What the consumer needs to know about food additives?

As a consumer I believe that .............

(Heading) What should the consumer know about food additives?

Understanding what goes in our food is extremely important. In order to control our diet, we need to know what is in the food we eat. Since additives are added to our foods, they before part of the food we consume. ....

(Heading) What are the benefits of food additives from the consumer perspective?

Food additives can be very good for you. For example, if you cannot drink milk, you can rely on non-dairy types of foods for your calcium since many have calcium added to them. According to an article by NIH, adolescent girls do not get enough calcium in their bodies. Having it available as an additives in foods is a great way to ensure that they get enough of it... 

(Heading) What are the risks of food additives from the consumer perspective?

(Heading) Should there be a limit to the number of additives allowed in each food?

Kimchee Lab Analysis

Data Analysis

On day 1 of the experiment the cabbage appeared yellowish-whitish, and as we observed the cabbage each day, the color turned a little darker. The smell of the cabbage also intensified each day, going from weak on the first day, to very strong the last day of the experiment. The texture of the kimchee also changed, as it became more crisp. 

In the bottle with 5 scoops of salt, the pH of the Kimchee was around 6.5 on the first day. On the second day it dropped to around 5 pH, on the third day it dropped to 4pH, and on the fourth day it was between 4pH and 3pH. This is when the pH reached the desired level, and the kimchee has been fermented. For the bottle with 10 scoops of salt the pH of the Kimchee was about 6.5 on the first day,  4 on the second day, and it reached around 3.5 on the third day.

Looking at the data, it appears that over time the pH level of the kimchee drops. It drops faster the more salt it used, according to the experiment. In both bottles, however, the kimchee turned color from yellowish-whitish to reddish, and the texture became more crisp, since all the water exited the cabbage. . 

The data collected does support my hypothesis as the more salt is used the faster the kimchee fermented. This is indicative of the rate at which the pH dropped. The bottle that contained more salt dropped faster in the pH level, compared to the bottle that had less salt. 

Implications

The experiment was impacted by the amount of salt used. The bottle that used less salt fermented at a slower rate than the bottle that used more salt. According to Eric Armostrong at treelight.com, kimchee ferments when there is presence of salt, no oxygen and cool temperature.  This allows for the cabbage to pickle. 

Based solely on the experiment, it is difficult to say whether fermentation is a good way to preserve food. However, based on resources I've come across, and the results of the lab, I am confident to say that the food is preserved and can be eaten over a long period of time. 

Improvements

The experimental set-up was adequate, but needs some improvements. Next time, I would structure my data collection in a more coherent way as to make data analysis more effective. I would also use more than two bottle to study the affect of salt concentration on the rate of fermentation.

Food Irradiation Should Be Banned

What is Food Irradiation?
Food irradiation is a process used to destroy microorganism that cause food spoilage. In a way, the food is sterilized. During the process of irradiation food is exposed to ionizing radiation. The radiation energy breaks chemical bonds, it specifically breaks down the DNA of the bacteria, making it impossible for the bacteria to live and allowing  for the food to remain unchanged.

During this process, ionizing radiation is able to remove electrons from an orbit of an atom, causing the atom to become charged.

How does Irradiation Affect Foods?
Irradiation produces chemical changes in the food but these changes are not harmful to us. The food also does not change in nutritional value, according to some sources. However, according to Dr. Decuypere, the food does loose some nutritional value. Specifically, irradiation destroys essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, thiamine, folic acid, and vitamin K. It also kills friendly bacteria and enzymes.
The food get warmer during the process and it might have a slightly different taste, just like pasteurized milk has a different taste than unpasteurized milk. If such is the case, isn't this changing the properties of the food? Irradiation is mainly used to prolong the shelf-life of products and has not been proven to cause side affects in animals or people.

Chemistry Review: Classifying Matter

All matter is made up of tiny particles called atoms. Matter can be classified into pure substances and mixtures. Pure substances can be classified into compounds and elements.  Compounds are pure substances because they are made up of elements that are chemically combined in a specific ratio (they have a fixed composition). They can be separated using both physical and chemical means. Elements are also pure. They are made up of only one kind of an element, and cannot be separated at all. They can be  a single atom or a combination of the same atom, known as molecules.  An example of a compound is water. An example of an element is gold.

Elements and compounds differ from mixtures. Mixtures do not have fixed compositions, their components keep their original properties when they combine, and they can be separated physically.

There are a few types of mixtures. The main categories are homogenous mixtures and heterogeneous mixtures. Homogenous mixtures are mixtures that have substance dissolved in them. They are uniform in nature. An example would be kool-aid. Heterogenous mixtures are mixtures which is made up of more than one pure substances and is not uniformly spread throughout. An example is a salad or a chocolate chip cookie.

Aspirations Summer Session I Is Here!

During Summer Session I you will explore the chemistry of food. How do we preserve our food? How do we modify our food? These are key questions you will be able to answer as you finish the course.
Here is a breakdown of the schedule that will take place during the next couple of weeks.
1. Review of basic Chemistry Concepts (3 days)
2. How do we preserve food? (1 day)
Why preserve food and what happens when you do not preserve food?
What are microbes and how do they survive?
4. How do we prevent microbial growth using Radiation? (1 day)
5. How do we prevent microbial growth using pH levels? (Creating Kimchee)
6. How do we ferment substances using oxidation-reduction? (1 day)
How do we modify our food?
1. How can we slow down the oxidation of fruits?
2. How are colors added to foods? (2 days)
3. Why are emulsifiers and stabilisers used in foods? (1 day)
4. What is micronutrient malnutrition? (1 day)
5. Should we enrich or modify our food? (2 days)