In the article, we consider whether the food additive E 536 is dangerous or not.
In modern production, various additives are increasingly being used that allow not only long-term storage of products, but also 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 food supplement E 536.
What is it made from?
Many people wonder what kind of additive E 536. 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, in some countries it can not be used for food production. In our country this is not prohibited, it is often added to ordinary table salt so that it does not form lumps, it has a presentation. 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, industrial plants received cyanide compounds 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 they gave the name of yellow blood salt.
Today, on an industrial scale, the additive is obtained by treating with a solution of iron sulfate a mixture of cyanides and sodium and calcium chlorides. As a result, cyanides pass into ferrocyanides. Pure salts are obtained from them by metabolic decomposition with sodium and potassium carbonates.
Additive Description
Food supplement E 536 looks like crystals or crystalline powder of a pale yellow color. The following properties are characteristic of it:
- soluble in water;
- no smell;
- insoluble in ethyl alcohol, aniline, ether, ethyl acetate and pyridine;
- has a bitter-salty taste;
- extracted by chemical means;
- able to turn into anhydrous salt when the temperature rises to 87.3 ° C degrees;
- decomposes at a temperature of 650 ° C.
In the food industry, potassium ferrocyanide is used in the production for the flowability of the product, and it also prevents the mixture from sticking, clumping and caking.
Harmful or not food additive E 536, consider below.
Where to use?
Apply it in several industries:
- In the production of table salt. The main purpose of its application is to whiten and prevent clumping of the product. In its pure form, salt has a gray color, which gives it an ugly presentation. And many buyers find salt to be dirty. And when using E536, the product turns white and is in great demand. Most often there is an additive in the composition of the variety of finely ground salt.
- E536 is able to bind heavy metal cations. This property has often been used in winemaking for processing wine materials in order to remove a metallic taste from the product.
- In dairy production, a stabilizer is added in the production of curd products to give them friability.
- In the production of smoked sausages, they are used as an anti-caking component.
Recently, a food supplement has been added to rye flour bread.
Possible pros and cons
There is no benefit from eating the food supplement E 536.
The stabilizer is low toxic, but at the time of interaction with the aqueous solution, a chemical reaction occurs, resulting in a small amount of toxic gas formation. The component used in the food industry is permissible up to 20 mg per 1 kg of salt. Most often, its volume does not exceed 10 mg. But even with such a small use and possible violation of technological norms of production, an additive can affect human health. It can also have a laxative effect. Before use, the harm of food supplement E 536 must be evaluated.
Potassium ferrocyanide can be found in some varieties of cheese, it acts as an emulsifier, reliably connecting heterogeneous 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 additives in the product can provoke an irreversible process in the body. Identifying the stabilizer in the product is easy. You should pay attention to the white coating on the product, if it is 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 stabilizer E536:
- severe poisoning of the body as a whole;
- the functioning of the lymphatic system is impaired;
- damage to the nervous system;
- skin problems, such as dermatitis, acne, purulent inflammation;
- the work of the liver and gall bladder is disturbed;
- the work of the digestive tract is disrupted.
When the supplement enters the stomach, contact with the acid occurs, as a result, dangerous hydrocyanic acid and toxic gases are released.
Pros and cons of E536 supplements are being actively studied in different countries by scientists from several areas. This is necessary in order to determine the safe scope of its use. Many countries do not add it to the list of allowed. Theoretically, an additive can be poisoned, but for this it is necessary to eat about 28 kg of salt at a time. Potassium ferrocyanide is extremely low in store bread. If you do not want to use products that have E536 in their composition, then carefully study the label. Responsible manufacturers honestly write the composition, there are cases when they indicate the full name of the stabilizer. Unscrupulous ones will indicate the presence of an anti-caking substance or simply report that their salt does not crumple.
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 consumed by young children and adults alike. 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, even specialists find it difficult to establish the true cause of the disease. Therefore, a choice should be made in favor of a healthy and natural diet.