Chemistry is everywhere. Even where you don't expect it. With the 'chemistry =' poster campaign we want to show how self-explanatory chemistry actually is. Want to know more about the chemistry involved? Scroll down for additional information.
Without food additives we’d barely recognize our food. Its taste, appearance and composition would be completely different. Food additives are often a useful and sometimes even essential ingredient of foodstuffs. If it weren’t for antioxidants, stabilizers, preservatives, vitamins, and artificial aromas and flavourings, some products wouldn’t exist.
Food poisoning?
All foodstuffs spoil or become mouldy sooner or later. Usually through the growth of micro-organisms. The result: the food no longer looks good and, if you eat it, you may end up with food poisoning. Thanks to food additives such as preservatives, foodstuffs spoil much less quickly.
Take benzoic acid
Preservatives hamper the growth of moulds and bacteria and fight yeasts. Benzoic acid is often used as a preservative. It’s a colourless substance that’s also found in cranberries and other berries. It’s produced commercially from toluene, a hydrocarbon present in petroleum.That’s the low-down on food additives!
