How to choose food acid regulator?

Food manufacturers add food acid regulators (food additives or pH control agents) to food to maintain the pH of the food. These can be inorganic acids, organic compounds or neutralizers. They can preserve food and improve appearance. Common regulators include ascorbic acid (vitamin C), acetic acid, propionic acid and benzoic acid. The E in front of the number means they are acid. And food sour agents will make food sour.

1. What is food acid regulator?

Food acid regulators are used to change and control alkalinity or acidity at a specific level, and are essential for food safety, taste and processing. Improper pH control can lead to the growth of harmful bacteria in food. Such food may be harmful to personal health.

Personal taste can recognize the main differences in pH in complex food systems. Acidic products are usually sour, while alkaline products are bitter. Good examples of foods high in acid include citrus fruits such as grapefruit, lemons and oranges, yogurt and juice. Good examples of alkaline substances include baking soda and egg whites.

Citric acid is a component of an important metabolic pathway of human cells. Large amounts of this acid are found in strawberries, kiwi and citrus fruits. However, the use of this product has certain restrictions on diet. Vegetarians and vegans and even different religious groups can easily eat it. Individuals who have a strong reaction to citrus fruits and oranges do not cause any allergies. This is mainly because it is commercially produced using sugar instead of fruit. This natural food sour agent is very healthy.

In this case, you'd better understand the various food acid regulators and how to choose food acid regulators.

2. Choose right food acid regulator for your food

Generally, food acid regulators play a very similar role in food formulations, and the choice of the correct acid or its combination is subject to some important factors and differences between food acid regulators. Therefore, there are some points to note when choosing an acidifier.

a) Acid form: solid or liquid-whether the application limits the form of food acid regulator. For example, for most water system food applications, solid form of acid is not required, but some of them, such as tablets, instant beverages, powder mixtures, etc., strictly require solid form of food acid regulators.

b) Solubility-When used with low soluble acids, it is important to understand how much acid is required to reach the desired pH level (acidity).

c) Taste characteristics and interaction with flavors – Most acidifiers play an important role in creating overall flavor characteristics and have a synergistic effect.

3. Health problems of food additives-what experts say

Can food sour agents cause health damage? Come and see what the experts say.

An article on food additive allergy in 2018 reported: “Contrary to the general public’s opinion, the prevalence of (response to food additives) seems to be very low. Some Danish studies report that the prevalence of children and children These are 1-2% and 1% of adults."

Although the literature does not always support the link between symptoms and food additives, simply eliminating and questioning the additives involved can often clarify whether there is sensitivity. If you are concerned about food health, it is best to complete it under the guidance of a professional nutritionist, so as to minimize the impact on nutritional quality and balance, especially for children.