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HEALTH HAZARDS OF PROCESSED FOODS
By:
Ahmed Mohamed Ibrahim
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction
....................................................................................................................................
3
Health Hazards Associated With Manufacturing Of Processed Foods
........................................... 4
Food Additives
............................................................................................................................
4
Artificial Sweeteners
...............................................................................................................
4
Coloring Agents
.......................................................................................................................
4
Preservatives
...........................................................................................................................
5
Pesticides
................................................................................................................................
6
Trans-Fats
................................................................................................................................
6
Health Hazards Associated With Consumption Of Processed Foods
......................................... 7
Control Efforts and International Quality Standards
......................................................................
9
Hazard analysis and critical control points
.................................................................................
9
The HACCP seven principles
.....................................................................................................
10
References
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12
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INTRODUCTION Food processing is the transformation of raw
ingredients into food, or of food into other forms.
Food processing typically takes clean, harvested crops or
butchered animal products and uses
these to produce attractive, marketable and often long
shelf-life food products. Food
processing dates back to the prehistoric ages when crude
processing incorporated slaughtering,
fermenting, sun drying, preserving with salt, and various types
of cooking (such as roasting,
smoking, steaming, and oven baking). Salt-preservation was
especially common for foods that
constituted warrior and sailors' diets until the introduction of
canning methods. Evidence for
the existence of these methods can be found in the writings of
the ancient Greek, Chaldean,
Egyptian and Roman civilizations as well as archaeological
evidence from Europe, North and
South America and Asia. These tried and tested processing
techniques remained essentially the
same until the advent of the industrial revolution. Examples of
ready-meals also date back to
before the preindustrial revolution, and include dishes such as
Cornish pasty and Haggis. Both
during ancient times and today in modern society these are
considered processed foods. Food
processing can provide quick, nutritious meal options for busy
families.
Modern food processing technology developed in the 19th and 20th
centuries was developed
in a large part to serve military needs. In 1809 Nicolas Appert
invented a hermetic bottling
technique that would preserve food for French troops which
ultimately contributed to the
development of tinning, and subsequently canning by Peter Durand
in 1810. Although initially
expensive and somewhat hazardous due to the lead used in cans,
canned goods would later
become a staple around the world. Pasteurization, discovered by
Louis Pasteur in 1864,
improved the quality of preserved foods and introduced the wine,
beer, and milk preservation.
In the 20th century, World War II, the space race and the rising
consumer society in developed
countries (including the United States) contributed to the
growth of food processing with such
advances as spray drying, juice concentrates, freeze drying and
the introduction of artificial
sweeteners, colouring agents, and preservatives such as sodium
benzoate. In the late 20th
century products such as dried instant soups, reconstituted
fruits and juices, and self cooking
meals such as MRE food ration were developed.
In Western Europe and North America, the second half of the 20th
century witnessed a rise in
the pursuit of convenience. Food processing companies marketed
their products especially
towards middle-class working wives and mothers. Frozen foods
(often credited to Clarence
Birdseye) found their success in sales of juice concentrates and
"TV dinners. Processors utilized
the perceived value of time to appeal to the post-war
population, and this same appeal
contributes to the success of convenience foods today.
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HEALTH HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH MANUFACTURING OF PROCESSED
FOODS
Since processed foods have become a common need between people,
mainly due to its
addictive taste and look and its relatively quick cooking time,
the food industry are always
developing ways to enhance and beautify their products. This
enhancement may not always be
a healthy one and have several recent studies have proved that
most processed foods possess
huge health hazards.
FOOD ADDITIVES These what make a soda can look black, or give
your favourite chips packet its strong taste.
These chemicals range from colourings to artificial sweeteners
and flavours, and,
unsurprisingly, are not healthy. Some of the many additives
included in processed foods are
thought to have the ability to compromise the body's structure
and function and are suggested
to be related to the development of skin, pulmonary and
psycho-behavioural conditions.
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole
(BHA) are currently being
investigated for their potential to damage genetic material and
therefore promote cancer.
Sulphites have been found to aggravate asthma (hypertext) in
certain children and adults.
Artificial colourings have been noted to cause hypersensitivity
reactions in sensitive persons
promoting conditions such as ADHD
(attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder), asthma and skin
conditions such as urticaria and atopic dermatitis. Therefore,
avoiding foods that contain these
and other chemical additives may greatly contribute to
health.
