TITLE:
Profile of the Functional Categories of Food Additives in Industrial Foods Marketed in Senegal
AUTHORS:
Alé Kane, Ngoné Fall Bèye, Alioune Sow, Papa Amadou Diakhaté, Ndèye Yacine Ndiaye, Mady Cissé
KEYWORDS:
Additives, Labels, Food Categories, Quality, Food Safety
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.14 No.12,
December
21,
2023
ABSTRACT: Food additives, whether natural or artificial
substances, are widely used around the world to improve the sensory quality of
products, extend their shelf life and make them more competitive. However, the
abusive and uncontrolled consumption of food additives is the cause of numerous
illnesses and diseases such as poisoning, allergies, diabetes and numerous
cancers. So, in addition to setting up control and regulatory bodies, it is
becoming essential to keep a constant watch on the presence of food additives
on the market. The aim of this study is to highlight the main categories of
food additives in food products frequently sold on the Senegalese market. The
methodology of the study is based on the identification of food additives from
the information given on the labels of food packaging. Information was
collected in markets in two (2) major regions of Senegal: Dakar and
Saint-Louis. The results of our study show the presence of 153 food additives
on the labels of 514 samples collected. Moreover, the frequency and diversity
of additives depended on the food category. On the other hand, beyond their
important technological and functional roles, some additives such as aspartame
and monosodium glutamate have been implicated in pathologies, and others, such
as titanium dioxide, are the subject of much controversy and even withdrawal in
certain legislations for their impacts deemed potentially negative on consumer
health.