36
2 Uses of Chemicals in the Food and Beverage Industry
2.1 Food Production and Chemicals: A Strong Relationship
Food additives, sanitizers, cleaning agents, technological aids, components of packaging materials and objects, and other definitions can be applied to chemicals when
used in the industry of edible commodities—all edible products—for human and animal consumption. In the last 100 years, chemistry has entered the world of foods and
beverages with a clear result: Nowadays, approximately 100% of food productions
worldwide are realized totally or partially with the help of chemical substances.
The same definition of ‘Food Chemistry’ means implicitly that food technological aspects are—or should be—studied with some relation to chemical transformations on the one side, and the concomitant use of ingredients which could not be
defined exactly ‘foods’ or ‘beverages. The origin of similar substances or mixtures
(Chap. 1) is generally linked with the chemical industry, but with several differences
depending on initial raw materials. According to common food consumers’ belief,
all components of foods and beverages should be ‘natural’ as synonym of materials
with vegetable, animal, or mineral origin. In spite of this obvious opinion, the production of ‘natural’ ingredients involves the use of chemical, biochemical, and/or
synthetic processes which may be questionable if seen with the eye of a common
food consumer …
By the technological viewpoint, chemicals are generally needed because of two
reasons at least (when speaking of foods and beverages):
(a) One or more of involved raw materials need to be reconstituted, treated, or
modified chemically because of different reasons, differently from a recognized,
historical or ‘traditional’ food production process.
(b) The exigency of new foods with enhanced shelf-life periods (enhanced durability) and/or new features such as improved colors, aromas, excellent cooking
resistance, and diminished amount of tolerated sugars (such as low-lactose products) may force producers to use food-grade additives with the aim of obtaining
desired results (by food consumers or food distributors).
Consequently, the modern food and beverage industry cannot be conceived today
without chemicals. On the other hand, the importance of chemicals has to be considered when speaking of allowed uses because food additives—a useful example—are
only a relevant portion of chemical substances and mixtures for the food industry…
The following sections are dedicated to a brief discrimination of chemicals for
food-production-related purposes on the basis of their use instead of related dangers
(Chaps. 1 and 3).
In general, the classification of similar chemicals in this (broad ambit) should
follow a five-level structure (Laganà et al. 2019a, b, c, d; Ross and Godin 2016):
(1) Food additives (including technological aids—substances, mixtures, etc.) are
not normally considered foods, and for this reason are not used as traditional
ingredients, but needed for technological reasons. Examples could also concern
smoking agents such as wood for burning operations.
2 Uses of Chemicals in the Food and Beverage Industry
2.1 Food Production and Chemicals: A Strong Relationship
Food additives, sanitizers, cleaning agents, technological aids, components of packaging materials and objects, and other definitions can be applied to chemicals when
used in the industry of edible commodities—all edible products—for human and animal consumption. In the last 100 years, chemistry has entered the world of foods and
beverages with a clear result: Nowadays, approximately 100% of food productions
worldwide are realized totally or partially with the help of chemical substances.
The same definition of ‘Food Chemistry’ means implicitly that food technological aspects are—or should be—studied with some relation to chemical transformations on the one side, and the concomitant use of ingredients which could not be
defined exactly ‘foods’ or ‘beverages. The origin of similar substances or mixtures
(Chap. 1) is generally linked with the chemical industry, but with several differences
depending on initial raw materials. According to common food consumers’ belief,
all components of foods and beverages should be ‘natural’ as synonym of materials
with vegetable, animal, or mineral origin. In spite of this obvious opinion, the production of ‘natural’ ingredients involves the use of chemical, biochemical, and/or
synthetic processes which may be questionable if seen with the eye of a common
food consumer …
By the technological viewpoint, chemicals are generally needed because of two
reasons at least (when speaking of foods and beverages):
(a) One or more of involved raw materials need to be reconstituted, treated, or
modified chemically because of different reasons, differently from a recognized,
historical or ‘traditional’ food production process.
(b) The exigency of new foods with enhanced shelf-life periods (enhanced durability) and/or new features such as improved colors, aromas, excellent cooking
resistance, and diminished amount of tolerated sugars (such as low-lactose products) may force producers to use food-grade additives with the aim of obtaining
desired results (by food consumers or food distributors).
Consequently, the modern food and beverage industry cannot be conceived today
without chemicals. On the other hand, the importance of chemicals has to be considered when speaking of allowed uses because food additives—a useful example—are
only a relevant portion of chemical substances and mixtures for the food industry…
The following sections are dedicated to a brief discrimination of chemicals for
food-production-related purposes on the basis of their use instead of related dangers
(Chaps. 1 and 3).
In general, the classification of similar chemicals in this (broad ambit) should
follow a five-level structure (Laganà et al. 2019a, b, c, d; Ross and Godin 2016):
(1) Food additives (including technological aids—substances, mixtures, etc.) are
not normally considered foods, and for this reason are not used as traditional
ingredients, but needed for technological reasons. Examples could also concern
smoking agents such as wood for burning operations.