Insufficient disclosure of additives? The Truth Consumers Need to Know

In recent years, with the rise of health consciousness, there has been a growing interest in food additives. However, the current situation is that many additives are used in foods lined up in convenience stores and supermarkets. Many consumers have a vague image of additives that are "not good for you," but in reality, they do not fully understand what additives are used, how much they are used, and their dangers.

Food additives destroy health

Divergence in perception of additives

While many people have the image that "additives = bad for the body", additives are used in many of the foods we eat in our daily lives. In particular, it is no exaggeration to say that processed foods are a treasure trove of additives. For example, various additives are used in many foods that are indispensable to our diet, such as bento boxes, side dishes, snacks, and soft drinks.

1. Many consumers do not have accurate knowledge of the types and quantities of additives in these foods and their dangers. Even if you check the name of the ingredient on the back of the product, you may not be able to understand what it is because of the katakana and technical terms.
   
2. There are many people who avoid thinking deeply about additives with the simplistic idea that "it must be safe because it is a famous manufacturer" or "it must be safe because everyone eats it". Also, some people may have given up, saying, "Some additives can't be helped."

Alarm bells from additive experts

Experts with knowledge of the inner workings of the additive industry are sounding the alarm about this situation. In his book, Mr. Tsukasa Abe, who used to work as a top salesman at a food additive trading company, points out that information on additives seems to be open to general consumers and is not disclosed.

According to Mr. Abe, The additives industry is taking advantage of consumers' lack of knowledge about additives and is using large quantities of additives in food. It also points out that the labeling of additives may be misleading to consumers.

Consumers need to know more about additives.

Typical example of food with many additives, the reality of mentaiko

Typical examples of foods that use a particularly large number of additives include mentaiko, pickles, paste, ham, and sausages. Various additives are used in these foods to enhance their appearance, taste, and shelf life.

Here, let's take mentaiko in particular as an example and look at the actual use of additives.

Tarraco, which is the raw material for mentaiko, is originally considered a luxury product because it is hard and has a good color. However, even a low-grade cod that is soft and poorly colored can be soaked overnight in an additive solution and will instantly become transparent and glossy like a baby. It also tightens the body and becomes a stiff codfish.

Various additives are used in this process, such as colorants, colorants, preservatives, and flavors. Trading companies that sell additives blend these additives and sell them for different purposes, such as coloring, tightening, and quality improvement. In some cases, manufacturers are using the additive only for the "purpose" without knowing the content well.

So many additives are used in just one food. That's a lot more than we can imagine. In particular, the amount of chemical seasoning is said to be higher than that of mentaiko. The amount of chemical seasoning used in mentaiko is about 2~3% of the total weight.

Jesse

flower

Many people happily eat cod and mentaiko because they are "delicious," and in fact, most of them are the taste of chemical seasonings. We assume that the taste of additives is the taste of food, and we are delighted that it tastes good.

By the way, handmade mentaiko can be made with only natural ingredients such as natural sea salt, junmai mirin, junmai sake, whole soy soy sauce, kombu dashi, bonito stock, starch syrup, and chili peppers. In the old days, mentaiko was made using these materials.

Jesse

Safety issues with additives

Tests for toxicity and carcinogenicity of additives are carried out repeatedly using animals such as rats. For example, "If you use 100 grams of additive A on rats, it will die, so let's limit it to 1/100 when using it on humans, so let's limit it to 1 gram."

1. Human experimentation is not ethical, so the results of animal experiments may not be directly applicable to humans. In addition, depending on the type of animal and individual differences, the effects of additives may vary.
   
2. The combined effects of taking multiple additives at the same time have not been well studied. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare conducts toxicity tests on individual additives to confirm their safety, but there are still many unknowns about the interaction of multiple additives when they are combined.
   
3. Even if an additive is safe on its own, if multiple additives are taken at the same time, it cannot be ruled out that there is a possibility of unexpected health effects. The current situation is that we eat food while taking the risk of compound ingestion of additives, which no one knows.

Pitfalls of "no coloring" indication

1. Some people may think, "If beautifully colored mentaiko is dangerous, why not eat uncolored mentaiko?" Uncolored mentaiko has a healthy image because it does not contain synthetic colorings. The fact that it is sold at a slightly higher price than regular mentaiko also contributes to its image.
   
2. If you look at the label on the back of the uncolored mentaiko, you can see that it does not contain synthetic coloring, but other than that, almost the same additives are used as regular mentaiko.
   
3. Uncolored mentaiko only does not contain synthetic colorings, and other additives are no different from regular ones. We tend to feel reassured by the "color-free" label, but that's the manufacturer's strategy, and just because it's uncolored mentaiko doesn't necessarily mean it's good for your health.

Midori

The reason behind this is that there was a request from supermarkets and co-ops to "want mentaiko that does not use coloring," and the manufacturer developed it in response to that request. In other words, while the product meets the needs of consumers, it does not solve the essential problem.

What consumers can do: Make smart choices

As we have seen, there are many problems with food additives. But if we remain indifferent to these issues, nothing will change in the situation. Consumers becoming aware of additive problems and making smart choices is the first step to improving the situation.

First of all, it is important to acquire the correct knowledge about additives. Learn about the types, uses, and safety of additives and use that knowledge when making food choices.

Second, try to eat your own cooked meals as much as possible. If you frequently eat out or use processed foods, try to increase the proportion of self-catering at least little by little.

When choosing processed foods, be sure to check the label on the back carefully and choose one with few additives. In particular, try to avoid foods with a lot of additives as much as possible.

Also, don't be misled by labels such as "additive-free" or "colorant-free". These indications do not necessarily mean "safe". It is important to discern the company's intentions behind the display.

Then, ask governments and companies to disclose information about additives. Encourage more detailed disclosure of information about the safety of additives. Also, ask them to promote research into the effects of combined intake.

Donbei

If we, as consumers, take the issue of additives seriously and make smart choices, the food industry will have no choice but to change. Let's be actively involved in the issue of additives in order to have a healthy diet.

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Exorcist/Radionics Technique Researcher

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Born in Aomori Prefecture in 1965 Since childhood, he has been plagued by troubles, illnesses, and injuries caused by spiritual phenomena. However, one day at the age of 20, he participated in an event, had a strange experience at the venue, and received a lightning energy from heaven that seemed to pierce his brain and his spinal cord, and his psychic abilities blossomed. After that, he started researching psychology and psychic powers, and now he has combined psychic abilities and consciousness engineering. Established "Radionics Exorcism" with his own radionics technique. Beyond exorcism, memorial services, and healing, "it is possible to cure luck"