Risky Ingredients In Packaged Food

In the present scenario, packaged goods are becoming a great challenge to health and well-being. Due to a lack of enough preparation time, busy schedule, and heavy marketing, people are getting habituated towards the consumption of packaged food items and beverages, which are not only addictive but also not safe for the body for long-term consumption. 

Packaged Food: Commercialising Health In The Name Of Taste & Convenience

Packaged food is not a new concept of recent times. Around 1800, Nicolas Appert invented the heat-processed canning process in glass bottles for the French army. Around 1810, tin cans were introduced, which was a great improvement over the glass bottles for their durability and easy transportation. Between the years 1870 to 1885, cardboard and paper packaging was begin in mass scale, which made food packaging easier, more convenient and easier to carry. Around the early 1900s, Cellophane was introduced and the industrial revolution in the food industry took over. This made the packaging of the food items more effective and transparent, allowing for a check on perishable food items. 

During the World Wars, dried and packaged food items that are ready to eat gained popularity not only among the moving soldiers but also the common citizens. By the 1950s, plastic was introduced and this not only revolutionised the packaging but also helped the industries to come up with innovative packaging ideas and a variety of food options. By now, packaged and processed food was not only an obligation but was in trend. Fast foods and carbonated beverages were gaining high popularity among people.

But gradually, the chemically manufactured and processed food products started having a negative impact on the health of the people. Many of the FMCG companies, in order to gain quick and easy profits, started using harmful chemicals, compounds, colourings, and preservatives which are highly toxic on regular and prolonged usage as well as are sometimes not fit for human consumption. Organisations and governing bodies like FASSAI and FDI are working towards controlling adulteration and the usage of harmful chemicals in edibles and consumables. However, the corrupt, ignorant and money-centric system makes it highly difficult for people to even complain about these atrocious practices. 

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What Ingredients To Avoid While Purchasing Packaged Food? 

Not all packaged food is dangerously harmful. Yet, many companies are still using certain ingredients which are still in use and pose a great threat to the human kind. Some of the most controversial and hazardous chemicals that are used in the FMCG industry are:

Sodium Nitrate

The Sodium Nitrate, scientifically known as NaNO, is often used as a preservative and colouring agent in food which needs a strong taste and is perishable in nature due to low shelf life. They are also used as flavouring agents in many processed meat-based products like beacons, sausages and deli meats. It is highly reactive in nature and can cause severe damage to the liver, intestine, gut lining and can even lead to colon cancer. The preservative grade sodium nitrate reacts with stomach acids and digestive enzymes, producing a toxic compound, nitrosamines, which is considered clinically a carcinogen and the compound is often banned in many countries.

HFCS

Also known as high fructose corn syrup, this is a taste enhancer and refined sweetener which is used in many carbonated drinks, energy drinks, beverages, packaged fruit juices, cereals and packaged snacks. Known to provide upto 400% more sweetness and being a cheaper alternative to sugar and other natural sweeteners, this chemical derivative is known to cause type 2 diabetes, fatty liver and even retinal damage, causing blindness.

Hydrogenated oils

Often known as Palm oil or vegetable oil, this chemical compound is used as an extender of the shelf life of fatty foods, butter and baked items to improve their glaze and texture. Though banned in many countries, they are still in use by many FMCG companies under the name of “Trans Fat”. They are known to cause high blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart blockage, type 2 diabetes, and even obesity.

Potassium Bromate

Used in mass-produced commercial bread dough, and the bounding of the flour. In addition to this, it is a fastener and is known for shortening the cooking and baking time. Widely used, it is a proven carcinogen and is known to cause colon and stomach cancer even in animals. This is the reason it is banned in many countries, including the USA and UK, but is still used in India, raising serious concerns about people’s health and well-being.

Azidocarbonamide

Known for giving a similar effect to the yeast to the dough, this is a carcinogen and is also known to be used for foamed plastics. Studies suggest that this chemical ingredient in food is also a big contributing factor to respiratory disease and is also a bleaching agent to improve the colour and taste of perishable food items.

Artificial Food Colours

Many artificial colours like Red 40, Yellow 5 & 6, Blue 1 &2 are the most common artificial food colours and are known for providing just an appealing colour to the food and beverages. They are highly toxic and are not processed by the body, causing their deposition in the body. Colouring agents like Red 40 are known to be the major reason for thyroid cancer and may cause skin allergies, rashes and blisters on the body.

Artificial Sweeteners 

The most sought-after product by the so-called fitness freaks and health-conscious people, artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and Sucralose are known to create an imbalance in the sugar level of the blood and may, in fact, cause Type 2 Diabetes. Besides this, these artificial sweeteners can also cause skin allergies, poor gut microbial growth and a lack of proper functioning of the endocrine system of the body.

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