WHAT ARE PRESERVATIVES IN FOOD AND SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED
IF YOU’VE EVER WALKED THROUGH A SUPERMARKET IN GERMANY, WHETHER IT’S AN EDEKA, REWE, OR EVEN A DM-DROGERIE MARKT, YOU’LL NOTICE A SMALL SHIFT IN HOW PEOPLE SHOP COMPARED TO A FEW YEARS AGO.
PEOPLE DON’T JUST PICK SOMETHING UP AND MOVE ON. THEY PAUSE. THEY TURN THE PACK AROUND. THEY READ. AND SOMETIMES THEY STAND THERE FOR A FEW EXTRA SECONDS, TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT’S ACTUALLY INSIDE.
WE’VE CAUGHT OURSELVES DOING EXACTLY THE SAME THING. AT FIRST, IT FEELS LIKE A SMALL HABIT. BUT OVER TIME, YOU START NOTICING THAT IT’S HAPPENING MORE OFTEN, NOT JUST WITH YOU, BUT WITH ALMOST EVERYONE AROUND YOU. INGREDIENT LISTS ARE NO LONGER SOMETHING PEOPLE IGNORE. THEY’VE BECOME PART OF THE DECISION. AND THAT’S WHERE THE QUESTIONS BEGIN.
WHY INGREDIENT LABELS SUDDENLY MATTER MORE IN GERMANY
ACROSS GERMANY, THERE HAS BEEN A NOTICEABLE SHIFT IN HOW PEOPLE THINK ABOUT FOOD. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT CALORIES OR TASTE ANYMORE. IT’S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT’S ACTUALLY GOING INTO THE PRODUCT AND YOU SEE IT EVERYWHERE.
1. PRODUCTS HIGHLIGHTING “OHNE ZUSATZSTOFFE”
2. SHORT INGREDIENT LISTS BECOMING A SELLING POINT
3. WORDS LIKE “CLEAN LABEL” APPEARING MORE OFTEN
IN CITIES LIKE BERLIN, MUNICH, AND HAMBURG, THIS AWARENESS FEELS EVEN STRONGER. PEOPLE ARE NOT NECESSARILY AVOIDING PACKAGED FOOD, BUT THEY ARE BECOMING MORE SELECTIVE ABOUT IT. THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE EATING WITHOUT NEEDING TO DECODE IT. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE PRESERVATIVES AND
ADDITIVES COME INTO THE CONVERSATION.
WHAT ARE PRESERVATIVES AND WHY ARE THEY USED
IF YOU TAKE A STEP BACK FOR A MOMENT, THE ROLE OF PRESERVATIVES BECOMES A LOT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND. FOOD TODAY DOESN’T STAY IN
ONE PLACE. IT’S PRODUCED, TRANSPORTED, STORED, AND THEN FINALLY PURCHASED, SOMETIMES DAYS OR WEEKS LATER. DURING THAT TIME, IT NEEDS TO REMAIN SAFE TO EAT AND STABLE IN TERMS OF TEXTURE AND TASTE AND PRESERVATIVES HELP MAKE THAT
POSSIBLE.
THEY SLOW DOWN THE GROWTH OF BACTERIA, PREVENT SPOILAGE, AND
EXTEND SHELF LIFE SO THAT FOOD DOESN’T GO BAD BEFORE IT REACHES YOU. WITHOUT THEM, MANY PACKAGED PRODUCTS WOULD SIMPLY NOT LAST LONG ENOUGH TO BE PRACTICAL, ESPECIALLY IN LARGE-SCALE RETAIL SYSTEMS. AND ONCE YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THAT
PERSPECTIVE, THEIR ROLE FEELS LESS LIKE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS AND MORE LIKE SOMETHING FUNCTIONAL. BUT THAT’S ONLY PART OF THE STORY.
WHERE E NUMBERS FIT INTO THIS
AS SOON AS YOU START READING INGREDIENT LISTS MORE CAREFULLY, YOU’LL BEGIN TO NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE.
CODES.
E300. E202. E330.
FOR MANY PEOPLE, THIS IS WHERE THINGS START TO FEEL A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THESE MEAN, BUT BECAUSE
THEY DON’T.
IN REALITY, E-NUMBERS ARE SIMPLY A EUROPEAN CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR APPROVED FOOD ADDITIVES. INSTEAD OF WRITING LONG CHEMICAL NAMES, INGREDIENTS ARE GIVEN STANDARDIZED CODES SO THAT LABELLING REMAINS CONSISTENT ACROSS DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. BUT THE WAY THEY LOOK CREATES A DISCONNECT.
WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THAT SOME OF THESE E-NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY VERY FAMILIAR INGREDIENTS. VITAMIN C IS E300. CITRIC ACID, FOUND IN CITRUS FRUITS, IS E330. EVEN NATURAL COLORINGS LIKE TURMERIC HAVE THEIR OWN E-NUMBER.
AND YET, THE MOMENT THESE APPEAR AS CODES, THEY FEEL DIFFERENT.
LESS FAMILIAR.
LESS LIKE FOOD.
E-NUMBER GUIDE: WHAT THESE CODES ACTUALLY MEAN
MOST OF THE TIME, E-NUMBERS LOOK CONFUSING SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY’RE WRITTEN AS CODES. BUT ONCE YOU BREAK THEM DOWN, THEY’RE MUCH EASIER TO UNDERSTAND. HERE ARE SOME COMMONLY FOUND ONES AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO IN EVERYDAY FOOD.
COMMON E-NUMBERS YOU’LL SEE ON LABELS
E300 - ASCORBIC ACID
HELPS KEEP FOOD FRESH AND PROTECTS COLOR (VITAMIN C)
E322 - LECITHIN
KEEPS INGREDIENTS BLENDED SMOOTHLY (COMMON IN CHOCOLATE)
E330 - CITRIC ACID
ADDS SLIGHT TANGINESS AND BALANCES FLAVOR
E414 - GUM ARABIC
HELPS COATINGS OR SPICES STICK EVENLY
E440 - PECTIN
GIVES STRUCTURE AND TEXTURE, ESPECIALLY IN FRUIT-BASED PRODUCTS
WHAT DIFFERENT TYPES OF ADDITIVES DO
IF YOU GROUP THEM SIMPLY, IT BECOMES MUCH EASIER TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY’RE USED:
- COLORS: USED TO IMPROVE OR RESTORE APPEARANCE
- PRESERVATIVES: HELP FOOD STAY SAFE AND LAST LONGER
- ANTIOXIDANTS: PREVENT FATS FROM GOING BAD AND MAINTAIN FRESHNESS
- EMULSIFIERS: KEEP INGREDIENTS LIKE OIL AND WATER FROM SEPARATING
- FLAVOR ENHANCERS: BRING OUT OR INTENSIFY TASTE
- THICKENERS & STABILIZERS: HELP CREATE THE RIGHT TEXTURE AND CONSISTENCY
WHY PEOPLE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT ADDITIVES
IF WE’RE BEING HONEST, THE CONCERN AROUND PRESERVATIVES AND E-NUMBERS DOESN’T REALLY COME FROM DEEP SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING.
IT COMES FROM INSTINCT.
WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE “APPLE” OR “LEMON JUICE” ON A LABEL, YOU DON’T QUESTION IT. YOU RECOGNIZE IT IMMEDIATELY. YOU’VE USED IT YOURSELF. THERE’S A SENSE OF COMFORT THAT COMES WITH FAMILIARITY.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE E202, EVEN IF IT’S BEEN TESTED AND APPROVED, IT FEELS DISTANT. TECHNICAL. ALMOST LIKE SOMETHING THAT BELONGS IN A LAB RATHER THAN IN A KITCHEN AND THAT FEELING IS HARD TO IGNORE.
OVER TIME, THIS HAS CREATED A BROADER PERCEPTION WHERE ALL ADDITIVES ARE GROUPED TOGETHER, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER. SOME ARE NATURAL, SOME ARE SYNTHETIC, AND SOME ARE SIMPLY MISUNDERSTOOD. IN MANY CASES, THE FEAR IS NOT ABOUT THE INGREDIENT ITSELF AND IT’S ABOUT WHAT IT REPRESENTS.
THE RISE OF CLEAN LABEL THINKING IN GERMANY
THIS SHIFT IN PERCEPTION HAS LED TO SOMETHING BIGGER IN THE GERMAN MARKET.
THE RISE OF “CLEAN LABEL.”
PEOPLE ARE NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR PERFECTION. THEY ARE LOOKING FOR CLARITY. THEY WANT INGREDIENT LISTS THAT FEEL UNDERSTANDABLE, NOT OVERWHELMING AND THAT’S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION.
