Gombolas, tronquitos, gifts, strawberries and watermelons, peach hearts, rubber bears … sweets and sweets are usually the star product of the sweet peck between hours, not only among the little ones, but also in the adult population. However, as Alba Ramírez explains (@albaramirezciencia), Food technologist, nutritionist and director of Food Schoolbehind its colorful attractiveness, its suggestive aromas and its sweet taste hides a combination of ingredients that in many cases generates concern. But what are they really made? Are they dangerous for health? We discover the keys to this consumer product through the expert’s analysis.
Composition of sweets: most used ingredients
The treats, such as ultraprocess products that they are, usually contain a complex mixture of ingredients with different functionalities that allow the perfect finishing finish, color and flavor.
Thus, according to Ramírez, some of the most used components are:
Sugars and syrups: Among the first ingredients we find sweeteners such as dextrose, liquid glucose and inverted sugar, fundamental to provide sweetness and texture.
GELIFIERS: To texturing and obtaining the optimal consistency, gelatin and pectin are used. “Imagine the gumous consistency to candy and soft jelly beans,” he recalls.
Acidity regulators: Citric acid, lactic acid and trisodic citrate are used to balance the taste and allow to control pH.
Dyes: It is one of the most compromised ingredients. Some of the most common are the azoic dyes (E102, E110, E122, E129, E133), which provide bright colors to the products. However, as the technologist clarifies, these are used every day less frequently because if they are included among the list of ingredients they must alert with a message in the labeling: “They can have negative effects on the activity and attention of children.”
Azoic dyes have a maximum dose limit used according to Regulation (CE) No. 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and the Council, of December 16, 2008 for that same reason.
They use juice and fruit purés to give color. The concentrated puree of strawberry or sweet potato is frequent ..
The standard of coloring additives imposes certain limits. For example, in the case of using E-12, E-122, E-124 and E-155 in the elaboration of candies, confites and chewing rubbers, they may not exceed 50 mg/kg or mg/l.
This is the message that must be included in the labeling.
Preservatives and coating agents: Such as E202 (potassium sorbate) to avoid the proliferation of microorganisms and brightness agents (E901-904) to improve their visual appearance.
“While these ingredients are approved and continuously reevaluated by the authorities as EFSA, in food security, we must try to be aware of what we consume to try to limit their impact on our health,” recommends the director of the Food School.
Animal collagen, dengredient of sweets
One of the most important ingredients in the manufacture of treats is the gelatinwhich is obtained from animal collagen fundamentally.
This compound is extracted from skins, bones and cartilage of cattle or pigs, through an industrial process that, according to Alba Ramírez, includes the following phases:
Raw material: Slaughterhouse by -products such as collagen -rich fabrics, skins and bones.
PRETRATATION:
-Acido process (Type A): It is applied to pork skin, using acid to decompose the collagen.
-Al alkaline process (type B): It is used in bones and bovine skin, with alkaline solutions that take weeks to dissolve minerals.
Collagen extraction: It is heated to controlled temperatures (50-80 ° C) to dissolve the jelly in water.
Filtering and purification: Impurities are eliminated and quality with filtering processes are improved.
Drying and concentration: Water is reduced, forming powder jelly or sheets.
“Although the gelatin is a safe and widely used ingredient, it is not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets,” says the technologist. Therefore, some brands have begun to use as an alternative Fruit pectin either agar -ago To replace the animal jelly.
“It is not that the sweet -producing food industry hides that among its ingredients is a product that is extracted from bones, cartilages and skins of cows and pigs, it is not a claim that children will understand, and therefore, it is not explicitly explained,” says Ramírez.
In this sense, the technologist points out that children also do not know how nuggets occur or how sausages are made, and that in reality this is not due to the industry to hide it, but that it is considered that it is not an association that is positive for a children’s audience.
Healthy treats: How to identify them?
Despite the bad reputation of sweets in general, it is possible to find healthier options in the market, according to Alba Ramírez. To identify them, the expert recommends attending the following aspects:
Less more natural sugars and sweeteners: Look for products with less sugar and use honey, natural syrups or edulcorants of plant origin such as erythritol or stevia, can be a good option.
Natural dyes: Choose sweets that wear fruits and vegetable extracts instead of synthetic dyes. Some examples are beet (red), spirulina (blue) or turmeric (yellow).
Less preservatives and artificial additives: Opt for products with lists of shorter and natural ingredients.
Higher real ingredients content: Some sweets incorporate concentrated juices of fruits or vegetable fiber, which improves their nutritional profile.
In the case of those who wish to seek healthy treats as an alternative to the consumption of traditional ones, the expert warns that the fact of indirectly understanding that when their consumption is “healthy” their consumption can be higher, there is a risk that this behavior displays really interesting foods how quality fruits and snacks.
The key, therefore, is to know the information because that will be what allows to make better choices, according to the Director of Food School.
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