certain population groups
Chance of side effects minimalised
Rules are more strict than for medicine
Doubts Raised
- Animals are not humans
- Why factor 10 and not 5 or 100
- Who is paying these tests?
- How can you assure that this is true for all people?
- Can you guarantee that no-one will eat more than the maximum dose?
- No real answers, but it is the best we have..
- What is safe?
Nearly All Additives Have an ADI
Exceptions:
- The ADI would be unrealistically high (citric acid)
- Components with a long proven safety record (not tested again; e.g. pectin)
- Additives that are not really consumed (gases)
- Additives that are not in the final product (baking powder)
- Additives for which the maximum use is (far) below the ADI
List of ADI an maximum dose are never stable, regular adjustments
Natural products often exceed the maximum dose!
- Cranberries contain much more benzoic acid than allowed
- Tomatoes and (old) cheese contain much more glutamate than allowed
- Yoghurt and sauerkraut contain much more lactate than allowed
- Many berries and fruits have more colour than allowed…
Dangerous additive
- Nitrite (E250)
- Strangely this additive is not only allowed, but also the only required additive! Even in
organic products
- Creates a small chance of (indirect) stomach cancer, but it is the only preservative against
Clostridium botulinum (which is the most toxic component known)
Fear of E-numbers
- Marketing side of E-numbers.
- People can be afraid if there are things on the label of which they don’t know what it is
Clean Label
- A part of clean labelling is no E-numbers on the label.
- To solve this, companies replace additives by extracts (with the same additives in there…)
o Carotene to carrot extract (which is also rich in carotene)
3
, Basics in Food Technology FCH-11806
Lecture Summary
Lecture 2 – Microbiology – Introduction Food Safety
01-09-2021
“Our food has never been as safe as nowadays” – depends on what you consider ‘food safety’
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage in ways that
prevent foodborne illness.
- Not: dietary intake
- Includes allergies!
Food safety?
- Most samples contain glucose syrup, aroma, acid, a colour and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) as
preservative.
- Most honey is can sugar syrup with glucose and colour (caramel).
- 60% of local honey is neither local nor Belgian and more than 50% is diluted with sugar.
Hazard
Hazard: a biological, chemical or physical agent in food (or condition of food) with the
potential to cause an adverse health effect.
In other words: anything that can be in our foods that could cause harm.
- Pathogen
o Parasites
o Virus
o Bacteria
o Moulds
- Pesticides
- Foreign objects
- Non declared allergies
Potential hazards and risks in food
Notes:
Biological hazards are the most common
Chemical hazards – toxins. Everybody gets sick from those
4
