INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF FOOD ADDITIVES AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN

ABSTRACT Food additives are ingredients added to foods to improve taste, appearance, texture, or shelf life. They include preservatives, colorings, flavorings and stabilizers. While additives make food more appealing and help prevent spoilage, they can have both positive and negative effects on health. The prevalence of food additives in Nigerian diets is alarming, with studies indicating that approximately 75% of processed food contain artificial preservatives, colors and flavor enhancer. This study investigated the effects of food additives on the among undergraduates in the University of Ilorin. The specific purposes examined if; (i) obesity (ii) stomach cancer (iii) insomnia and (iv) diarrhea are effects of food additives among undergraduates in University of Ilorin A descriptive research of the survey type was adopted. The population of the study comprises all undergraduates in University of Ilorin. Two hundred and fifty-three (253) respondents were sampled for the study. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire which was validated by three experts and tested for reliability that yielded a correlation reliability coefficient of 0.81r and consider that the instrument is reliable. Percentage and Chi-square statistics were employed for data analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study were that; i. obesity is significantly an effect of food additives among undergraduates in University of Ilorin (Cal. ᵪ2 val. 241.427 > Crit. ᵪ2 val. 16.92 at df 9 @ 0.05 alpha level). ii. stomach cancer is significantly an effect of food additives among undergraduates in University of Ilorin (Cal. ᵪ2 val. 238.941 > Crit. ᵪ2 val. 16.92 at df 9 @ 0.05 alpha level)). iii. insomnia is significantly an effect of food additives among undergraduates in University of Ilorin (Cal. ᵪ2 val. 305.063 > Crit. ᵪ2 val. 16.92 at df 9 @ 0.05 alpha level). iv. diarrhoea is significantly an effect of food additives among undergraduates in University of Ilorin (Cal. ᵪ2 val. 302.870 > Crit. ᵪ2 val. 16.92 at df 9 @ 0.05 alpha level). The study concluded that obesity, stomach cancer, insomnia and diarrhea are effects of food additives among undergraduates in University of Ilorin. It was recommended that the university should promote awareness campaigns on the risks of food additives and encourage students to adopt healthier dietary habits by providing nutritious meal options on campus. Authorities should regulate and monitor food sources within the university environment, ensuring that food vendors use minimal or no harmful additives in their products. Students should be educated on the potential effects of food additives on sleep patterns, and alternative healthier food choices should be recommended to improve overall well-being. Strict hygiene and food safety measures should be enforced among food vendors within the university to prevent contamination and ensure that meals are prepared using safe ingredients.