1.  Increase Nutrition

Some food additives are designed to increase the nutrition levels in the end products. This is called enrichment when the process adds back nutrients lost in production (such as milling grains) and fortification when a nutrient is added that does not naturally occur in the food. Fortification is done to introduce needed vitamins and minerals which can help prevent diseases. This practice is commonly done to table salt (iodine), breads (vitamin B and iron) and orange juices, milk or eggs (calcium, omega-3, omega-6 and vitamin D). This probably seems beneficial at first especially in the case of additives like iodine which is designed to help combat thyroid disease but you have to wonder if these additions are entirely healthy. It is a fact that processing food removes vitamins and minerals which cannot be put back in with a few simple enrichments. The natural nutrients in food are designed to exist with other parts of the food, for example minerals with amino acids, and synthetic nutrients do not have the same easy composition. Our bodies do not process synthetic nutrients the same way so these well intentioned food additions are lost to elimination.

2. Extend Shelf Life

Photographer: Boaz Yiftach
One of the most common reasons to add a chemical or additive to food is to increase its shelf life. Most foods are prone to spoilage and are vulnerable to air, mould, bacteria, moisture and temperature. Before modern refrigeration and mass production of food many cultures struggled to find methods of preserving its stores to feed people through the winter. For example the Romans used honey to preserve fruit and many cultures salted their meat. More modern additives designed to preserve foods include ascorbic acid (vitamin C), anti-oxidants (vitamin C and E) and alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E).Some foods we eat today are engineered to last for years when in the past they were perishable. This improved shelf life means that products are more readily available to consumers for a longer period of time and can be shipped to consumers that wouldn’t ordinarily be the target demographic. This is great for the manufacturers but can raise flags for the consumer. Preservatives are monitored stringently by most government bodies and those additives deemed a health risk are removed quite quickly.

3. To Add Color

One of the worst types of food additives takes advantage of the fact that people often purchase items for appearance. These additives tweak the outside of our foods for effect with food colourings to make food prettier or replace natural hues lost in production and color retention agents designed to help food retain its original color. Not all dyes used in food are chemical in nature; there are many natural coloring agents used as well such as caramel, chlorophyll, beet juice and saffron. People often don’t realize that there are dyes in their orange rinds for fresh color and apples that look like pictures of themselves with no blemishes, bug marks or discoloration are waxed and sprayed. Even our protein products are given a chemical make over. Chicken meat is colored with yellowish dyes to create a healthy grain fed hue for packaging purposes and beef is dyed red so the natural discoloration associated with oxidization is not visible. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with wanting food to look gorgeous but some additives for color can cause health concerns in people, especially children.

4. To Add Flavor

Natural foods are absolutely delicious; they have a texture and taste that is subtle and right. However, manufacturers pump those attributes up with sugars, salts and artificial flavors that mimic the natural ones and intensify the consumer experience. These additives may be derived from natural sources such as herbs, fruit or spices as well as created artificially. Most commercially produced snack foods, frozen dinners, sauces and soups have flavour enhancers designed to make them more savoury. The most controversial flavour enhancer is MSG or mono-sodium glutamate which has been associated with increased risk of headaches and asthma symptoms. Sometimes chemical enhancers are used when the natural flavouring like strawberry is too expensive for mass production. Due to the commonplace addition of flavorings people sometimes no longer even recognize the true taste of the foods they consider their favorites.

5. To Emulsify, Stabilize and Thicken

This group of food additives is used to improve the mouth feel of products while maintaining consistency for the consumer. Without emulsifiers, thickeners and stabilizers many of our favourite foods would be almost unrecognizable in appearance and texture. Emulsifiers help keep water and oils together in an “emulsion”. Some common emulsifiers include gelatin, mono-and diglycerides, lecithin and polysorbate 60 or 80. Products that benefit from these additives are peanut butter, ice cream, homogenized milk, yogurt, cheese, mayonnaise, salad dressings, margarine, and artificial whipped cream and coffee lighteners. Stabilizers act almost like emulsifiers and give food a firmer texture without changing the taste. Most people are familiar with stabilizers such as pectin and agar which are used in the production of jams and jellies. Thickeners and bulking agents are very important to many food products. These additives keep the oils, acids, sugars, water and solid components in a product blended well while absorbing excess water. Vegetable products are often used as thickeners such as arrowroot, collagen, cornstarch, guar gum, roux, tapioca, xanthan gum and alginin.