ARTI FI CI AL SWEETEN ERS
One of the most commonly used sweeteners is the controversial
compound aspartame.
Aspartame gains its controversy because animal studies have
shown that it can lead to
accumulation of formaldehyde after consumption, and one of the
breakdown products of
aspartame in the intestine is the toxic compound methanol.
However, low levels of aspartame
have not shown direct symptoms in humans, so it is presumed safe
in food products. There is a
problem with this assumption, though, because so many processed
products contain
aspartame, and therefore people who consume mainly processed
foods may be taking in
relatively high levels of aspartame. Few real data have been
collected to look at the level of
aspartame the average person consumes and how this level may
affect health, or the long-term
effects in humans.
COLORIN G AGENT S
Most processed foods are colored with synthetic or additional
coloring agents. Based on the
idea that we "eat with our eyes", many food manufactures choose
to enhance a color, even if
the initial food is not as colorful. A variety of types of
coloring agents are used, including many
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synthetic compounds. Besides the issues of ingesting compounds
that are not natural, colorings
are often used to improve the color of foods that have lost
color during storage or from heat.
The colored compounds in natural foods are some of the most
important phytonutrients,
however, and this loss of color can mean a loss of nutrient
value, which may be masked by the
addition of synthetic compounds.
Many of the artificial colorings featured on the GRAS list are
derived from the manufacturing of
coal tars, including FD&C Yellow#5 (tartrazine) and FD&C
Blue#2 (indigo carmine). Some of
these coloring additives have been found to promote
hypersensitivity reactions in people,
especially children. In sensitive persons, consumption of these
artificial colorings has been
linked to ADHD (attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder),
asthma, and inflammatory skin
conditions such as urticaria and atopic dermatitis.
PR ES ER VATIV ES
A major concern with processed foods is the use of
preservatives. The most commonly used
preservatives are butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and
sulfites.
BUTYL ATED HYD ROX Y TOL UENE (BHT)
BHT is controversial; in 1978, a government-sponsored review of
safety data indicated that no
direct toxicity was observed at the permitted levels in a food,
however this report also
determined that more studies were needed to assess safety. Since
then, BHT has been shown
to induce tumors in the stomach and liver in animals when used
at high levels. Again, although
this was allowed in foods at a low level per each food, it is
one of the most common
preservatives and is present in many processed foods. The amount
consumed in the entire diet
may be higher than the "permitted" level per food and remains a
concern by many scientists.
BHT and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are being investigated
for their ability to damage
genetic material. In addition, research has shown that these
compounds can rupture and
damage red blood cells as well as stimulate symptoms of chemical
sensitivity.
SULFITES
Sulfites are also a common preservative. Sulfites are prohibited
to be used in foods that provide
the nutrient vitamin B1 because it can destroy this vitamin.
Furthermore, some people are
sensitive to sulfites and respond with adverse reactions. Due to
the reports of adverse
reactions, the FDA banned the use of sulfites on fruits and
vegetables in 1986, and is still
reviewing whether it should be banned from other uses. Sulfites
have been found to aggravate
asthma in children and adults. Between five and ten percent of
chronic asthmatics are thought
to be sulfite sensitive.
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PESTI CIDES
Organic foods offer a healthier alternative to conventionally
grown foods, as they are not
grown with any of the synthetic chemical pesticides or
fertilizers that are suggested to pose
great threats to our health. The Environmental Protection Agency
considers a number of
herbicides and fungicides to be potentially carcinogenic and
therefore able to cause genetic
damage leading to the development of cancer, and most pesticides
are known to cause some
risk to humans. Examples of pesticides include organophosphates,
organochlorines,
thiocarbamates. and organoarsenic compounds.
In addition to their potential to cancer, pesticides are thought
to pose special health threats to
children so the benefits of organic foods may be of paramount
importance in safeguarding their
health. Both the Natural Resources Defenses Council and the
Environmental Working Group
have found that millions of American children are exposed to
levels of pesticides in their food
that exceed limits considered to be safe. Certain pesticides are
known neurotoxins, able to
cause harm to the developing brain and nervous system which is
why they may be particularly
harmful to children. In addition, some researchers feel that
children and adolescents may be
especially vulnerable to the cancer-causing effects of certain
pesticides since the body is more
sensitive to the impact of these chemicals during periods of
high growth and development.
