ADDITIVES AND PRESERVATIVES USED IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION, AND THEIR HEALTH IMPLICATION.

Thesis Abstract

With the increasing use of processed foods since the 19th century, there has been a great increase in the use of food additives of varying levels of safety. This has led to legislation in many countries regulating their use. On the course of the study, the researcher made some objectives; additive and preservative substances as used in processing and preservation of foods and their health implication of foods in preservation and processing industry. Food preservative like curing involves adding some combination of salt, sugar, spices, vinegar, or sodium nitrate to animal foods. The importance of food additives and preservatives are innumerable hence, the quest for more knowledge and awareness through researches should be promoted by the government. Based on the objectives and recommendation above, the researcher concluded that the nutritional value of modern processed and preserved foods is no probably greater than it has even been before and the major food chemical (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) are kept in a fresh palatable and nutritional satisfactory state.