There we learned how cheap it is to replace ingredients with artificial flavoring and how many additives we eat without knowing. They even have a wall that covers the evolution of food additives and explains the mistakes done in the past with arsenic and other poisons that killed people.
For us, the exciting part of the German Food Additives Museum was how it tries to tell the world about the food we eat in a focused way. There is even a scanner that you can use on some barcodes to learn what is inside the products you buy. The museum shows the history behind what we have today and the current landscape of food additives in an informational way. Something that we were delighted to see since the most information you have about this topic goes to the political aspect fast.
The German Food Additives Museum, or Deutsches Zusatzstoffmuseum like it’s called in German, was founded in 2008 by the Hamburg Food Foundation with the help of Georg Schwedt and Udo Pollmer, two chemists whose work is focused on food. The idea here was to educate people about the different types of chemicals and additives that are presented in the food we all eat. How additives are used, what is the reasoning behind them, how is the production process and what are the risks.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Hamburg, here are two options for you.
The Deutsches Zusatzstoffmuseum is a little difficult to find since it’s located inside a market hall with too many gates. To get into the museum, look for the Eastern Gate, and you will be able to see a sign with the name of the institution. Go close to the gate and ring the bell if the gates are not open. Somebody will open it up for you, and you will walk a few meters more to be able to see it. You have to pay €3,50 to enter the museum and that is it. It sounds complicated, but it’s just a little odd.
Deutsches Zusatzstoffmuseum
German Food Additives Museum — Deutsches Zusatzstoffmuseum
Banksstraße 28, 20097
Hamburg, Germany
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