Food additives are substances that are added to processed foods in order to improve their flavour, appearance or texture, maintain freshness, increase shelf life and enhance their nutritional value.

All additives may be synthesized in the laboratory to be chemically the same as natural materials or extracted from natural sources, or they may be synthetic compounds that do not occur in nature. 

Food manufactures use at least 3000 different additives such as sugar and salt to chemicals or preservatives such as citric acid. Additives can include colouring agents to make food look more attractive and thickeners, emulsifiers and stabilizers to give texture to food.

Some additives protect foods from adverse conditions, such as variation in temperature and damage during the distribution process. Preservatives slow the spoilage of foods and help protect consumers from food-borne illnesses.

Besides the vitamins and minerals which are added to common foods such as dairy products, cereals etc., we should try to avoid as much as possible food additives. This is because alimentary additives are chemical substances which cannot be beneficial for our health. However, this means that we should have a diet rich in natural resources, such as fruits and vegetables. That is why all nutritionists recommend us to pick up an apple from the tree or lettuce from our own garden.

While certain additives may be best to avoid, most appear to be safe. Eating home prepared food would greatly reduce one’s intake of food additives. Most additives are identified with E numbers. These E numbers appear on foods labels and are natural or chemically synthesized additives approved by the UE.

 

Here is some of most used additives:

Agar (E406) Vegetable gum used as a stabilizer or thickener.

Alginates (E400-404) Seaweed products used as a thickener.

Ammonium chloride Chemical used to help yeast grow in bread.

Annato (E600b) Used to colour yogurt, margarine and smoked fish.

Anti-caking agent Used to absorb moisture and prevent caking or lumping in powdered products.

Antioxidant (E300-321) Protect  food from oxidation or breakdown on exposure to air.

Baking powder Mix of bicarbonate of soda and an acid such as cream of tartar, used to rice cakes.

Calcium chloride Chemical that helps bread rice. It is also used to keep fruits and vegetables firm during cooking.

Calcium propionate (E282) Used to prevent mould from growing in cheese and backed items.

Calcium sulphate (E516) Used to boost calcium content in bread and keep tomato products and canned vegetables firm.

Caramel (E150) Colouring agent made from toasted sugar.

Carob ( locust bean) gum (E410) Thickener used to improve texture and to blend ingredients together.

Carrageenan (Irish moss, E407) Seaweed product used in ice cream to stabilize the size of ice crystals.

Cellulose (E460) Plants additive used to improve texture and to retain moisture in sweets and jams.

Citric acid (E330) Chemical derived from citrus fruits that is used to maintain food colour, increase tartness, and prevent foods from becoming rancid.

Dextrin A starch, commonly used as a thickener in gravies, sauces and baking mixes.

Emulsifiers Substances that help prevent the separation of ingredients that would not normally mix, such as oil and water. Used in salad dressing and mayonnaise where they prevent oil separating from vinegar.

Guar gum (E412) Plants substance used as a thickening agent in sauces, milk products and baking mixes.

Humectants Help maintain moisture in foods by absorbing water from the air. They may be listed as glycerol, propylene glycol and sorbitol.

Hydrolyzed vegetable protein Derived from soya beans, wheat or corn and used as a flavour enhancer.

Lecithin (E322) Typically derived from eggs and soya beans and used to keep foods from separating. Also prevents loss of flavour and rancidity.

Modified food starch (E1414) Substance made from grains, potatoes or tapioca that keeps ingredients from separating. Also prevents loss of flavour and rancidity.

MGS (E612) Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used as flavour enhancer in a variety of foods.

Pectin (E440) Fruit-derived additive used in jams and soft sweets as a thickener to prevent separation of ingredients and give a gel like texture.

Phosphoric acid (E338) used to make food acidic and to give texture to soft drinks.

Polysorbates Blending agents used to keep oil and water from separating.

 Potassium sorbate (E202) Used in cheese, margarine and wine to stop microbes causing food spoilage.

Raising agents Products such as yeast and baking powder that cause cakes and batters to increase in volume during cooking.

Sequestrants  Chemicals that prevent discoloration or rancidity in food.

Silicon dioxide Used to keep salt from clumping of foaming.

Sodium aluminium phosphate Used in cheese processing to help congealing. Also used to keep processed fruits and vegetables firm.

Sodium benzoate (E211) Prevents microbes spoiling processed food.

Sodium erythorbate (E316) Keeps flavour and colour in cured meats.

Sodium sulphate (E515) Used as an acidity regulator.

Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E481) Helps bread dough bake evenly and prevents spoilage. Prevents the

separation of oil and water in salad dressings and non-dairy creamers.

Sulphur dioxide (E220) Used to prevent discoloration in dried fruits and inhibit bacterial growth in wine.

Tartrazine (E102) A coal-tar derivative used to colour foods.

 Xanthan gum (E415) Used as a thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer in dairy products, puddings and desserts and dressings.

    

Sweeteners

In addition to adding sweetness, sugar's distinctive properties enable it to play an important role in food preservation.  Have many sweeteners like calorie-free and sugar alcohols (polyols) are used by food manufactures in their products. These are many times sweetener than sugar and much less is needed with a corresponding decrease in the calorie content.  Here are the most commonly used sweeteners:

Acesulfame-K (E950) This is 200 times sweeter than sugar yet contains only four calories per teaspoon. It is safe and since it is not absorbed by the body, is ideal for people with diabetes.

Aspartame (E9510) This synthetic sugar is 200 times sweeter than sugar, yet contains less than four calories per teaspoon. It is not suitable for baking or cooking. A review in 2002 by SCF confirmed the safety of this sweetener for adults and children. However, aspartames is potentially life threatening for people who have the inherited condition phenylketonuria  (PKU), in which the body cannot process the
amino acid phenylalanine. Products containing aspartame are marked with a warning.

Saccharin (E954) This was the first substitute sweetener and remains one of the most popular. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is the most suitable for baking and cooking. Studies confirm it is safe and poses no danger to humans.

Sucralose This is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar and is the most versatile sweetener. It is available in granular form that can be used to replace sugar in drinks and rrecipes.

Sorbitol (E420) Used as a sweetener and to protect against moisture loss in food products, sorbitols is 60% as sweet as sugar, with one third fewer calories. It providers a cool, pleasant taste and withstands high temperatures.

Mannitol (E421) This sweetener is also used in food products as a stabilizer, bulking agent and humectant. It is more than 70% as sweet as sugar and has a cool, sweet taste.

 

However, these cases of sugary foods are rather rare, as compared to dairy products, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. If not treated with additives, this wide range of aliments alters in no time, becoming inedible. They get sour, rancid or putrid and cannot be consumed anymore. Aliments that use trans fats (margarines, junk food, pastry etc.) and processed foods are the most harmful for our health, as they are the richest in bad fats and alimentary additives. Eat as less processed food as possible and lead a healthy lifestyle which includes fresh, unprocessed food.

It doesn’t matter which way you look at it. Food additives do not make food better for you. In fact, many doctors, health advocates and scientists are very concerned about the health and safety of these additives. Some of the commonly used additives come with some very serious side effects.

The first thing to say is that the use of food additives is controlled by law.
An extensive check on the safety of all additives must be carried out before they are allowed in food. Once an additive has been shown to be safe, it can be included on the ‘permitted list’ of food additives. A list of all of the permitted additives, and the foods in which they are allowed, is published in the form of a regulation. Only additives on this legally permitted list can be used in food.