Food additives

Food additives are substances that become part of a food product when added (intentionally or unintentionally) during
the processing or production of that food.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines food additives as ‘any substance, the intended use of
which results or may reasonably be expected to result, directly or indirectly, in its becoming a component or otherwise
affecting the characteristics of any food.’ In other words, an additive is any substance that is added to food.

Direct additives are those that are intentionally added to foods for a specific purpose. Indirect additives are those to
which the food is exposed during processing, packaging, or storing.

Categories
Food additives can be divided into several groups, although there is some overlap between them.

Acids  / Acidulants
Acidulants are additives that give a sharp taste to foods. Many natural foods are acidic. For example, oranges, lemons,
apples, tomatoes, cheese and yoghurt contain natural acids, such as citric acid, that give them their characteristically
sharp taste. The acid environment they produce prevents the growth of many microorganisms.

Examples :

Pickling- which involves the addition of acids such as vinegar, lowers the pH of foods to levels that retard bacterial
growth.

The list below shows some common acidulants. 

Acetic acid

This is the acid found in vinegar and has a characteristic pungent smell.

Acetic acid is widely used in the pickling industry. Naturally fermented vinegar has a variable pH and so acetic acid is
added to this to form a pickling liquor with a specified acidity. Acetic acid has excellent bacteriostatic properties and
hence has considerable importance as a preservative.

Citric acid

Citric acid is widely used in the food industry to:

 provide sharp taste in soft drinks and sweets

 generate the optimum conditions for the formation of gels in jams, jellies, confectionary and desserts
 help give the conditions for the stabilisation of emulsions (e.g. processed cheese and dairy products)
 prevent the browning of salads
 enhance the action of antioxidants and prevent deterioration in frozen food
 act as an antioxidant in fats and oils
 preserve meat products and help modify their texture during their processing

Fumaric acid

Fumaric acid is the strongest tasting food acidulant. It has limited applications due to its very low solubility. In the
main, it is used in gelatin dessert powders, cheesecake mixes and some powdered drinks. It is manufactured
synthetically from malic acid.

Lactic acid

Lactic acid is widely used in the production of boiled sweets, pickled foods and as a raw material in the manufacture
of important emulsifiers for the the baking industry.

It is produced during anaerobic respiration and is commonly manufactured by a fermentation process, although it can
be produced synthetically.

Malic acid

Malic acid is found naturally in apples, pears, tomatoes, bananas and cherries. It has similar applications to citric acid
and is the preferred acid in low calorie drinks, cider and apple drinks. However, it has the disadvantage of being
slightly more expensive than citric acid. It is produced commercially from maleic anhydride.

Phosphoric acid

Cola drinks are the best selling flavoured soft drink in the world. The acid used in these drinks is exclusively phosphoric
acid. This has a harsh, biting taste which complements the cola flavour.

Salts of phosphoric acid can act as buffers, acidulants for baking powders and emulsifying salts in the production of
processed cheese.

Tartaric acid

The largest single application for tartaric acid is as a raw material for the manufacture of the emulsifiers bread
improvers .

Tartaric acid can be manufactured by natural and synthetic routes. The natural route involves the recovery of tartaric
acid from wine. The synthetic route involves the chemical reactions of maleic anhydride.

An important salt of tartaric acid, potassium hydrogen tartrate (or cream of tartar), has applications as an acidulant
for baking powder and sugar confectionery.

Anticaking agents 
An anticaking agent is an additive placed in powdered or granulated materials, such as table salt, to prevent the
formation of lumps, prevents sticking , easing packaging, transport, and consumption.

Some anticaking agents are soluble in water; others are soluble in alcohols or other organic solvents. They function
either by adsorbing excess moisture, or by coating particles and making them water repellent.

Example:

Calcium silicate (CaSiO3), a commonly used anti-caking agent, added to e.g. table salt, adsorbs both water and oil.

Antifoaming agents 
A defoamer or an anti-foaming agent is a chemical additive that reduces and hinders the formation of foam in foods.

Example:

Sorbitan monostearate 491 can be used as an antifoaming agent,

Antioxidants 
Antioxidants such as vitamin C act as preservatives by inhibiting the effects of oxygen on food, and can be beneficial to
health.

