Are Preservatives and Other Additives “Spoiling” Our Food?
Currently, North America dominates the world market for the usage of food preservatives and is projected to increase in the coming years. They are mostly used to keep food fresh and to make food more appealing with taste and physical features.
Even though preservatives can extend storage life, prevent spoilage, and protect us against food-borne illnesses, there are some drawbacks we need to know.
Fortunately, here at Baked Smart Cookie we use no preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors. We don’t use ingredients you can’t pronounce, and our healthy cookie is non-GMO and vegan to boot. The best part though is that our healthy snack is filled with nutrients, especially for your kids who won’t eat vegetables.
Want a chocolatey snack that is preservative-free AND super healthy? You can skip this and order online or find a store right now! We promise, you won’t hurt our feelings! :)
What are the Different Types of Preservatives?
Many food preservatives are known to be chemicals that are added to various types of foods and products to prevent spoilage. On a more molecular level, it prevents microorganisms found in yeast/bacteria from growing in food. They can be natural or man-made, and various packaged foods such as bread, margarine, dried fruit, fruit juice, cheese, and soft drinks have preservatives.
In fact, you might even see a few of these long, brainy words on a few ingredients lists:
- Benzoic acid
- Calcium sorbate
- Potassium nitrate
- Sodium benzoate
- Erythorbic acid
- High fructose corn syrup (a sweetener AND a preservative!)
Antioxidants can also be used as preservatives, much like these:
- Ascorbyl Palmitate
- Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
- Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Preservatives are just one type of additives that go into the food that we eat. Additives are substances that preserve and/or alter the flavor and appearance of a food item. If you want to learn more about that kind of stuff, you can find a complete list of food additives that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration here, but beware, plenty of scientific jargon is abound!
The Negative Effects Additives/Preservatives May Have on Children
And these additives and preservatives affect our little ones far greater than they do for adults. Kids put their hands in their mouth and around their face much more than adults do, and that can mean more of this stuff that lingers on their fingers makes its way into their growing bodies.
Kids also have smaller bodies than their parents do, and they grow much faster too, making the absorption of these bad chemicals higher as well. For example, there is research proving that certain preservatives such as benzoic acid negatively affect children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) by increasing hyperactivity.
Overall, trying to decrease the amount of processed food, preservatives, and other additives you eat will only benefit you and your children’s health. Fortunately here at Baked Smart Cookie, our healthy cookie has no preservatives, artificial colors, and flavors. Let’s not forget that these bits of chocolatey goodness are also non-GMO, vegan, USDA Organic, peanut free, and soy free!
So go ahead and order a batch of our healthy cookies and rest assured that your life will not be “spoiled” by preservatives but rather be filled with wholesomeness with our baked smart cookies!
