What are the 11 most common additives in Brazilian food for?

A survey showed that four out of five foods sold in Brazilian supermarkets have additives.

The survey carried out by nutritionist Vanessa Montera, unprecedented on this scale in Brazil, pointed out that almost 80% of the more than 9,800 products analyzed had at least one additive — and a quarter had six or more.

So are the natural or synthetic substances added to a food without the purpose of nourishing.

In many cases, additives are very useful. They are used by industry, for example, to make food last longer, reach more people, be cheaper.

But others serve to change traits that would be hard to swallow. This is because the industrial processes that some foods go through can change their smell, taste or texture and make them unrecognizable.

Manufacturers resort, then, to so-called cosmetic additives, so that a food minimally corresponds to what we expect from it.

Its presence in a food is a sign that it can be ultra-processed — and more and more research has linked this type of food to disease.

Science has yet to come to a conclusion about the effect of additives on health.

Several researchers say studies link additives to mental disorders, allergies, obesity and cancer and urge the food industry to be more cautious.

Manufacturers and the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), which regulates this market, respond that evidence is weak. They argue that additives can be used at safe levels that follow international standards.

The experts’ main suggestion for now is to keep an eye on the labels, read the list of ingredients and avoid ultra-processed ones — and if there are too many additives on the list, it’s a sign that the food may be ultra-processed.

But which are the most common? And what are they for?

Check the guide that BBC News Brasil has prepared on the subject.

Flavorings

How many products were found? 47,1%

What are you doing? They confer or intensify the smell and/or taste of a food.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Sim.

Examples: there are natural ones, obtained from animal or vegetable products (such as essential oils, extracts, balms, among others), and synthetic ones, that is, they are chemical substances produced in the laboratory, which can be classified as identical to natural ones (when they have a chemical structure equal to that of natural raw material) or artificial.

Products in which they are used: candies, caramels and the like, cookies and the like, soda concentrates, breakfast cereals and cereal bars, pre-prepared foods, ice cream, yogurts and flavored milks, soft drinks, nectars, flavored fruit drinks, concentrated soups and broths.

Conservatives

How many products were found? 28,9%

What are you doing? They extend the shelf life of food by fighting the multiplication of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, which can cause food to spoil.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Do not.

Examples: benzoates, citric acid, nitrates and nitrites, parabens, salicylates, sorbic acid, sulfites, calcium, sodium and potassium propionate.

Products in which they are used: pre-prepared foods, processed meats, breads, cakes and other bakery items, snacks, pastries, pasteurized coconut milk, grated coconut, chocolates, dehydrated fruits, flavored fruit drinks, margarine, nectars and fruit juices, mayonnaise , cheese, soft drinks, pickled vegetables.

Dyes

How many products were found? 27,8%

What are you doing? They confer, intensify or restore the color of a food.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Sim.

Examples: there are natural ones (such as annatto, turmeric, and chlorophyll), natural-identical synthetics (such as beta carotene, riboflavin, and lutein), and artificial ones (such as bright blue, twilight yellow, ponceau red, and caramel).

Products in which they are used: candies, caramels and the like, processed cereal-based foods, toppings and syrups for ice cream, ice cream, jellies, yogurts and flavored milks, margarines, fruit nectars, vegetable oils, textured soy protein, cheeses, soft drinks and soft drinks, juices, biscuits and the like, processed meats.

Stabilizers

How many products were found? 27,6%

What are you doing? They prevent the ingredients used in the manufacture of food from separating, making a mixture remain homogeneous and preventing it from losing color, consistency and other characteristics conferred by industrial processing.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Sim.

Examples: ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, gums (carrageenan, guar), alginic acid, metatartaric acid, chemically modified starches, propylene glycol alginate, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium caseinate, microcrystalline cellulose, citrates, fatty acid mono and diglycerides, lecithins, polysorbate.

Products in which they are used: preparations for soft drinks and soft drinks, wine, beer, sterilized children’s foods, chocolate drinks and powders, cheeses, fruit-based sweets, cereals, milk and malt, toppings and syrups for confectionery and ice cream, preserved vegetables, fatty sauces , concentrated soups and broths, processed meats, nectars, flavored fruit drinks.

Emulsifiers

How many products were found? 19,4%

What are you doing? They allow you to mix liquid ingredients that would not otherwise mix, such as water and oil, for example, and to maintain the uniformity of a mixture.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Sim.