6. To Solve Specific Food Problems

There are several food additives that are designed to address specific problems associated with certain foods. This group includes anticaking agents, antifoaming agents, humectants and propellants. These additives are designed to enhance consumer enjoyment of the food by producing or preventing effects. Anticaking agents are added to ensure powdered or granular products such as salt, dried milk, sugar, baking powder or flour flow freely and do not clump up. These products are vulnerable to moisture and the anticaking agent (often calcium silicate) will absorb this excess moisture while coating the food particles. Antifoaming agents are meant to prevent or simply reduce foaming created in the production process of food or foaming in the product itself. For example, this additive is used in jams and jellies to avoid a foamy surface in the finished jar and many sodas use antifoaming products to prevent excessive effervescence. Humectants keep foods moist and prevent dried foods from drying out too much and becoming inedible. Propellants are considered to be food additives because they are introduced to a food product to change the products characteristics. Propellants are the pressurized gases that propel food from a container. Some common ones are nitrogen, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. Some common foods with added propellants include cheese, whipped cream and oils such as PAM.

7. To Control Acidity

Acids are added to food products for many reasons ranging from taste to preservation. Many food acids such a citric acid and vinegar can make a food taste profiles sharper and enhance the eating experience. For example lemon pastries and sauces would not be as tart without the addition of food acids. Foods also need their acidity or alkalinity controlled to extend shelf life. Food additives such as fumaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and the above mentioned citric acid can regulate acidity and help maintain overall quality of the product. Acids such as citric acid are also antioxidants (limiting the effect of oxygen on the food) and beneficial to the health.

8. Marketing Decision

Additives are often put in our food products simply to take advantage of a consumer trend or health craze. This type of marketing decision is made to help sell a product to a particular demographic. For example, there is a vast array of items designed to help consumers lose weight or control diabetic diets. These products use artificial sweeteners even when a judicious use of natural sugars would not be harmful or excessive. People make the assumption that 0 calories using Sweet’N Low (saccharin) is healthier than 25 calories from cane sugar. Another example of additives used for marketing purposes is foods thought to be healthy such as acai, pomegranate juice and bran (fibre) have been thrown into everything from cookies to yogurt to pasta sauce.

9. Saving Money in Production

Food companies need to be very aware of their production bottom line and the food cost associated with manufacturing their products. Food additives are part of controlling these costs. For example, many companies will utilize less expensive synthetic colors or flavours rather than a natural one to cut expenses. High fructose corn syrup is a common substitute for beet or cane sugar in many products. This corn syrup is high in calories, very low in nutritional benefits and consuming products regularly that contain it can lead to conditions such as type 2 Diabetes and coronary artery disease.

10. Accidental Food Additives

Substances sometimes end up in our foods that were not put there for as particular reason but simply because of its production or packaging. One of the most well-known accidental additives is antibiotics or hormones given to the animals we eat while they are still alive. These substances remain in the meat after the slaughter and consumers ingest them which can impact health. Another example of an additive which you will not find on the label of the food is dioxins which are in some packaging and can pollute the end product. Dioxins also accumulate in the fats of animals, in milk, fish that are farmed, and poultry products due to the chemicals presence in the feed. If a potential additive is a well-known danger, such as peanuts, the company manufacturing the food must indicate on the label that peanuts (wheat, nut products, etc.) may be present. Machines that process peanut products cannot be used for non nut products because traces remain and can be fatal to consumers.

10. Deep Fried Seahorse or Starfish

It’s hard enough to find a live seahorse in the ocean; they are rare, odd, beautiful creatures that are considered food options in Beijing. If sea horses aren’t your thing, head over to the deep fried start fish on a stick and give them a try. Beijing is a city that has an odd variety of foods available in their markets and stalls. Deep fried seahorse on a skewer is simply another odd delicacy found in a city that is known for eating grasshoppers and silkworms among other items.

9. Rocky Mountain Oysters

Not a country to be left out of a list, America has its own odd food, the Rocky Mountain Oyster. To the laymen, this might sound like wonderful seafood found in the Rocky Mountains. The reality is that these are bull testicals that are served up in areas where cattle is raised. Many people consider them a delicacy and cook them by peeling the sac off, pounding them flat then deep frying them. Rocky Mountain oysters also go by other names such as calf fries or bulls eggs. These ‘oysters’ are typically not sold fresh due to the work involved in harvesting them. However, they can be found in the freezer section in some American West towns and are often served during festivals in those parts of the country.

