Are there processed foods (traditionally processed or in a modern factory) where we, or the manufacturer, deliberately add ammonia into it, so that we ingest the ammonia with the food?
If so, what is the purpose of having more ammonia in food, besides the amounts that are already naturally occurring?
Best Answer
Ammonia (generally ammonium salts) is found in most naturally occurring foods, as is a product of growth and decay
Ammonia gas is used in some food processing line machines to ensure cleanliness of the machines and the food passing through it. The naturally occurring level of Ammonia in many foods is in the 10 or 100's of ppm, so the trace amounts left behind from the processing line would not be noticeable in most cases
Ammonia dissolved in water (Ammonium Hydroxide) is used in some food processing plants (ice makers, milk and beer bottling etc) to clean the rooms, machines, and handling equipment. There will always be trace amounts left over from this process but it should be below 1 ppm
Salamis and fatty cheeses often have the Ammonia level around 1000 ppm; these sorts of foods are often labelled by government food agencies as a "sometimes" food
Some wild game meats may also have Ammonia levels around 1000 ppm, this is one of the reasons some people cannot eat game meats (taste/smell)
Some cultures use Ammonia salts in their food. e.g Ammonium Carbonate as a heat activated raising agent (Greece, Germany etc.), or Ammonium Chloride in salty liquorice (Netherlands, Nordic, Baltic areas etc.). But that is not really adding Ammonia, just adding a salt of it