Examples: gums (arabica, karaya), lecithin, propylene glycol, polyoxyethylene stearate, polyoxyethylene monolaurate, polyoxyethylene monopalmitate, fatty acid mono and diglyceride esters with diacetyl tartaric acid.

Products in which they are used: breakfast cereals and cereal bars, breads, cakes and other bakery items, cookies, sweets and desserts, unsweetened dairy products, packaged wheat flour, coconut milk, packaged and surface-treated fresh fruit, non-fermented alcoholic beverages

Antioxidants

How many products were found? 16,1%

What are you doing? They conserve food by slowing down its deterioration caused by oxidation. This type of chemical reaction is triggered by contact with oxygen in the air and changes the appearance, smell and texture of food.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Do not.

Examples: butylhydroxyanisole, butylhydroxytoluene, propylgallate, tocopherols, ascorbic acid and its salts (potassium, sodium and calcium), citric acid, monoglyceride citrate, acidic EDTA and disodium calcium EDTA, lecithins, asorbyl palmitate, tocopherols.

Products in which they are used: foods for children, olives, processed cereal-based foods, frozen chips, soft drinks, beers, preserved fruits and vegetables, margarines, fruit pulps, sauces and seasonings, coconut milk, juices, nectars, fruit drinks flavored.

thickeners

How many products were found? 14%

What are you doing? They increase the viscosity of a food, changing its texture or consistency, making it less liquid.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Sim.

Examples: alginic acid and its salts (ammonium, calcium and potassium), agar agar, carboxymethylcellulose and its sodium salt, microcrystalline cellulose, gums (arabic, guar, xanthan, jataí, caroba).

Products in which they are used: flavored fruit drinks, sour cream, ice cream, flavored milk, sauces and seasonings, preparations for soft drinks and soft drinks, yogurts, “petit suisse” cheese and similar, fillings and coatings for confectionery products, powders for desserts (gelatin, flan , pudding…), vegetable cream, breads, cakes and other bakery items.

flavor enhancers

How many products were found? 11,8%

What are you doing? They emphasize or intensify the taste and/or smell of a food, making it more pleasant on the palate. They are also known as flavorings.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Sim.

Examples: glutamate (monosodium, potassium, magnesium), monoammonium glutamate 5-guanylate (potassium, calcium, disodium), inosinic acid, potassium inosinate, sodium 5-inosinate.

Products in which they are used: pre-prepared foods, packaged snacks, emulsified sauces, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, prepared condiments, processed meat.

Acidity regulators

How many products were found? 11,7%

What are you doing? Alter or control the pH of a food. This helps to preserve the flavor and color of the food and keep it longer by fighting the multiplication of microorganisms.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Do not.

Examples: acetate (potassium, sodium), sodium diacetate, phosphoric acid, phosphate (monosodium, disodium, monopotassium, dipotassium), tartrate (mono and disodium, mono and dipotassium)

Products in which they are used: flavored fruit drinks, nectars, soft drinks, packaged wheat flour, fruit jelly and mocotó jelly, emulsified sauces, mayonnaise, processed meats, sweetened dairy products, cheeses.

Sweeteners

How many products were found? 10,8%

What are you doing? Natural or synthetic, they give a sweet taste to food, totally or partially replacing conventional sugars – which reduces the amount of calories in a food. They are better known as sweeteners.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Sim.

Examples: aspartame, saccharin (calcium, potassium, sodium), cyclamate (calcium, potassium, sodium), sucralose, acesulfame-K, steviol glycosides, mannitol, isomaltitol, maltitol, sorbitol, thaumatin, neotame, lactitol, xylitol, erythritol.

Products in which they are used: breakfast cereals and cereal bars, bread items, cakes and other bakery items, flavored fruit drinks, nectars, soft drinks, sweets and desserts, fruit-based sweets, sweetened dairy products.

Chemical yeasts

How many products were found? 10,4%

What are you doing? Substance or mixture of substances that release gas and, in this way, increase the volume of a mass, giving a spongy appearance.

Are they a cosmetic additive? Do not.

Examples: monocalcium phosphate, monobasic phosphate, monocalcium orthophosphate, calcium biphosphate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate.

Products where they are found: breakfast cereals and granola bars, breads, cakes and other baked goods, packaged snacks, cookies, sweets and desserts.