8. Pork Brains

Another American oddity that is right up there in terms of unusual food with many other countries around the world. Traditionally served in the south, pig brains can be found in some older grocery stores. The brains are canned in milk gravy and shown being served over a bed of scrambled eggs. The dish is not something many people discuss if they do indulge in it and it isn’t something you’d serve your guests, unless they are your relatives and they asked for them.

7. Duck Tongue

With so many other wonderful parts of the duck to eat it is hard to fathom why anyone would choose to eat a duck tongue. But, they do. This Chinese dish has even started showing up in restaurants in New York City. Some people like the taste to that of cod liver oil. Other people say that duck tongues are so good you can’t eat just one. Duck tongue is prepared by allowing it to marinate then quickly frying in oil. In China they are typically served with soy sauce and rice wine along with white pepper and a hint of sugar.

6. Hakarl

In some instances shark meat is a wonderful seafood meal to be enjoyed over a glass of white wine. In other instances it is a smelly dish found in Iceland that one should not consider unless copious amounts of wine have been consumed prior to the hakarl. Hakarl is shark meat that that is cured for five months or longer. It comes from the basking shark which is poisonous if not cured before eating. The resulting cured shark has an extremely high ammonia content which tends to make people gag until they acquire the taste for it. Hakarl can be chewy or soft, depending on which part of the shark it came from.

5. Natto

If you can stand the smell, natto, a Japanese food that is only for the adventurous is high on the list of unusual food dishes Natto is a sticky, stringy, chumpy dish made of fermented soybeans. It has a slimy, tacky texture and a smell that stops most people before they ever get close to it. While there are Japanese people who love the stuff, it is not for the weak at heart or those with sensitive noses.

4.  Stinky Tofu

If the smell of Natto from Japan doesn’t make you run, head over to China for some Stinky Tofu. Shrimp, vegetables and salt are put together in brine and allowed to ferment for months. Once it is ready, a large block of tofu is placed inside and allowed to soak for a few hours. In China it is known as Chou Dofu. In the city of China, street vendors have actually been ticketed for air pollution laws. In China there are restaurants that are devoted to selling just this smelly dish, which of course helps keep the odor in the restaurant.

3. Seal Flipper Pie

Fans of Flipper the dolphin might not be quite so fond of this Canadian dish made of, you guessed it, seal flippers. This dish was at one time considered a dish eaten only by the poorer folks on the outskirts of town. Today, it can be found in Toronto and other big cities in Canada. Although the environmental laws on seal hunting have halted the commercial sale of seal flippers, it is still possible to find flipper pie in the homes of independent seal hunters. The flippers are said to be tender and quite tasty. They are soaked for a short period of time before being floured, season and browned. The flippers are then covered in brown gravy and baked for several hours before being covered with a pastry topping and finished off in the oven.

2. Thousand Year Old Eggs

Thousand year old eggs aren’t really a thousand years old but they are well past their expiration date. These eggs are often called hundred year old eggs or century eggs. These hors d’oeuvres are duck eggs preserved in ash and salt for one hundred days. The name thousand year old egg comes from the appearance of the eggs. Once they have fermented for one hundred days the white coloring of the egg turns dark gray and looks like an ancient artifact. The time the eggs are fermenting gives them strong salty flavor. If you decide to try these eggs you don’t have to worry about them coming from the Song dynasty but you might want to be prepared for a salty, smelly, rotten egg.

1.  Birds Nest Soup

This delicacy in Southeast Asia could be a lifesaving dish if you ever get caught in the forest with nothing to eat, just steal a nest of the swiftlet and make yourself a bowl of soup. The swiftlet is a tiny bird that lives in caves in Southeast Asia and makes nests of its own saliva instead of twigs and straws, and is the only bird in the world that does so. The popularity of this dish has grown due to the saliva of the bird having health properties and is believed to increase libido. So, the next time your lost in the forest, look for a birds nest and throw away the Viagra.

From birds’ nests to pigs’ brains it obvious there are hundreds of unusual food dishes in the world. Man will find a way to provide food for themselves and their family regardless of the source. Overtime, some of the odd dishes that are concocted become part of a culture’s dining habits regardless of how odd the dish may seem to be to other people. Many travelers enjoy trying native dishes from around the world and make their own lists of unusual food dishes to share with their friends and family.

10. Bali Hai – Indonesia

I am slightly biased in choosing this light lager for a place in the list. Indonesians are not known for their beer, indeed it is the world’s most populated Muslim country and it is a safe bet to assume that most of the population have never sipped on a pint in their life. However, as a young man travelling there in 1997, I discovered a smooth, and refreshingly light beer that I could purchase for about $1 per quart – a fraction of what I’d pay at home. Though I’ve never seen it since that trip, I am always on the lookout for the distinctive green bottle.

