Food Additives

Food additives are substances intentionally added to food either directly or indirectly to:

• maintain or improve nutritional quality
• maintain product quality and/or freshness
• aid in the processing or preparation of food; and
• make food more appealing.

FDA must approve food additives, a process in which the manufacturers must prove that the added additives are safe. Most food additives are in the form of baking soda, citric acid, corn syrup, mustard, pepper, salt, sugar, and vegetable colorings.

This table lists substances commonly added to foods and the reasons for their use. The information on this page is provided as reference only, and does not necessarily list all uses of additives.

Additive and their Usage/function Acetic acid pH control agent Acetone peroxide Maturing and bleaching agent, dough conditioner Ammonium alginate pH control agent Annatto extract Color Arabingalactan Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Benzoic acid Preservative Brotene Nutrient, color BHA Antioxidant BHT Antioxidant Butyrate Preservative Calcium bromate Maturing and bleaching agent, dough conditioner Calcium phosphate Leavening agent Calcium propionate Preservative Canthaxanthin Color Carob bean gum Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Cellulose Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Dextrose Sweetener Diglycerides Emulsifier Disodium guanylate Flavor enhancer Dried algae meal Color EDTA Antioxidant FD &C Colors Color Fructose Sweetener Glycerine Humectant Grape-skin extract Color Guar gum Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Gum arabic Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Heptylparaben Preservative Hydrogen peroxide Maturing and bleaching agent, dough conditioner Invert sugar Sweetener Iodine Nutrient Iron-ammonium citrate Anticaking agent Iron oxide Color Lactic acid pH control agent, preservative Locust bean gum Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Mannitol Sweetener Methylparaben Preservative Modified food starch Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Niacinamide Nutrient Phosphoric acid pH control agent Polysobates Emulsifier Potassium bromate Maturing and bleaching agent, dough conditioner Propylene glycol Stabilizer, thickening texturizer, humectant Raboflavin Nutrient; color Saffron Color Silicon dioxide Anticaking agent Sodium benzoate Preservative Sodium citrate pH control agent Sodium nitrate Preservative Sodium propionate Preservative Sodium stearyl fumarate Maturing and bleaching agent, dough conditioner Sorbitan monostearate Emulsifier Tagetes (Aztec Marigold) Color Tartaric acid pH control agent TBHQ Antioxidant Titanium dioxide Color Tocopheroles (Vit. E) Nutrient, antioxidant Tragacanth gum Stabilizer, thickening texturizer Ultramarine blue Color Vanilla Flavor Vitamin A Nutrient Vitamin C Nutrient, antioxidant, preservative.

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