Nowadays in many countries chemicals are used to produce and preserve food. Do the advantages of this use outweigh the disadvantages?

Although

the broad use of chemical contents in order to produce edibles and keep them fresh is thought by some to be a practical and efficient practice in various regions, other people consider that it can be detrimental. Not only do additives and preservatives play a crucial role in providing a greater variety of foodstuffs, but they

also

extend the period of freshness.

Nevertheless

, there are

also

drawbacks related to health and safety issues to be taken into account.

Firstly

, chemical contents are proven to be an effective method to add more flavour to the raw ingredients, offering us an abundant range of options when we think about the

next

meal to have. Protein powder,

for example

, a must-have nutritional supplement for professional athletes which is too nasty to consume with its original taste, has more than twenty different flavours,

such

as vanilla and coconut, to satisfy each consumer’s taste.

Secondly

, the application of preservatives guarantees

food

with a longer shelf time, and

thus

we can have edibles stored in a refrigerator for much longer. In some developing countries where the shortage of

food

is severe, donated, canned

food

with preservatives can be kept for so long that local people will be less likely to suffer from hunger.

On the other hand

, one problem when chemicals are mixed with edibles is that it potentially exposes ordinary people to

food

allergies and more serious digestive diseases,

such

as stomach cancer. Despite most chemical substances being harmless, some have a variety of toxicological properties which might cause negative effects on animals and humans. Another possible issue is that the use of chemicals sometimes destroys the nutritional value of nourishment, preventing consumers from getting appropriate nutrition. To give an example, milk consumed two years after its date of production is testified with less percentage of protein, compared to freshly produced one. In conclusion, while the use of chemical contents can impose public threats on

food

safety, there is no doubt that

food

chemistry brings about more significant benefits to the globe, by granting us more flavours and a longer period of freshness.