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I was recently asked to participate in a Q&A session with ConAgra foods as part of a sponsored #AntioxidantFacts partnership with The Motherhood. While I chose to not express any personal opinions in this article, I do believe all information is important and an essential tool for forming a plan you feel is best for your family. Preservatives are a hot topic, with many homes attempting to live a more healthy, natural lifestyle. There is an ocean of both opinion and research online and it can be overwhelming, often confusing. This Q&A with ConAgra gave me (and now gives you) the opportunity to hear directly from the food producers themselves.
Antioxidant Basics
- When you open a box of food, the exposure to air can cause certain ingredients that are common in our food, like fats and oils, to spoil; the unpleasant odors and flavors that follow are sometimes called “rancidity”. Antioxidants are added to food in order to prevent this spoiling and rancidity along with preserving flavor and color.
- Antioxidants Naturally Found in Food:
- Alpha-tocopherol aka Vitamin E
- Ascorbic Acid aka sodium ascorbate aka Vitamin C
- Citric Acid
- Manmade Antioxidants in Food:
- BHT: A tasteless, colorless man made antioxidant is used to help maintain freshness in grain-based foods like crackers and cookies
- TBHQ: A tasteless, colorless man made antioxidant used commonly to keep vegetable oils and other packaged foods fresh
Q&A with ConAgra Foods
with Kelly Magurany, M.Sc., DABT / Principal Research Scientists- Toxicology – Food Protection and Regulatory Affairs at ConAgra Foods // Kristi Reimers, RD, PhD, Nutrition
Director of Nutrition in Research & Innovations at ConAgra Foods. // Presented by Lanie Friedman / Director, Communications & External Relations at ConAgra Foods
What do you think the most common misconception is among consumers regarding preservatives in foods?
A misconception I most commonly see is that preservatives are unnecessary and harmful to your health. When in fact, preservatives such as antioxidants are really necessary to reduce off-taste and odors in foods caused by breakdown of cells, fats and oils.
What are the trends we are seeing with consumers and their concerns about the ingredients in their food? Are these valid concerns? Why or why not?
Concern over the food we provide to our families is always valid so I want to make that point initially. And I applaud all the ladies on the phone for looking at this and considering it. I think it’s very important for us; however, I do see a lot of misinformation out there regarding food ingredients in the media, and I’m concerned that the public isn’t aware of the benefits, data and time spent to support their safety.
If there are natural antioxidants available, what is the need for man-made antioxidants?
Natural antioxidants often times impart a flavor, a taste or even an odor to foods, so they are not always the best choice for us if we want to maintain the high quality of flavors that our consumers love. So we look to man-made antioxidants that are tasteless and colorless and odorless at the low levels used in food to maintain those flavors.
Is there anything new in the process [of preserving] that has come to the table recently or are you still using things that have been around for quite some time?
Generally, the compounds we typically use like BHT and TBHQ have been used for a long time. I would say that TBHQ is a newer version in relation to BHT, but it has been used for a long time as well.
I think food choices change over the years. I think the food maker definitely sees our lines of food evolving based on what people want, but the method of preserving food seems kind of consistent because they’re tried and true. Like Kelly said, there’s been a lot of steps taken to make sure that they’re safe and they’re going to deliver the flavors that people want. Food choice change, but because all approved methods are so safe, we chose the best method for our food that we can whether it’s a natural or synthetic antioxidant.
What are some examples of packaged foods that use antioxidants as preservatives?
Any food product that contains a fat or oil will typically have an antioxidant added either to the starting batter oil or to the end food product. Things like microwaved popcorn, cookies, and cereal products all would contain antioxidants.
When [people] think of antioxidants, [they] think of things like carrots and kale, etc. that help prevent diseases like cancer. Are these the same type of antioxidants?
The function of the antioxidants found in carrots and kale are similar to what we have in man-made compounds. So, in carrots and kale they are typically preserving color and freshness of the food by preventing oxidative damage, , the function is exactly the same in our food products when using man-made antioxidants.
Are natural antioxidants modified to use in foods they don’t come naturally in?
Natural antioxidants are often extracted from the food products, but they’re also synthetically produced. There is actually no difference chemically in a naturally produced antioxidant and one that’s developed by man-made techniques. They’re often developed in man-made ways because it’s a more cost-effective way and actually protects our food supply. So although humans may make an antioxidant from a natural compound, they can also synthesize them, but they’re exactly the same. There is no difference.
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