We all know that foods such as cooking oil, twisted dough sticks, and nuts often have a rancid smell, and the color of the apple flesh changes when you bite it, all because of oxidation. In order to prevent food oxidation, food-grade antioxidants are often used in food processing. So, what is the role of food-grade antioxidants? What are the common antioxidants in food processing?
1. Reduce the oxygen content in food through the reduction effect of antioxidants.
2. Interrupt the chain reaction in the oxidation process and prevent the oxidation process from proceeding further.
3. Destroy and weaken the activity of oxidases so that they cannot catalyze the oxidation reaction.
4. Seal substances that can catalyze and cause oxidation reactions, such as complexing metal ions that can catalyze oxidation reactions.
During the storage process of edible oils and fried foods, the fatty acids in them undergo auto-oxidation with oxygen in the air, leading to rancidity. After adding antioxidants, the oxidants can provide hydrogen protons to organically combine with protons produced by the oxidation reaction of oils and fats, thereby terminating the free radical reaction of oil oxidation and reducing and slowing down the auto-oxidation reaction of oils and fried foods.
So, what are the common antioxidants in food?
Food-grade antioxidants can be divided into natural antioxidants and synthetic antioxidants according to their sources.
Vitamins: Vitamin C is naturally present in foods such as broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, strawberries, lemons, mustard greens, mangosteens, asparagus, celery, and pineapples. my country's standards stipulate that the maximum amount of vitamin C used in fruits and vegetables is 5g/kg; Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble blocking antioxidant in the body, which can protect biological membranes and fat-soluble proteins from oxidative stress. It is present in foods such as asparagus, avocados, eggs, milk, nuts, seeds, spinach, malt, and whole wheat bread. The maximum amount used in cooked nuts, fried flour products, fruit and vegetable juice drinks, and puffed foods is 0.2g/kg.
Tea polyphenols: Tea polyphenols are natural ingredients with strong oxidizing properties extracted from tea leaves. They can directly scavenge free radicals, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and reduce the consumption of vitamin E and β-carotene. According to the Chinese standard, the maximum amount of tea polyphenols used in cooked nuts, fried noodles, puffed foods, etc. is 0.2g/kg, the maximum amount used in marinated meat products, fried meat, etc. is 0.3g/kg, and the maximum amount used in pastries, cured meat products, etc. is 0.4g/kg.
Rosemary: The main components are phenolic compounds and rosemary essential oil. The antioxidant mechanism of rosemary is to quench simple oxygen, remove free radicals, and effectively cut off the chain reaction of oil oxidation, thereby effectively preventing oil oxidation. According to the Chinese standard, the maximum amount of rosemary used in cooked nuts, fried noodles, fried meat, puffed foods, etc. is 0.3g/kg.
Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT): commonly known as antioxidant 264, its antioxidant effect is achieved by its own auto-oxidation, and it is one of the most produced antioxidants in my country. According to the Chinese standard, the maximum usage of butylated hydroxytoluene in oil and emulsified fat products, dried vegetables, cooked nuts, biscuits, puffed foods, etc. is 0.2g/kg.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA): Its antioxidant effect is achieved by releasing hydrogen atoms to block the auto-oxidation of oils and fats. It has strong antioxidant properties for animal fats and weak antioxidant properties for unsaturated vegetable oils. According to the Chinese standard, the maximum usage of butylated hydroxyanisole in oil and emulsified fat products, cooked nuts, biscuits, puffed foods, etc. is 0.2g/kg, and the maximum usage in gum-based candies is 0.4g/kg.
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ): It has strong antioxidant capacity and certain antibacterial effects. It is one of the best antioxidants used for oils and fats so far. According to the Chinese standard, the maximum usage of tertiary butylhydroquinone in cooked nuts, fried flour products, moon cakes, biscuits, cured meat products, etc. is 0.2g/kg.
Propyl gallate (PG): Its antioxidant effect is to block the free radical chain reaction by absorbing the free radicals produced by oxidation. PG has stronger antioxidant capacity than BHA and BHT in various oils, but its antioxidant capacity is not as good as TBHQ. my country's standards stipulate that the maximum usage of propyl gallate in cooked nuts, fried flour products, biscuits, cured meat products, etc. is 0.1g/kg.
Having said so much, do you have a certain understanding of food-grade antioxidants?
