Hamburgers
Industries can only use ADDITIVES approved by the governmental authorities who regulate the food and beverage sector. In Brazil, ANVISA authorizes the use of food additives within strict conditions and limits considered as safe.
Additives are used for several reasons, among them, to improve the hamburgers flavor, to keep the freshness, texture, and appearance, in addition to ensure safety in the consumption. Additives are used in truly little quantities in relation to the whole products and are not generally used for all the companies. In the Ital study about industrialized hamburgers, the additives observed in the sample were:
THICKENERS / STABILIZERS
In a sample of 90 hamburgers analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:
Functions of the THICKENERS/STABILIZERS used:
METHYLCELLULOSE (INS 461i): hydrocolloid derived from cellulose, obtained by chemical modification. Used as thickening and stabilizer agent that increases of product viscosity.
CARRAGEENAN GUM (INS 407): natural resin composed of polysaccharides, and glycoproteins. In the case of hamburger, it helps maintaining the product’s desired structure.
XANTHAM GUM(INS 415): hydrocolloid produced via fermentation by the bacterium Xanthomonascampestris. Used to keep the product’s desired structure. It can not be used in meat products, it is used in plant-based hamburgers.
GUAR GUM (INS 142): hydrocolloid isolated from the Cyamopsis tetragonolobus seeds. Used to keep the product’s desired structure. It can not be used in meat products, it is used in plant-based hamburgers.
SODIUM ERYTHORBATE (INS 316): salt from erythorbic acid. Used as stabilizer agent that helps maintaining the product desired structure. It an also play the function as antioxidant agent.
TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE (INS 341iii): chemical compound of calcium and phosphor. Used as stabilizer agent that helps maintaining the product desired structure.
SODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE (INS 450i): chemical compound of sodium and phosphor. Used as stabilizer agent that helps maintaining the product desired structure.
SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATE (INS 452i): chemical compound of sodium and phosphor. Used as stabilizer agent that helps maintaining the product desired structure.
SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE (INS 451i): chemical compound of sodium and phosphor. Used as stabilizer agent that helps maintaining the product desired structure.
Legislation
Carrageenan gum should be used in a maximum quantity allowed of 0.3 g/100 g; and the gums (guar, xantham and acacia), at a maximum concentration of 0.1 g/ 100 ml. For the tricalcium phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium polyphosphate and sodium triphosphate at a maximum quantity of use allowed is 0.5 g / 100 g in P2O5.
FLAVORINGS / AROMAS
In the sample of 90 hamburgers analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:
- 46 products do not use flavorings.
- In hamburgers, it was used aromas: natural (40 product) and synthetic identical to natural (13). No product uses artificial aromas.
Functions of the FLAVORINGS/AROMAS used:
Flavoring are used to define, highlight and/or give flavor to the food.
NATURAL AROMAS/u>: obtained by microbiological, physical or enzymatic methods, from natural raw materials.
SYNTHETIC AROMAS IDENTICAL TO NATURAL: obtained by synthesis or isolated by chemical processes from animal-based, plant-based or microbial raw materials that present a chemical structure identical to the substances present in the referred raw materials.
ARTIFICIAL AROMAS: obtained from synthesis, which still has not been identified in animal-based, plant-based or microbial products.
Legislation
It should be used in a quantity enough to obtain the desired technological effect (quantum satis).
ANTIOXIDANTS
In the sample of 90 hamburgers analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:
- 519 products do not use antioxidants.
- 7 products use ascorbic acid; 24 products use sodium erythorbate sodium or sodium isoascorbate; and 3 use BHA (3).
Functions of the ANTIOXIDANTS used:
ASCORBIC ACID (INS 300): vitamin C. Used to inhibit the oxidation from other substances.
SODIUM ERYTHORBATE OR ISOASCORBATE (INS 316): salt from erythorbic acid. Used to inhibit oxidation from other substances.
BHA (INS 320): mix of 2 isomers, 2 and 3-terc-butyl-4-hidroxyanisol, being formed from 4-methoxyphenol and isobutylene. It is a more effective antioxidant in the oxidation suppression of animal fat than in plant-based oils and has little stability at high temperatures. Used to inhibit oxidation from other substances.
Legislation
BHA can be used hp to the limit of 0.01 g over the fat content, alone or in combination with other antioxidants and elusively to prepare frozen products.
DYES
In the sample of 90 hamburgers analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:
- 65 products do not use dyes.
- 22 products use natural dyes; 16 use synthetic dies identical to natural and none of them use artificial dyes.
Function of DYES used:
Dyes are used to reestablish the product original appearance after the production process, make the food visually more attractive and give or reinforce the colors already present.
NATURAL DYES (curcuma, cochineal carmine, paprika, beetroot red, caramel I): obtained from vegetable or, eventually, from animal.
SYNTHETIC DYES IDENTICAL TO NATURAL (caramel IV): obtained from organic synthesis and that are found in natural products.
ARTIFICIAL DYES: obtained from organic synthesis and are not found in natural products.
Legislation
Some natural dyes do not have ADI established, that is, they should be added in the quantity enough to obtain the desired technological effect (quantum satis). Curcuma has a limit established in 0.002 g/100 g (expressed in curcumina), carmine, 0.01 g/100 g (expressed in carminic acid) and paprika 0.001 g/100 g. Synthetic dies identical to natural have a limit of 0.2 g/100 g in the mass of products that contain plant-based protein in their composition.
ACIDULANTS and ACIDITY REGULATORS
In a sampling of 90 hamburgers analyzed in study conducted by Ital:
- 78 products do not use acidulants and acidity regulators.
- Acidulants used: citric acid (8 products) e glucone-delta-lactona (3 products).
- Acidity regulators used: sodium citrate (4) and sodium lactate (2 products).
Functions of the ACIDULANTS and ACIDITY REGULATORS used:
CITRIC ACID (INS 330): weak organic acid naturally present in living beings and is industrially produced by sugar leavening by the fungus Aspergillus niger. Used to leave the products with the desired acidity level.
GLUCONE-DELTA-LACTONA (INS 575): gluconic acid ester. Used as acidifier agent, to leave the products with the desired acidity level, but also much used as color activator at curing or smoking.
SODIUM CITRATE (INS 331iii): weak organic salt formed by citric acid total neutralization. Used to leave the products with the desired acidity level.
SODIUM LACTATE (INS 325): organic salt produced from lactic acid. Used to leave the products with the desired acidity level.
Legislation
Sodium lactate should be used in a quantity allowed of 3.5 g/ 100 g.
FLAVOR ENHANCERS
In the sample of 90 hamburgers analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:
- 71 products use flavor enhancers.
- 19 products use monosodium glutamate; 4, disodium inosinate; and 4, disodium guanylate.
Function of FLAVOR ENHANCERS used:
MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE </u)(INS 621): sodium salt from glutamic acid, non-essential amino acid with a wide occurrence in the nature and, commercially, produced via fermentation. Used to balance and harmonize the total perception of the food flavor, and can be also applied to reduce toe sodium content in the products.
DISODIUM INOSINATE(INS 631): dihydrated disodium salt, present mainly in animals. It can be obtained through sugars fermentation. Used to balance and harmonize the total perception of the food flavor, and can be also applied to reduce toe sodium content in the products.
DISODIUM GUANYLATE (INS 627): guanylic acid salt, with abundant occurrence in the nature, especially in mushrooms, animals and yeast. Used to balance and harmonize the total perception of the food flavor, and can be also applied to reduce toe sodium content in the products.
Legislation
It does not have ADI established, that is, it should be added in the quantity enough to obtain the desired technological effect (quantum satis).
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