Food additives are added to improve safety, taste, texture, or appearance. They have been used for thousands of years and can be natural or artificial. Preservatives and stabilizers are critical for food safety. Additives must be listed on labels, but concentrations may not be disclosed. Some additives have been linked to health problems, and governments investigate safety issues.
Food additives are products that are added to foods to improve safety, performance, taste, texture or appearance. Processed foods in the supermarket all contain food additives, and many people also use food additives at home when preparing food or processing it so it can be stored safely. There are several types, including both natural and artificial additives. As a general rule, the additives used must be listed on the label of a food product.
While many people think of food additives as 20th century man-made inventions, people have actually been using additives in foods for thousands of years. Salt, for example, has historically been used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in many cultures, including ancient China, Egypt, Rome, and Greece. People have also used pickling acids or herbs for preservation in processes such as smoking and drying.
Some food additives are designed to promote flavor. Flavor enhancers can be natural or artificial in nature, including salt, MSG, and spices such as vanilla. Texture enhancers can be used to make foods softer, firmer, chewier, or crunchier, among other things. Color additives can be used to make a food more visually pleasing or to help a food retain its natural colour. Nitrates, for example, are used with meat to keep it pink and fresh.
One of the most critical groups of food additives are preservatives and stabilizers, which keep food safe to eat by helping it maintain its integrity. Without the use of preservatives, many foods would rot and could potentially harbor harmful bacteria and other organisms that could make people ill. Additives can also improve consistency and reliability, such as additives included in flour so it behaves reliably during baking, or anticoking agents added to baking powder to keep it from clumping.
In the European Union, food additives are identified by E numbers. In other regions of the world, additives may be listed by name or by numerical code. While companies do need to disclose what additives they use, they don’t necessarily have to disclose concentrations or quantities, which is something important to keep in mind.
Some food additives have been linked to health problems, and some people are very concerned about the use of artificial additives in their foods. Governments are required to investigate safety issues and make recommendations such as removing an additive from the market or requiring companies to use less of an additive if safety issues are confirmed. Individuals with certain medical conditions may find that otherwise safe additives are dangerous for them, making it important to discuss safe and unsafe foods with a doctor when discussing the management of an illness.
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