When meats are smoked to preserve them, compounds such as butylated hydroxya-nisole (BHA) and butyl gallate are
formed and provide both antioxidant and bacteriostatic effects. BHA retards spoilage due to oxidation

Salt lowers the water activity of meats and other foods and inhibits bacterial growth. Excess water in foods can
enhance the growth of bacteria, yeast, and fungi. Some herbs and spices, such as curry, cinnamon, and chili pepper,
also contain antioxidants and may provide bactericidal effects

Bulking agents 
Bulking agents such as starch are additives that increase the bulk of a food without affecting its nutritional value.

Food coloring 
Colorings are added to food to replace colors lost during preparation, or to make food look more attractive.

Example:

Synthetic colours

Sunset yellow- it has orange red crystals. used in cereals, bakery, sweets, snack foods, ice cream, drinks and canned
fish;

Indigo carmine- dark blue with coppery luster. commonly added to tablets and capsules; also used in ice cream,
sweets, baked goods, confectionary, biscuits,
Ferrous gluconate- colour-retention agent; derived from iron and glucose; used in olives, iron supplements; safe in
small amounts

Natural colours

Chlorophyll, carotenes,turmeric, saffron, kokum etc.

Emulsifiers 
Emulsifiers allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an emulsion, as in mayonnaise, ice cream, and
homogenized milk.

Examples:

Egg yolk (where the main emulsifying agent is lecithin)

Soy lecithin is another emulsifier and thickener.

Mayonnaise – vegetable oil in lemon juice or vinegar, with egg yolk lecithin as emulsifier

Flavors 
Flavors are additives that give food a particular taste or smell, and may be derived from natural ingredients or created
artificially.

Flavor enhancers enhance a food's existing flavors. They may be extracted from natural sources (through distillation,
solvent extraction, maceration, among other methods) or created artificially.

Example:

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) -flavour enhancer derived from the fermentation of molasses, salt substitute; adverse
effects appear in some asthmatic people, not permitted in foods for infants and young children; typical products are
canned vegetables, canned tuna, dressings, many frozen foods. (MSG) intensify the flavor of other compounds in a
food

Synthetic flavoring agents, such as ben-zaldehyde for cherry or almond flavor, may be used to simulate natural flavors.

Glazing agents
Glazing agents provide a shiny appearance or protective coating to foods.

Example:

Paraffin, beewax

Humectants 
Humectants prevent foods from drying out. When used as a food additive, the humectant has the effect of keeping the
foodstuff moist.

Example:

Glycerol, used in flexible coatings on sausages and cheeses, also in crystallised and dried fruit, liqueurs and vodka.

Others are sorbitol, , mannitol, lactic acid

Preservatives 
Preservatives prevent or inhibit spoilage of food due to fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms.

Example:

antimicrobial preservatives include calcium propionate, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sulfites (sulfur dioxide, sodium
bisulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, etc.). SO2 and its salts are used in some wines and fruit preservation

Natural substances such as salt, sugar, vinegar, alcohol, and diatomaceous earth are also used as traditional
preservatives. Certain processes such as freezing, pickling, smoking and salting can also be used to preserve food.
Another group of preservatives targets enzymes in fruits and vegetables that continue to metabolize after they are cut.
For instance, citric and ascorbic acids from lemon or other citrus juice can inhibit the action of the enzyme phenolase
which turns surfaces of cut apples and potatoes brown.

Thickners / Stabilizers 
Thickeners are substances which, when added to the mixture, increase its viscosity without substantially modifying its
other properties.

Stabilizers, thickeners and gelling agents, like agar or give foods a firmer texture. While they are not true emulsifiers,
they help to stabilize emulsions.

Example:

Pectin used in jam stabilizes it.

Food thickeners frequently are based on either polysaccharides (starches, vegetable gums, and pectin), or proteins. A
flavourless powdered starch used for this purpose is a fecula (from the Latin faecula, diminutive of faex meaning
"dregs"). This category includes arrowroot, cornstarch, katakuri starch, potato starch, sago, and tapioca. Vegetable
gums used as food thickeners include alginin, guar gum, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum. Proteins used as food
thickeners include collagen, egg whites, furcellaran, gelatin. Sugars include agar and carrageenan. Other thickening
agents act on the proteins already present in a food. One example is sodium pyrophosphate, which acts on casein in
milk during the preparation of instant pudding.

Sweeteners 
Sweeteners are added to foods for flavoring. Sweeteners other than sugar are added to keep the food energy (calories)
low, or because they have beneficial effects for diabetes mellitus and tooth decay and diarrhea.