9. Carlsberg – Denmark

While on the same trip through Southeast Asia, I met a beautiful danish girl who claimed that the iconic brand from her home country was the best beer in the world. Naturally, I had to explore her claims through a steady regimen of practised beer drinking. While the Carlsberg flavour is entirely its own and it certainly warrants a place on this list, I have to disagree with Charlotte’s assertion.

8. Heineken – The Netherlands

The Heineken Brewery in the Netherlands is the largest in all of Europe producing a vast quantity of the pale lager. Since 1873 this brew has been making its mark on the world and its currently sold in more than 170 countries world wide. I’d say that no matter where I have travelled, the Heineken label is displayed prominently on the walls of any of the pubs I have stepped foot in, no matter if they are high class or a shack under a tin roof with a dirt floor.

7. Old Speckled Hen – The United Kingdom

Old Speckled Hen is perhaps not as well known internationally as, say, Carlsberg or Heineken, but it should be. Brewed at Greene King Brewery, the largest UK-owned brewery in the country, this bitter slowly seems to be gaining more popularity throughout the world. It is said that Greene King has retained the original strain of yeast from 1896 to brew this beer and it seems to make sense to me. When I sip the reddish liquid from a chilled pint glass, the flavour is instantly timeless.

6. Grolsch – The Netherlands

Koninklijke Grolsch N.V., simply known as Grolsch, has been perfecting the art of brewing beer since the early 1600s. Grolsch Premium Pilsner is the main choice of international beer drinkers and this pilsner is marketed in at least 70 countries globally. When I was picking fruit for an apple farmer in Queensland Australia, I was partnered with a Dutch fellow and I will always remember the day our boss presented us with 6 cold bottles of this beer in gratitude for many hard, hot days in the orchards. Few beers in my life have tasted as good as those did.

5. Creemore Springs – Canada

In the small town of Creemore in the province of Ontario, a brewery sits proudly on the main street in a century-old building. There, Creemore Springs Premium Lager is brewed, much to the delight of the people of this province, where the overwhelming majority of the product is sold. The classic microbrewery was eventually bought by Canadian brewing giant, Molson. Despite the takeover, the product hasn’t changed at all and for me, this distinctive lager with the reddish tinge is something of treat – a special gift I buy for myself once in a while.

4. Kilkenny – Ireland

Kilkenny is an Irish Cream Ale with a bountiful flavour that is entirely accessible to any drinker. While some people aren’t fans of the heavier draughts, Kilkenny is full of all the flavour without leaving the drinker feeling as though they just ate a turkey dinner. Kilkenny was originally marketed as a different version of Smithwicks, which apparently we in Canada and the United States couldn’t pronounce. Kilkenny was introduced as a means to break into the North American market and since its introduction it has developed into it own entity entirely.

3. Mooshead – Canada

We Canadians love our beer. This is not stereotype – it is fact and there are a lot of high quality beers brewed in small micro-breweries across the country. The oldest of these independently-owned breweries is located in St. John, New Brunswick, where the sixth generation of the Oland family brews their iconic Moosehead Lager. Not only is this beer one of the smoothest and most refreshing beers I’ve ever tried, but there is something about knowing that the Oland family has retained ownership in a time when takeovers by the four large breweries of the world happen regularly that makes this beer taste even better.

2. Innis and Gunn

Innis and Gunn uses a process of beer creation like no other brewer in the world. This incredibly flavourful beer is aged like a fine scotch in oak barrels for a minimum of thirty days. The result is a mix of flavours that blends the smooth sweetness of toffee with hints of vanilla and citrus. I stumbled across this premium beer not long ago and since that discovery the local liquor store in my small town has been forced to keep a well-stocked shelf of Innis and Gunn available, though they never last long.

1. Guinness – Ireland

I’m still trying to convince my wife to let me run a keg line from my basement to a Guinness tap in the centre of the island in my kitchen. If there was one beer I could take with me when I end up shipwrecked on a deserted island, this stout would be it. Not only is a pint of Guinness one of the most beautiful sights in any pub, it actually seems to provide the drinker with a vast assortment of critical nutrients. I’m no expert, but I think a Guinness can actually replace a meal – at least that’s what I tell myself sometimes. Truth be told, there is a reason why Guinness is one of the most recognizable brands of beer in the world. Since 1759 this dark gold has been flowing out of Ireland to the benefit of an entire planet of beer drinkers – they have the formula perfected, without question.