What Are the Food Additives Used as Antioxidants?

Food additives are synthetic or natural substances that are intentionally added to food products.

The most significant feature of food additives is their ability to improve the taste, flavor, and characteristics of the food to which they are added without causing a change in its nutritional value.

The most prominent feature of antioxidant food additives is their use in preventing the spoilage of foods that deteriorate over time. In other words, antioxidants have protective properties.

Food additives are often used together in several products to provide a synergistic effect. Food additives that have the ability to degrade on their own are modified with another substance for stabilization purposes.

What are the Sources Where Antioxidants are Found?

Antioxidants can be found naturally in foods. For example, Ascorbic Acid is found in the juice of lemons, oranges, and some fruits. And it is known as Vitamin C.

Tocopherols, on the other hand, are antioxidants found in vegetable oils. They are called Vitamin E.

Lactic acid is an antioxidant found in yogurts.

Citric acid is an antioxidant found in citrus fruits.

Antioxidants referred to as true antioxidants are substances that naturally exhibit antioxidant properties. These are; Butylated Hydroxyanisole E 320, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, and Gallates E310, E312, and E321.

Unlike true antioxidants, there are synergistic antioxidants. These antioxidants are not considered true antioxidants, but they are food additives that have the effect of strengthening the effects of antioxidants when used together with true antioxidants.

The effectiveness of the antioxidant will eventually end. This is because the antioxidant becomes saturated with the protective effect.

The spoilage of food products is generally referred to as oxidation. Oxidation occurs through the interaction of a food product with an oxygen or hydrogen atom. In this reaction, an oxygen atom can be added while a hydrogen atom can be removed.

How Many Types of Oxidation are There?

There are 2 different types of oxidation. One is the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, and the other is the type of oxidation catalyzed with the help of oxidative enzymes.

The oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids involves reactions occurring as a result of the oxidation of oxygen and C=C bonds. The occurrence of these reactions leads to foul odors and a bitter taste in food. The substances causing this situation are free radicals.

What are the Types of Antioxidants?

Antioxidants stand out in many varieties.

TOCOPHEROLS

There are several types of tocopherols. Among these, alpha-tocopherol is the antioxidant with the most significant biological activity due to its ability to reduce lipid peroxidation.

Known as Vitamin E, this substance is used as a food additive because alpha-tocopherol is naturally present in vegetable oils (in wheat germ). When foods are refined, this antioxidant is removed from the foods.

Foods become rancid with the oxidation of oils. To prevent this, alpha-tocopherol or other tocopherols are used.

alpha-tocopherol (E307)
beta-tocopherol (E306)
gamma-tocopherol (E308)
delta-tocopherol (E309)

BHA, BHT, AND TBHQ PHENOL DERIVATIVES

While BHA (E320) is called Butylated Hydroxyanisole, BHT (E321) is called butylated hydroxytoluene. These substances are important additives for preventing oxidation in foods.

However, they are not used only in foods. They can also be used as antioxidants in gear oils, such as lubricating oils. For example, they prevent the rapid degradation of oils used for lubricating the gears in wind turbines and the mechanical parts inside the rotor.

Later, another food additive, TBHQ (E319), is called tert-butylhydroquinone. It is obtained from a mixture of structural isomers with BHA.

These food additives do not dissolve in water. However, they dissolve in ethyl alcohol.

Since BHT and BHA are isolated, they are used together with some gallates. These gallates are propyl gallate (E310), octyl gallate (E311), and dodecyl gallate (E312) dir.

GALLATES

Gallates are food additives with true antioxidant properties used as antioxidants in oils. Sometimes they are used alone, and sometimes they are used synergistically with BHT and BHA.

These three types of gallates do not dissolve in water. They have easy solubility in ethyl alcohol and ether.

E310, E311, and E312 can be used in liquid and solid fats used for frying. They are used in fish oils, poultry, sauces, soups, dried meats, spices, dried potatoes, and snacks.

ASCORBIC ACID AND ASCORBIC ACID DERIVATIVES

Food additives like ascorbic acid have many different effects and properties in foods. This food additive, called Vitamin C, is an important antioxidant in the food and agriculture sectors.

It has light yellow crystalline properties. It is odorless.

Ascorbates, like L-Ascorbic Acid, are also considered safe as food additives.

Ascorbic Acid and Ascorbates are food additives used as preservatives in foods that do not contain lipids. They have very high solubility in water.

Among its most common areas of use, it stands out as a preservative in lean ground meat, unprocessed mollusks, crustaceans, charcuterie products, and also in unprocessed and frozen fruit and vegetable products.

It is used as a preservative in beer production and in products for children.

L-Ascorbic Acid (E300)
Sodium Ascorbate (E301)
Calcium Ascorbate (E302)
Fatty Acid Esters of Ascorbic Acid (E304)
L-Ascorbyl Palmitate (E304i)
L-Ascorbyl Stearate (E304ii)
Erythorbic Acid (E315)
Sodium Erythorbate (E316)

CITRIC ACID AND CITRATES

Citric acid and citrates are used as food additives in many food products. Their areas of use include fruit juices, caramels, ice creams, marmalades, jellies, canned foods, cheese production, and processed dairy products as preservatives.

It is also used as a preservative in sausages, the production of spreads, unprocessed seafood, peeled potatoes, and frozen fish products.

Although citric acid is used as a preservative on its own, it exhibits a significant synergistic effect to enhance the action of other antioxidants.

The salts of citric acid are called citrates. They are synthetic substances derived from citric acid. Like citric acid, citrates do not have harmful effects on human health.

Citric Acid Monohydrate
Citric Acid Anhydrous
Sodium Citrate
Monosodium Citrate
Disodium Citrate
Trisodium Citrate
Potassium Citrate
Monopotassium Citrate
Tripotassium Citrate
Calcium Citrate
Monocalcium Citrate
Dicalcium Citrate
Tricalcium Citrate

TARTARIC ACID AND TARTRATES

Tartaric acid and tartrates are found as sodium tartrate and potassium tartrate. Tartaric acid is soluble in ethanol, but tartrates are insoluble in ethanol.

These food additives support other antioxidants with their synergistic effects. They also have acidity-regulating effects. They are used as food additives in pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, sugar-free gums, and some food products manufactured for children.

Tartaric Acid
L-Tartaric Acid (E334)
D-Tartaric Acid
Potassium Sodium Tartrate (E337)
Sodium Hydrogen Tartrate

LACTIC ACID AND LACTATES

Lactic acid and lactates work by providing a synergistic effect with antioxidants. Lactic acid is obtained from starches with the help of bacteria.

It is used as a preservative (antioxidant) in fruit juices, jams, jellies, liquid oils, solid fats (spreads), processed cheeses, sauces, olives, bread, and bread products.

Lactic Acid (E270)
Sodium Lactate (E325)
Potassium Lactate (E326)
Calcium Lactate (E327)

PHOSPHORIC ACID AND PHOSPHATES

Phosphoric acid is generally found in many fruits. It is also obtained synthetically. It has antioxidant properties as well as being used as a food additive.

It is used as an acidity regulator and antioxidant in non-alcoholic beverages.