Example:

saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, and stevia.

Chealating agents/ sequestrants

These are compounds that form complexes with metal ions. Many metals exist in food in a naturally chelated form,
such as magnesium in cholorophyllls.

Citric acid and its derivatives, phosphates and salts of ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) are most popular
chelating agents.

Polyphosphates and EDTA are used as chelating agents in canned seafoods. Seafoods contain substancial amounts of
magnesium ions which sometimes react with ammonium phosphate with the formation of glossy crystals (struvite).

Nutrient supppliments
Nutrient suppliments restore values lost in processing or storage, or ensure higher nutritional value than what nature
may have provided.

Example

Vitamin C added to canned citrus fruits to make up loss during processing

milk is fortified with vitamin D

rice is enriched with thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin

Summarizing

ADDITIVE GROUP & FUNCTION FOODS THAT MAY CONTAIN THE ADDITIVE

Anti-caking agents Salt, milk powder in drink-dispensing machines.

(e.g. sodium alumino silicate).

Added to finely powdered and

crystalline foods to prevent lumping.

Antioxidants Edible oils and fats, margarine,'instant' potato, dehydrated

(e.g. butylated hydroxyanisole). vegetables.
Preservatives to retard development of
rancidity and discolouration.
Bleaching agents
(e.g. chlorine dioxide).
Added to flour to lighten its colour and
improve bread-making.
Colours
(e.g. tartrazine).
To improve appearance and reinforce
flavour.
Emulsifiers, thickeners and vegetable
gums
(e.g. glyceryl monostearate).
To improve consistency, impart body
and stabilize air/oil/water mixtures.
Flavours and flavour enhancers
(e.g vanillin).
To impart taste and/or aroma to food
Food acids
(e.g. citric acid)
Give sour or tart taste, aid
preservation
Humectants
(e.g. glycerol)
Help to retain a soft consistency during
storage.
Flours, bread.
Pastry products, cake, cheese, confectionery, cordials,
dessert mixes, flavoured milk, fruit-flavoured drinks, spreads
and fillings, fruit yoghurt, ice cream, icing mixture, jams,
jellies, margarine, pickles, sauces, soft drinks.
Biscuits, bread, cake, canned meats, confectionery,
thickened cream, 'instant' potato, dessert mixes, flavoured
milk, fruit drinks, fruit yoghurt, ice cream, imitation cream,
margarine, mayonnaise, peanut butter, salad dressings,
soups.
Pastry products, cheese, chocolate, confectionery, cordials,
dessert mixes, flavoured milk, ice cream, imitation cream,
jellies, manufactured meats, soft drinks, margarine, pickles.
The most widely used flavour enhancer, MSG (monosodium
glutamate) is used in prepared meat/fish dishes, packet
soups and many canned foods.
Pastry products, cake, cheese, cider, confectionery, jellies,
cordials, desserts, pickles, fruit drinks, jams, modify other
flavours, sauces, mayonnaise, salad dressings, soft drinks,
soups, spreads.
Pastry products, cake, confectionery, fruit spreads and
fillings, almond icing, sweetened coconut.
 Preservatives Pastry products, bread, canned fruit, canned meat products,
(e.g. benzoic acid) cheese, cordials, cured meat,'instant' potato, flour, fruit
drinks, fruit salad, pickles, sausages, soft drinks, tomato
Prevent the growth of moulds, yeasts juice.
and bacteria.

Types of ingredients What they do Examples of uses Names found on product labels

Preservatives Prevent food spoilage Fruit sauces and Ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium
from bacteria, molds, jellies, beverages, benzoate, calcium propionate,
fungi, or yeast baked goods, sodium erythorbate, sodium
(antimicrobials); slow or cured meats, oils nitrite,calcium sorbate, potassium
prevent changes in and margarines, sorbate, BHA, BHT, EDTA,
color, flavor, or textur cereals, dressings, tocopherols (Vitamin E)
and delay rancidity snack foods, fruits
(antioxidants); maintain and vegetables
freshness

Sweeteners Add sweetness with or Beverages, baked Sucrose (sugar), glucose, fructose,
without the extra goods, confections, sorbitol, mannitol, corn syrup, high
calories table-top sugar, fructose corn syrup, saccharin,
substitutes, many aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame
processed foods potassium (acesulfame-K), neotame

Color Additives Offset color loss due to Many processed FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green
exposure to light, air, foods (candies, No. 3, FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40,
temperature extremes, snack foods FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, Orange B,
moisture and storage margarine, cheese, Citrus Red No. 2, annatto extract,
conditions;correct soft drinks, beta-carotene, grape skin extract,
natural variations in jams/jellies, cochineal extract or carmine, paprika
color;enhance colors gelatins, pudding oleoresin, caramel color, fruit and
that occur and pie fillings) vegetable juices, saffron (Note:
naturally;provide color Exempt color additives are not
to colorless and required to be declared by name on
“fun”foods labels but may be declared simply as
colorings or color added)

Flavors and Spices Add specific flavors Pudding and pie Natural flavoring, artificial flavor,
(natural and synthetic) fillings, gelatin and spices
dessert mixes, cake
mixes, salad
Types of ingredients What they do Examples of uses Names found on product labels

dressings, candies,
soft drinks, ice
cream, BBQ sauce

Flavor Enhancers Enhance flavors already Many processed Monosodium glutamate (MSG),
present in foods foods hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed
(without providing their yeast extract, disodium guanylate or
own separate flavor) inosinate

Fat Replacers (and Provide expected Baked goods, Olestra, cellulose gel, carrageenan,
components of texture and a creamy dressings, frozen polydextrose, modified food starch,
formulations used “mouth-feel” in desserts, microparticulated egg white protein,
to replace fats) reduced-fat foods confections, cake guar gum, xanthan gum, whey
and dessert mixes, protein concentrate
dairy products

SOURCE: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.

(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)

Food additives

Types of ingredients What they do Examples of uses Names found on product labels

Nutrients Replace vitamins and Flour, breads, Thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin

minerals lost in processing
(enrichment), add
nutrients that may be
lacking in the diet
(fortification)
cereals, rice, (Vitamin B2), niacin, niacinamide,
macaroni, folate or folic acid, beta carotene,
margarine, salt, potassium iodide, iron or ferrous
milk, fruit sulfate, alpha tocopherols,ascorbic
beverages, acid, Vitamin D, amino acids (L-
energy bars, tryptophan, L-lysine, L-leucine, L-
instant breakfast methionine)
drinks

Emulsifiers Allow smooth mixing of
ingredients, prevent
separation. Keep
emulsified products
stable, reduce stickiness,
control crystallization,
keep ingredients
Salad dressings, Soy lecithin, mono- and
peanut butter, diglycerides, egg yolks,
chocolate, polysorbates, sorbitan
margarine, frozen monostearate
desserts
Types of ingredients What they do Examples of uses Names found on product labels

dispersed, and help

products dissolve more
easily

Stabilizers and Produce uniform texture, Frozen desserts, Gelatin, pectin, guar gum,
thickeners, binders, improve “mouth-feel” dairy products, carrageenan, xanthan gum, whey
texturizers cakes, pudding
and gelatin
mixes, dressings,
jams and jellies,
sauces

pH Control agents Control acidity and Beverages, frozen Lactic acid, citric acid, ammonium
and acidulants alkalinity, prevent desserts, hydroxide, sodium carbonate
spoilage chocolate, low-
acid canned
foods, baking
powder

Leavening agents Promote rising of baked Breads and other Baking soda, monocalcium
goods baked goods phosphate, calcium carbonate

Anti-caking agents Keep powdered foods Salt, baking Calcium silicate, iron ammonium
free-flowing, prevent powder, citrate, silicon dioxide
moisture absorption confectioner’s
sugar

Humectants Retain moisture Shredded Glycerin, sorbitol

coconut,
marshmallows,
soft candies,
confections

Yeast nutrients Promote growth of yeast Breads and other Calcium sulfate, ammonium
baked goods phosphate

Dough strengtheners Produce more stable Breads and other Ammonium sulfate,
and conditioners dough baked goods azodicarbonamide, L-cysteine

Firming agents Maintain crispness and Processed fruits Calcium chloride, calcium lactate
firmness and vegetables
Types of ingredients What they do Examples of uses Names found on product labels

Enzyme preparations Modify proteins, Cheese, dairy

polysaccharides and fats products, meat
Enzymes, lactase,
papain, rennet,
chymosin

Gases Serve as propellant, Oil cooking spray, Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide
aerate, or create whipped cream,
carbonation carbonated
beverages

SOURCE: Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.

(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)