List of food additives

Food additives

Food additives (/fuːd ædɪtɪvz/) are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste and appearance. The term "food additive" is derived from the English words "food" and "additive", which mean "that which is eaten" and "something added", respectively.

Types of food additives

There are several types of food additives, including:

• Preservatives: These are substances that are added to food products to prevent or delay spoilage. They include substances like Sodium benzoate, Potassium sorbate, and Sulfites.

• Flavor enhancers: These are substances that are added to food to enhance its flavor. They include substances like Monosodium glutamate (MSG), Disodium guanylate, and Disodium inosinate.

• Color additives: These are substances that are added to food to give it a particular color. They include substances like Tartrazine, Sunset yellow, and Allura red.

• Sweeteners: These are substances that are added to food to give it a sweet taste. They include substances like Sucrose, Fructose, and Aspartame.

• Emulsifiers: These are substances that are added to food to help mix oil and water. They include substances like Lecithin, Mono- and diglycerides, and Polysorbate 80.

Related terms

• Food processing: This is the process of transforming raw ingredients into food or food into other forms.

• Food safety: This is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness.

• Food science: This is the study of the physical, biological, and chemical makeup of food and the concepts underlying food processing.

This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.