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Questions tagged [additives]

37 questions
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1 answer

How does "BHT added to packaging material" actually work?

This is not a question about the merits of BHA or BHT (butylated hydroxyanisole or butylated hydroxytoluene). It is a question about how BHA/BHT work when "added to packaging material". The BHA is often added directly to food, where it has an…
Bryce
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2 answers

Why do so many cheeses have artificial ingredients?

Here in Europe (and perhaps only in Spain) I've noticed that most of the cheeses (hard and soft, but more often hard) contain an interesting list of artificial additives in the ingredients: conservatives, acid correctors, colors etc. Finding cheeses…
Yossi Farjoun
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10
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1 answer

Turning raw/baking cocoa powder into instant cocoa (Kaba/Nesquik)

The question on Dissolving cocoa powder in milk describes the two common workarounds for making chocolate milk with raw cocoa powder. While obviously it works easiest with hot milk, making cocoa slime/mud is a functioning alternative. It's however…
mario
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9
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7 answers

GMS and CMC ratios in Ice Cream

I was exploring a variety of online sources and I stumbled into the emulsifier Glycerol Monostearate (GMS). According to Wikipedia it is commonly used in ice cream to make its texture creamier. I also noticed that it's commonly used with…
Corez
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9
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3 answers

Can you make whipped cream with half and half?

Can you make whipped cream with half and half? If you can, what, if anything, do you have to do differently?
Trevor Boyd Smith
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7
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2 answers

Can potassium sorbate (E202) be tasted and smelled by everyone or just a few people?

Potassium sorbate (in Europe: E202, or 'Kaliumsorbat' in German) spoils a lot of the packaged food for me – I clearly smell and taste it. I can also clearly smell it e.g. in a medicinal cream I bought at the pharmacy. The smell/taste is very…
Dictionarics Anonymous
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6 answers

Where do I buy food additives (not in bulk)?

I occasionally want a pure food additive for various reasons (pure potassium chloride for sports drinks, pure MSG for everything), but I can't find any decent places to get them except amazon.com. Now I'm looking for disodium inosinate, and even…
Brendan Long
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1 answer

Why add lupin flour to white bread?

We buy ordinary, American-style white sandwich bread from a national supermarket chain. I just had a look at the ingredients and was surprised to see that, in addition to wheat flour, it contains lupin flour (Lupinenmehl in German): I know that…
Psychonaut
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7
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2 answers

How much calcium propionate should I use as a bread preservative?

Love to bake homemade whole wheat bread, but after a few days it becomes moldy. No refrigerator, nor freezer available. I understand that calcium propionate is a safe preservative, but don't have any idea what amount to use. If my bread has four…
Jay
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6
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2 answers

Which preservatives/additives in ingredients can interfere with kimchi-style fermentation?

This is not yet about a problem, I am trying to avoid wasting time and ingredients or creating unsafe conditions while experimenting. Many vegetarian recipes for kimchi and kimchi-style fermented food suggest adding soy sauces and other similar…
rackandboneman
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What is the effect of adding alkaline or acidic substances to wheat flour?

What are the chemical reactions of adding alkaline substances to wheat flour dough and how does it change the properties and behavior? The same for acidic substances.
Melara
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6
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What are good resources to learn food chemistry?

Does anyone know of some good resources to start learning about food chemistry? I am thinking specifically about a description of the chemical processes involved e.g. in cooking/preparing the different foods and their relation with changes in flavor…
Myrrdyn
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Is there an official comprehensive list of E-numbers?

Does an official comprehensive list of the E-numbers exists? I'm thinking of something along what the Wikipedia page provides: Number Role Name Description Approval Notes An example of an entry could be: E110 Colour Sunset Yellow FCF Used to…
Albireo
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4
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3 answers

What conditions make xanthan thicken?

I have used xanthan a few times, sometimes successfully, sometimes less so. The one thing I've noticed: it is certainly not enough to just stir it in until it is well dispersed. Sometimes it will not thicken no matter what I do, sometimes it will…
rumtscho
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Does Arabic gum help keep frozen yogurt soft?

I'm trying to make frozen yogurt manually (no machine), but I would like it to be soft-scoop. My first batches froze hard (tasty but hard), regardless of whether I stirred them every half-hour or not. I was advised to try Arabic gum, but that…
Alan C
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