TR AN S-FAT S
Trans-fatty acids are an example of what can happen to essential
nutrients when a food is
processed. Also called hydrogenated fats, these fatty acids are
found in margarine, vegetable
shortenings, crackers, cookies, snack foods and numerous other
processed foods. Trans-fats are
produced by a chemical processes in which hydrogen are added to
an unsaturated fatty acid.
The food industry uses this process because it converts a liquid
fat to a soft solid form, like
margarine, and also because it increases the shelf-life for
fats. In this process, however, the
fatty acid molecule shifts structures to a structure that is not
found in the body; that is, the fats
in the body occur in what is called a "cis" 3-dimensional
structure, and trans-fatty acids are the
opposite of that, and are a "trans" structure. Chemically, they
are different.
Your body notices this difference. Although you may be eating
fat, and think that the fat you
are eating will support your body's functioning, it instead is a
different structure than the one
that your body needs and your body has a different response to
these fats. Trans-fats have
been shown to increase LDL cholesterol (the one associated with
increased risk of heart
disease) and decrease HDL cholesterol, the "protective"
cholesterol. So clear is the promotion
of high LDL cholesterol levels by trans-fats and the resultant
association with increased risk for
heart disease that the FDA has been prompted to require these
trans-fats be labeled separately
on foods so consumers can see when they are present? Trans-fats
have also been linked to
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certain cancers, including breast cancer, and labeling them will
allow you to see how often they
are used in processed foods and allow you to avoid these
foods.
HEALTH HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF PROCESSED FOODS
Resisting the urge to drink that soda pop or eat those chips can be
tough, especially if you have
grown accustomed to eating these highly addictive foods as part
of your normal diet. But once
you understand a little bit more about how these and other
processed foods affect your mind,
body, and even your soul, it becomes easier to make healthier
food choices that enrich your
being rather than sap it.
1. Processed foods are highly addictive. Your body processes
whole foods much
differently than it does refined, processed, and
heavily-modified "junk" foods. Processed
foods tend to over stimulate the production of dopamine, also
known as the "pleasure"
neurotransmitter, which makes you crave them constantly. Your
body ends up not being
able to resist the temptation to continue eating junk foods in
excess, which can lead to
obesity and other health problems.
2. Processed foods often contain phosphates that destroy your
organs, bones. Many
processed foods contain phosphate additives that augment taste,
texture, and shelf-life.
But these additives are known to cause health problems like
rapid aging, kidney
deterioration and weak bones, according to the Rodale Institute,
which makes foods
that contain them far less attractive to those in the know.
3. Processed foods cause chronic inflammation. One of the
leading causes of chronic
illness today is inflammation. And studies continue to show that
refined sugars,
processed flours, vegetable oils, and many other nasty
ingredients commonly found in
processed foods are largely responsible for this inflammation
epidemic. So the next time
your body craves a candy bar or a box of cheese crackers,
consider the fact that heart
disease, dementia, neurological problems, respiratory failure,
and cancer have all been
linked to the chronic inflammation caused by processed food
consumption.
4. Processed foods ruin digestion. Because they have been
stripped of their natural fibers,
enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients, processed foods tend to
wreak havoc on the
digestive tract. Chronic consumption of such foods can throw
your internal ecosystem
off balance, harming beneficial bacteria and exposing your
system to infection. So you
can basically think of those gummy bears and that piece of cake
as literal poison for your
system, which may help deter you from eating them.
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5. Processed foods destroy your mind. If you suffer from chronic
bouts of brain "fog," or
have difficulty concentrating and thinking normally, chances are
your diet has
something to do with it. And a recent study out of Oxford
University lends credence to
this possibility, having found that junk food consumption can
cause people to become
angry and irritable. Nutrient-dense whole foods, on the other
hand, can help level out
your mood, sustain your energy levels, and leave you feeling
calmer and more collected.
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CONTROL EFFORTS AND INTERNATIONAL QUALITY STANDARDS Many
countries and governments are trying to control and ensure that
processed foods are
manufactured with the least hygiene and health hazard possible.
This has lead to introduction
of several standards, amongst which the most commonly and
internationally used the HACCP -
Hazard analysis and critical control points.