IT’S NOT ABOUT REJECTING EVERYTHING THAT CONTAINS ADDITIVES. IT’S ABOUT CHOOSING PRODUCTS WHERE THE INGREDIENTS FEEL CLOSER TO WHAT THEY RECOGNIZE.
THIS IS WHY PRODUCTS WITH SHORTER INGREDIENT LISTS ARE BECOMING MORE POPULAR. NOT BECAUSE EVERY ADDITIVE IS HARMFUL, BUT BECAUSE
SIMPLICITY BUILDS TRUST.
ARE PRESERVATIVES ACTUALLY BAD FOR YOU
THIS IS USUALLY THE QUESTION THAT SITS AT THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING AND THE HONEST ANSWER IS NOT AS EXTREME AS PEOPLE EXPECT. APPROVED
PRESERVATIVES ARE TESTED AND REGULATED. THEY ARE USED IN CONTROLLED AMOUNTS, AND THEIR SAFETY IS EVALUATED BEFORE THEY ARE ALLOWED IN FOOD PRODUCTS.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THAT DOESN’T MEAN PEOPLE ARE WRONG FOR BEING MINDFUL. BECAUSE WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE REACTING TO ISN’T JUST THE INGREDIENT ITSELF BUT IT’S THE OVERALL LEVEL OF PROCESSING AND THAT’S A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT POINT.
WHY MODERATION MATTERS MORE THAN AVOIDANCE
IT’S EASY TO FALL INTO EXTREMES WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD. EITHER
EVERYTHING WITH ADDITIVES IS SEEN AS SOMETHING TO AVOID, OR EVERYTHING IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE WITHOUT QUESTION.
BUT REAL LIFE DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY. MOST PEOPLE EAT A MIX
OF FOODS.
SOME MEALS ARE FRESH AND SIMPLE.
SOME ARE PACKAGED.
SOME CONTAIN ADDITIVES AND SOME DON’T.
AND WHAT MATTERS MORE THAN ANY SINGLE INGREDIENT IS THE OVERALL PATTERN.
IN GERMANY, THIS BALANCED APPROACH IS BECOMING MORE VISIBLE. PEOPLE STILL ENJOY CONVENIENCE, BUT THEY ARE MORE SELECTIVE ABOUT IT. THEY ARE
PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW OFTEN THEY CONSUME CERTAIN TYPES OF PRODUCTS RATHER THAN TRYING TO ELIMINATE THEM COMPLETELY.
NOT PERFECT.
JUST MORE AWARE.
HOW WE THINK ABOUT IT AT SUPER MUNCHIES
AT SUPER MUNCHIES, THIS IS SOMETHING WE’VE THOUGHT ABOUT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING. NOT FROM A PLACE OF AVOIDING EVERYTHING, BUT FROM A
PLACE OF KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE.
WE’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT WHEN INGREDIENTS ARE CLOSER TO THEIR ORIGINAL FORM, THEY’RE EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND EASIER TO TRUST. NOT BECAUSE EVERY ADDITIVE IS HARMFUL, BUT BECAUSE SIMPLICITY REMOVES THE NEED FOR SECOND GUESSING.
THAT’S WHY WE FOCUS ON REAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND PROCESS THEM IN A WAY THAT KEEPS THEIR NATURAL CHARACTER INTACT, WITHOUT
BUILDING LONG INGREDIENT LISTS AROUND THEM.
IT’S NOT ABOUT SAYING OTHER APPROACHES ARE WRONG. IT’S JUST ABOUT CHOOSING ONE THAT FEELS RIGHT TO US.
A MORE REALISTIC WAY TO LOOK AT IT
IF THERE’S ONE THING THAT BECOMES CLEAR AFTER LOOKING INTO ALL OF THIS, IT’S THAT PRESERVATIVES AND ADDITIVES ARE NOT THE FULL STORY. THEY’RE PART OF HOW MODERN FOOD WORKS, BUT THEY DON’T DEFINE WHETHER SOMETHING IS GOOD OR BAD ON THEIR OWN.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU’RE EATING WILL ALWAYS BE MORE USEFUL THAN REACTING TO HOW SOMETHING SOUNDS. BECAUSE IN THE END, EATING WELL ISN’T ABOUT AVOIDING EVERYTHING UNFAMILIAR.
IT’S ABOUT FINDING A BALANCE THAT ACTUALLY FITS INTO EVERYDAY LIFE AND MOST OF THE TIME, THAT BALANCE SITS SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE.