Antioxidants are not in themselfs a additive, but they are often added to other foods to change their behaviour. Normal Antioxidants are used in combination with fats or oils that can be found in almost all foods. Mostly antioxidants are used where there is a need to keep oils and fats from mixing or splitting with other ingredients. Mayonnaise is a good example where antioxidants are being used to prevent a reaction with oxygen in the air. The oxygen will change the color and smell of the product and the result is that the customer will think something is wrong with the product.
It is however quite easy to prevent the air from reacting with the product. Just think of the good advice to pour lemon juice on top of advocado or apples to prevent them from turning brown. The ascorbic acid in the lemon prevents the air from reacting with the food.
In artificial for ascorbic acid or vitamin C as it is also know is often used as a antioxidant. You can find it under E300 in the e-number list.
When products reacto to oxygen in the air the product it self can change and befome ill tasting. Furthermore the product can change so much that there is a health risk if this happens. This fact is one of the main reasons for the antioxidants to be widely used.
Previously BHA (e-number E320) and BHT (e-number E321) was used to a great extend but it turns out that these additives can lead to a increase in cancer in test animals. They are also known to cause allergic reactions with some humans. BHA (e-number E320) has recently been connected with the same effects as estrogen.
Antioxidants synergies
When the oxygen in the air reacts with the food the speed will, among other thing, depend on the amount of metals like iron or copper in the food. If you can bind these metals you will have a slower reaction to the air and you don’t need as large quantities of antioxidants . Citric acid e-number E330 is a example of such a synergy creating compound.
Natural antioxidants
There are a number of substances that has a antioxidant effect that can be found in the nature. There is intense research into these products as they can be used in organic foods without loosing the organic brand. Presently, however, it can only be recommended to eat the foods that contain antioxidants naturally – which is basicly fruits and vegtables.
Some spices like rosemary also contains antioxidants and can to some degree protect foods for the adverse effects from oxygen. There is the risk that the main effect of these spices is to a lesser degree to work as antioxidants and to a larger degree to work as a concealer of the problem in the food.
The right dose of antioxidants
Antioxidants have a documented effect but only on fresh foods. If a apple has turned brown there is no antioxidant in the world that can change that. So the most important thing to remember is that you have to start with fresh raw materials.
It is equally important to administer the right dose. If you add to many then can start to act as a pro-oxidant that will speed up the oxidation effect. If we just look at food this can be bad, but if you start to see what over use can accomplish in humans it is an entire different story.
Some use antioxidants as health supplements and eat them in megadoses. As an example the e-number E160b also known as Beat-carote can increase the likelihood of cancer in connection with tobacoo.
Which e-numbers are antioxidants
The antioxidants have the numbers from E300 to E385. Furthermore there are a number of additives there have several attributes including being a antioxidant. The e-numbers E220 to E228, E270, E318 and E586 are also antioxidants are are sometimes use in this way. They are placed in different headings since the main area of utilization is not a antioxidants.
Antioxidants
E300 Ascorbic acid
E301 Sodium ascorbate
E302 Calcium ascorbate
E304 Fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid
E306 Tocopherols
E307 Alpha-tocopherol
E308 Gamma-tocopherol
E309 Delta-tocopherol
E310 Propyl gallate
E311 Octyl gallate
E312 Dodecyl gallate
E315 Erythorbic acid
E316 Sodium erythorbate
E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)
E321 Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
This is a great overview, thanks