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IFT unmasks Halloween candy ingredients

CHICAGO -- Butylated hydroxyanisole. Invertase. Glycerol monostearate. Trick or treat? Though some candy ingredients may look or sound scary, there is nothing ghoulish about them. In fact, these ingredients play a significant role in making candy taste and look so good. In honor of Halloween, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) will unmask the technical jargon of common candy additives.

In general, food additives are used in candy to maintain product consistency; to preserve quality and safety; to leaven or control acidity; and to provide color or enhance flavor. Each of these functions is performed by specific types of additives, respectively, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners and anti-caking agents; preservatives and antioxidants; leavening agents and acidulants; and natural and synthetic flavors and colors.

Emulsifiers blend ingredients in mixtures and keep them from separating, giving mixtures a consistent texture. Stabilizers and thickeners give mixtures a smooth, uniform texture. Anti-caking agents help non-liquid substances, such as salt, to flow freely. Preservatives inhibit candy spoilage by preventing the growth of mold, yeast or bacteria. Antioxidants prevent fats and oils in candy from becoming rancid (oxidized by exposure to air) and developing an off-flavor or unpleasant taste. Leavening agents release acids in candy mixtures during processing, adding texture and volume. Acidulants are multi-purpose acids that add tartness to candy, maintain acidity during processing, and also act as preservatives.

Natural flavors and colors, such as peppermint and caramel, are derived from natural sources. Synthetic colors are man-made and designated on food labels as Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) colors (water-soluble) or aluminum lakes (water-insoluble), such as FD&C Yellow No. 6. Synthetic flavors, such as ethyl vanillin (artificial vanilla), are also man-made.

Chemical names are used for most additives on ingredient labels for explicitness. For example, there are hundreds of sweeteners, which differ from table sugar in taste and function. The familiar word sugar could not be used in place of mannitol because it is not sugar, rather a sugar alcohol (polyol), which is about 70 percent as sweet. However, food manufacturers may opt to provide a parenthetical translation for such an ingredient, such as mannitol (a sweetener).

Manufacturers are required by law to indicate if an additive is a sulfiting agent or derived from milk in products labeled non-dairy, so that people with sensitivities to milk or sulfites, such as the preservative sodium sulfite, may avoid these products if necessary. For example, caseinate is a milk derivative and must be labeled as such in parentheses in non-dairy foods to alert consumers to potential allergens.

A few additives are only faintly disguised by their chemical names, such as sodium chloride (salt) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), but many are unfamiliar to consumers. Following is a list of common candy additives and what they really are:

• Albumin: any of several proteins that are coagulated by heat and found in egg white, milk, and soy. The proteins are used to bind ingredients in candy, such as mint patties.
• Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA): an antioxidant that prevents fats and oils from becoming rancid (oxidizing) in candy, such as peanut butter cups.
• Citric acid: the predominant acid in citrus fruits (e.g., oranges, lemons, and limes), it gives candy, such as lemon drops, a tart flavor.
• Dextrose: a corn sweetener made from dehydrated cornstarch. Also known as corn sugar and the dry form of glucose.
• Gelatin: a protein that functions as a gelling agent in gummy candies. It is obtained from collagen derived from beef bones and calf or pork skin.
• Glycerol monostearate: an emulsifier used in candy, such as licorice.
• Gum arabic or acacia: a gum used to stabilize emulsions in candy coatings. It is derived from the Anogeissus latifolia tree, where it acts as a protective sealant when tree bark is damaged.
• Gum base: one of the primary ingredients (15 to 30 percent) in chewing gum that gives gum its characteristic texture and insolubility. It is made by blending and heating several vegetable or synthetic substances, such as chicle (latex of the sapodilla tree), petroleum wax, lanolin, or rubber with a softener, such as paraffin, and antioxidants.
• Hydrogenated vegetable oil: unsaturated oil that has been turned from a liquid to a semisolid (partially hydrogenated) or solid by the addition of hydrogen. Hydrogenated oil has a more desirable texture and consistency than liquid oil and a higher melting point.
• Invertase: an enzyme that causes sucrose (table sugar) to break down into glucose and fructose. This prevents crystallization of sugar and grittiness in candy.
• Lecithin: an emulsifier obtained primarily from soybeans. It is used in chocolate to create a smoother texture and reduce its cocoa butter content.
• Magnesium stearate: the magnesium salt of stearic acid, a fat, which may function as a lubricant, binder, emulsifier, and/or anti-caking agent. It is used in sugarless gum and mints as well as a release agent in creating pressed candies.
• Malic acid: the predominant acid in apples, it adds tartness to candies for flavoring.
• Maltodextrin: generally derived from cornstarch, it is used as a bodying or bulking agent, texturizer, carrier, and sugar crystallization inhibitor.
• Modified food starch: derived from cornstarch, tapioca, or potato, this ingredient is used as a thickener, binder, and stabilizer in candy.
• Pectin: a gum obtained from citrus peel and apple pomace. It is used to make gelled candies, such as gum drops.
• Potassium sorbate: a preservative that is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, also a preservative.
• Sodium aluminum phosphate: a leavening agent that slowly releases carbon dioxide during candy processing, adding volume and texture to hard candies or baked fillings, such as cookies or peanut butter cups.
• Sorbitol: a sugar replacer that is 60 percent as sweet as sugar and 50 percent as caloric. It is a polyol (sugar alcohol) that maintains moistness in candy and provides taste and body in sugarless candy and chewing gum. Glycerin and mannitol are also polyols used in sugarless products.

Founded in 1939, IFT is a non-profit scientific society of 28,000 members working in food science, technology and related professions in industry, academia, and government. As the society for food science and technology, IFT brings sound science to the public discussions of food issues.

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