In the article we will consider whether the food additive E 536 is dangerous or not.
In modern production, various additives are increasingly being used, which allow not only to store products for a long time, but to give them an attractive appearance, improve taste and aroma. A complete list of nutritional supplements consists of several hundred names. Most of them are harmful to the human body, and some are very dangerous. In this article we will try to analyze the pros and cons of the most common nutritional supplement E 536.
What is it made of?
Many people wonder what kind of additive E 536 is. It has a unique quality, for which the food industry recognized it as the best emulsifier, clarifier.
But at the same time, potassium ferrocyanide is quite dangerous, it cannot be used for food production in some countries. In our country, this is not prohibited, it is often added to ordinary table s alt so that lumps do not form in it, it has a marketable appearance. In addition, the additive is actively used in various technologies as a clarifier.
Where did the food supplement E 536 come from? In ancient times, cyanide compounds were obtained at industrial enterprises by very exotic methods. In cast-iron boilers, iron shavings were fused with potassium carbonate and nitrogen-containing animal waste (such as horns, hooves, skin scraps, dry blood). The crystals that formed from the solidified alloy had a yellow color. For this substance was given the name of yellow blood s alt.
Today, on an industrial scale, the additive is obtained by treating a mixture of cyanides and sodium and calcium chlorides with a solution of ferrous sulfate. As a result, cyanides are converted into ferrocyanides. Pure s alts are obtained from them by exchange decomposition with sodium and potassium carbonates.
Supplement description
Food supplement E 536 looks like pale yellow crystals or crystalline powder. It has the following properties:
- soluble in water;
- no smell;
- insoluble in ethyl alcohol, aniline, ether, ethyl acetate and pyridine;
- tastes bitter and s alty;
- produced by chemical means;
- capable of turning into anhydrous s alt when the temperature rises to 87.3°C degrees;
- decomposes at 650°C.
In the food industry, potassium ferrocyanide is used in production for product flowability, and it also prevents sticking, clumping and cakingmixes.
E 536 food additive harmful or not, consider below.
Where is it used?
Apply it in several industries:
- In the production of table s alt. Its main purpose is to whiten and prevent clumping of the product. In its pure form, s alt has a gray color, which gives it an ugly presentation. And many buyers think s alt is dirty. And when using E536, the product turns white and is in great demand. The most common additive is in the composition of finely ground s alt varieties.
- E536 is capable of binding heavy metal cations. This property has become often used in winemaking to process wine materials in order to remove a metallic flavor from the product.
- In dairy production, a stabilizer is added during the production of curd products to make them crumbly.
- In the production of smoked sausages, they are used as an anti-caking component.
Recently, a nutritional supplement has been added to bread made from rye flour.
Possible pros and cons
There is no benefit from the use of dietary supplement E 536.
The stabilizer has low toxicity, but at the moment of interaction with an aqueous solution, a chemical reaction occurs, as a result of which toxic gases are released in a small amount. The component can be used in the food industry up to 20 mg per 1 kg of s alt. Most often, its volume does not exceed 10 mg. But even with such a small use of it and the possibleviolation of technological standards of production, the additive can affect human he alth. It may also have a laxative effect. Before use, the harm of food additive E 536 must be evaluated.
Potassium ferrocyanide can be found in some types of cheese, it acts as an emulsifier, reliably connecting inhomogeneous media. It is thanks to this that the cheese product retains its shape well and has a pleasant color. And since this product is often included in the main diet of children, pregnant and lactating women, the presence of an additive in the product can provoke an irreversible process in the body. It is easy to determine the stabilizer in the composition of the product. You should pay attention to the white coating on the product, if present, it is better not to buy such cheese.
Is E536 dangerous?
There are a number of problems that arise due to the use of the E536 stabilizer:
- severe poisoning of the body as a whole;
- impaired functioning of the lymphatic system;
- damage to the nervous system;
- manifest skin problems such as dermatitis, acne, purulent inflammation;
- disrupted liver and gallbladder;
- disturbed work of the digestive tract.
When the supplement enters the stomach, contact with acid occurs, resulting in the release of dangerous hydrocyanic acid and toxic gases.
The pros and cons of E536 supplements are being actively studied in different countries by scientists from several fields. This is necessary in order to determine the safe scope of its use. Many countries do not add it to the allowed list. Theoretically, you can get poisoned by the additive, but for this you need to eat about 28 kg of s alt at a time. There is very little potassium ferrocyanide in store-bought bread. If you do not want to use products that contain E536, then carefully study the label. Responsible manufacturers honestly write the composition, there are cases when the full name of the stabilizer is also indicated. Unscrupulous ones will indicate the presence of an anti-caking agent or simply report that their s alt does not clump.
Conclusions
It is worth considering the use of products that contain potassium ferrocyanide. After all, no one gives us a full guarantee of the absence of harm to the body, and these products are used by both young children and adults. This gradually leads to the accumulation of toxins in the cells of our body, which in the future is not so easy to get rid of. And when diseases appear, it is difficult even for specialists to establish the true cause of the disease. Therefore, you should make a choice in favor of a he althy and natural diet.