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“What are food additives?”
Food additives are either naturally-derived or artificially produced substances which are added to processed foods, to help them:
Only foods which are processed have additives added to them for the above (or other) reasons. Natural, unprocessed foods generally have no additives added to them, although they may contain pesticide, fungicide and other chemical residue. Certified organic foods have no additives and neither do they have any other chemical residues.
“Uses of food additives”
Food additives are used for the following reasons in food processing (many of which are artificially made, but some of which are natural):
- Anti-caking agent: to stop foods such as salt or flour not clump together
- Antioxidant: prevents oxidisation to the food (mainly natural)
- Colours: adding a specific colour to a food or restoring it to its perceived natural colour
- Emulsifiers: ensures that foods with mixtures of water and oil do not separate
- Flavours: enhance the flavour of the food (usually artificial)
- Food acids : help the acid level in the food remain constant
- Humecants: stops foods from drying out
- Mineral Salts : improve texture in foods and helps stop them drying out
- Preservatives: slows or prevents food spoiling, to allow for a longer shelf life
- Stabilisers : ensures the foods stay mixed together and do not separate into individual ingredients
- Thickeners : usually vegetable gums (mainly natural) that thicken the food and maintains consistency
Food additives can be either natural, or they can be artificially created.
REFERENCES
1. www.foodstandards.gov.au - accessed 17 November 2007
2. www.cfsan.fda.gov - accessed 2 December 2007
Disclaimer: The advice on this site should be viewed as a general guideline only and it should not replace the advice of a medical professional. Always consult your medical or health care provider to get the advice and care for your particular and individual health, nutrition, diet and fitness circumstances.