If you have ever looked at the ingredients list of your food, you have undoubtedly come across various E numbers. They are actually so common that they are hardly noticeable. But what do all those E numbers actually mean? And more importantly: are they innocent ingredients that make our food better? Or maybe they are not so healthy after all?
What are E numbers?
There are all kinds of substances that can be added to food. These types of substances are also called additives. However, there are rules from governments about which substances may be added. And often also the maximum amount that may be added. And that’s a good thing, because it is very important that our food remains healthy and that no bad ingredients are used.
Within the European Union, all substances that are permitted are designated with an E number. However, there are also a number of substances that have no longer been permitted over time. These substances retain their E number. The E-number list is primarily about food intended for humans.
Different types of fabrics
Food manufacturers add these types of substances for a reason. The substances on the E-number list are grouped according to the function that the substance has, i.e. the reason why the substance is used. For example, the numbers E-100 through E180 are dyes. And the flavor enhancers can be found from number E620 to E650.
The shelf life of the food
An obvious reason is to extend the shelf life of the food. Preservatives are used for this. About 35 different types of preservatives have been defined as E numbers. But oxidants also help extend the shelf life of food by preventing the food from being damaged by oxygen. There are about fifteen different antioxidants on the E-list.
The appearance of the food
The eye wants something too. This certainly applies to the current food industry. Everyone knows that what food looks like is not what matters. But still, a good-looking product sells better than food that is less shiny or has other imperfections. Manufacturers respond to this by making all kinds of additions that make the food look as tasty as possible. Primarily with the help of dyes. You will find these under numbers E-100 to E180. But also consider brightener and anti-scaling agents (E900-E919).
Improve the taste
Food must be tasty. So food manufacturers put everything into their products to make them as tasty as possible. First of all, think of flavor enhancers. These substances, such as E621, do not have a strong taste of their own, but ensure that other flavors become much stronger. This makes the taste fuller and the manufacturer can still achieve the same taste sensation with less effort and more expensive ingredients. The flavor enhancers have E numbers E620 to E650.
Another addition that has become very popular in recent years are sweeteners. These substances are extremely sweet and are therefore ideal for manufacturers to give a tasty taste to their products. These sweeteners are often hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. For example, aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar and saccharin is no less than 350 times sweeter than sugar. The substances contain almost no energy. This makes the substances ideal for use in light products, such as soft drinks. The taste, not the calories.
Even more types of fabrics
In addition to the substances already mentioned, there are more categories in the E-number list. There are also thickeners, acidity regulators, gelling agents, food acids, flour improvers, modified starches and anti-caking agents. Over time, new substances are also added. Currently approximately 350 E numbers have been assigned.
The usefulness of the E numbers
As you can see, there are all kinds of different substances that are added to our food. When it comes to substances that keep food fresh for longer, there is a lot to be said for this. But the usefulness of substances to make food look better is less easy to justify.
The purpose of flavor enhancers seems sensible at first: food should taste good, right? But the question of course is whether that is not possible without those flavor enhancers. The use of flavor enhancers makes it easier and, above all, cheaper for the manufacturers to produce the food.
The sweeteners do seem to have a use. That is to say: in these times of obesity and diets, it is ideal to be able to eat tasty sweet things without gaining weight. For this reason, food manufacturers are increasingly putting the sweeteners aspartame, acesulfame-k and saccharin in our food. Especially in the light products.
Are all those additives really that healthy?
Officially you can assume that the additives in our food are healthy. That is why there are rules about which substances are permitted and to what extent. At the same time, you may wonder whether that is always completely correct. Over the years, substances that were previously found to be healthy have sometimes been banned. In addition, certain substances are only permitted in limited quantities. Something that also suggests that they may not be so healthy after all.
In addition, there is also considerable discussion about certain substances. Good examples of this are the sweeteners aspartame and acesulfame-K. There are many stories on the internet that these substances are carcinogenic. Official research has not yet confirmed this. But unofficial experiments have been done with rats that show worrying results with excessive use of aspartame. There is also some uncertainty surrounding the widely used flavor enhancer E621 (Monosodium Glutamate).
The goals of the food industry
Finally, it is good to think about the current food industry. The goal of these organizations is not to make food as healthy as possible. The goal is to make money. You do this by keeping costs low and selling as much as possible. Take the light products for example. These were not marketed out of idealism on the part of the manufacturers to eradicate obesity. On the contrary, they rightly anticipated that these products would become popular. The ingredients needed in these types of products are secondary. As long as the taste is good and it contains few calories, it sells well.
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