Modern industrial development took place so rapidly in recent years. So also with industries that produce food and beverages. Just look at malls, supermarkets to roadside stalls displaying a wide variety of foods and beverages in a very attractive package. From the type of soft drinks to pasta, from fast food to various kinds of junk food. Food no longer purely a matter of nutrition, but also concerning a matter of taste and packaging.
Food processing technology must be recognized as factors that encourage the rapid production of various foods and beverages in packaging. Including technology related to storage and additional food ingredients. So that the food produced no lasting damage and can be up to the consumer's hand. Consumers can choose freely the food and drink you want without the suspended matter of the season.
Food additives used in the production of food and beverage packaging is indeed a breakthrough due to limited lifetime of food. Fruits and vegetables that have been cooked, it will not last more than a month. So also with meat and other animal products. With this variety of food additives food ingredients can survive up to many months.
In addition to preserving, food additives are also used to provide added value for food and beverage products produced. Like the colors brighter, more fragrant aroma, and appearance is also interesting. These food additives can also overcome the attacks of fungi and bacteria that often attacks the food or beverage that does not go through the process of modern processing technology.
It's quite a lot of benefits perceived by consumers in the food and beverage packaging. But in consuming food and beverages produced in the form of packaging, you need to pay attention to things that do not even give a negative effect on health.
There are a number of opinions concerned the occurrence of cancer as a result of consuming the product packaging. This opinion is somewhat difficult to prove the truth because it causes cancer is relatively complex. Cancer can be caused by environmental factors, such as pollution, cigarette smoke, ultraviolet light, as well as other penyabab. Besides, the development of cancer in the body very slowly so it does not prove a direct cause of cancer.
Some studies have indeed been found that saccharin materials on food and beverage products in containers are toxic when tested on pregnant animals. The use of monosodium glutamate (MSG) were also found in the seasoning defects impact on chicks and rats. But when the material was tested on other animals do not carry any impact.
Utilization of preservatives that are widely used in Indonesia include nitrites, sulphites, BHA, BHT, and benzoate. Indeed no studies that show adverse effects directly from the use of these materials. However, some studies also found that pekaian long and ongoing, can give a bad impact on human health. Number of debates about the danger of additional materials that encourage a number of industries producing similar products without any preservatives, but with the storage period is relatively long.
Sulphite preservatives impact shortness of breath, itching, and swelling in patients with asthma. A number of nutrition experts also found that the use of BHA and BHT causes cell chromosome aberration, especially for people who are allergic to aspirin. Likewise with nitri substances and nitrate is often used to preserve meat quite dangerous if ingested directly into the body. Cookie poisoning cases around the year 1990 which left tens of people died to prove the existence of a substance which is mixed with sodium nitrate on the bread.
In addition, the process of making food and beverages in packaging also reduces the number of actual nutritional content contained therein. Compressibility factor with tin containers are like the process of heating foods like cooking can destroy some nutritional value. So even though not many studies and researches to find the negative impact of food and beverage products in containers, but the quality certainly is not as good as its nutrient content of foods and beverages obtained fresh from the tree. Therefore, as a wise man said, take something that benefits directly from the source. (*)