HAZARD ANALYSIS AND C RITICAL CONTROL POIN TS
Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP, is a
systematic preventive approach to
food safety and biological, chemical, and physical hazards in
production processes that can
cause the finished product to be unsafe, and designs
measurements to reduce these risks to a
safe level. In this manner, HACCP is referred as the prevention
of hazards rather than finished
product inspection. The HACCP system can be used at all stages
of a food chain, from food
production and preparation processes including packaging,
distribution, etc. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) say that their
mandatory HACCP programs for juice and meat are an effective
approach to food safety and
protecting public health. Meat HACCP systems are regulated by
the USDA, while seafood and
juice are regulated by the FDA. The use of HACCP is currently
voluntary in other food industries.
HACCP is believed to stem from a production process monitoring
used during World War II
because traditional "end of the pipe" testing on artillery
shell's firing mechanisms could not be
performed, and a large percent of the artillery shells made at
the time were either duds or
misfiring. HACCP itself was conceived in the 1960s when the US
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) asked Pillsbury to design and manufacture
the first foods for space
flights. Since then, HACCP has been recognized internationally
as a logical tool for adapting
traditional inspection methods to a modern, science-based, food
safety system. Based on risk-
assessment, HACCP plans allow both industry and government to
allocate their resources
efficiently in establishing and auditing safe food production
practices. In 1994, the organization
of International HACCP Alliance was established initially for
the US meat and poultry industries
to assist them with implementing HACCP and now its membership
has been spread over other
professional/industrial areas.
Hence, HACCP has been increasingly applied to industries other
than food, such as cosmetics
and pharmaceuticals. This method, which in effect seeks to plan
out unsafe practices based on
science, differs from traditional "produce and sort" quality
control methods that do nothing to
prevent hazards from occurring and must identify them at the end
of the process. HACCP is
focused only on the health safety issues of a product and not
the quality of the product, yet
HACCP principles are the basis of most food quality and safety
assurance systems, and the
United States, HACCP compliance is regulated by 21 CFR parts 120
and 123. Similarly,
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FAO/WHO published a guideline for all governments to handle the
issue in small and less
developed food businesses.
THE HACCP SEVEN PRINCIPLES
Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis. Plans determine the food
safety hazards and
identify the preventive measures the plan can apply to control
these hazards. A food
safety hazard is any biological, chemical, or physical property
that may cause a food to
be unsafe for human consumption.
Principle 2: Identify critical control points. A critical
control point (CCP) is a point,
step, or procedure in a food manufacturing process at which
control can be applied and,
as a result, a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated,
or reduced to an
acceptable level.
Principle 3: Establish critical limits for each critical control
point. A critical limit is the
maximum or minimum value to which a physical, biological, or
chemical hazard must be
controlled at a critical control point to prevent, eliminate, or
reduce to an acceptable
level.
Principle 4: Establish critical control point monitoring
requirements. Monitoring
activities are necessary to ensure that the process is under
control at each critical
control point. In the United States, the FSIS is requiring that
each monitoring procedure
and its frequency be listed in the HACCP plan.
Principle 5: Establish corrective actions. - These are actions
to be taken when
monitoring indicates a deviation from an established critical
limit. The final rule requires
a plant's HACCP plan to identify the corrective actions to be
taken if a critical limit is not
met. Corrective actions are intended to ensure that no product
injurious to health or
otherwise adulterated as a result of the deviation enters
commerce.
Principle 6: Establish procedures for ensuring the HACCP system
is working as
intended. Validation ensures that the plants do what they were
designed to do; that
is, they are successful in ensuring the production of a safe
product. Plants will be
required to validate their own HACCP plans. FSIS will not
approve HACCP plans in
advance, but will review them for conformance with the final
rule. Verification ensures
the HACCP plan is adequate, that is, working as intended.
Verification procedures may
include such activities as review of HACCP plans, CCP records,
critical limits and
microbial sampling and analysis. FSIS is requiring that the
HACCP plan include
verification tasks to be performed by plant personnel.
Verification tasks would also be
performed by FSIS inspectors. Both FSIS and industry will
undertake microbial testing as
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one of several verification activities. Verification also
includes 'validation' the process
of finding evidence for the accuracy of the HACCP system (e.g.
scientific evidence for
critical limitations).
Principle 7: Establish record keeping procedures. The HACCP
regulation requires that
all plants maintain certain documents, including its hazard
analysis and written HACCP
plan, and records documenting the monitoring of critical control
points, critical limits,
verification activities, and the handling of processing
deviations.
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REFERENCES
1. Whfoods.com
2. Wikipedia.com
3. Naturalnews.com
4. Healthyliving.msn.com
5. Google.com