FOOD ADDITIVES

FOOD ADDITIVES

• are substances added to products to perform specific technological functions. 

  • Preserving 

  • Increasing shelf-life or inhibiting the growth of pathogens 

  • Adding coloring and flavoring to food 

• It is also a substance or a mixture of substance other than basic foodstuffs. 

FOOD ADDITIVES

• are added to foods in precise amounts during processing. 

  • Maintaining the nutritional quality of the food 

  • Enhancing the keeping quality or stability of food 

  • Making food attractive to consumers 

  • Providing essentials aids in food processing

• Storage properties 

• Appearance 

• Flavor 

• Nutritional value 

• Food Additives are substances added to food to improve its: 

• Preservatives 

•  Coloring 

•  Flavoring 

•  Nutrient

• Natural additives are came from plants and animals while other additives are artificial using various chemicals. 

•  Common types of additives are: 

natural, manmade versions, artificial

types of additives

natural

ound naturally, such as extracts from beetroot juice (E162), used as a colouring agent; 

manmade versions

synthetic identical copies of substances found naturally, such as benzoic acid (E210), used as a preservative

artificial

 produced synthetically and not found naturally, such as nisin (E234), used as a preservative in some dairy products and in semolina and tapioca puddings.

food additives

substances we add to food to make them taste better, last longer, look, nicer, etc

natural

substances found naturally such as beetroot juice, which we use to color foodstuffs

nature identical

synthesized copies of substances that exist in nature, such as ethyl acetate

artificial

synthesized substances that do not exist in nature , such as vanillin or ethyl maltol

1. Preservatives 

2. Antioxidants 

3. Colorants/ Colors

4. Flavor Enhancers 

5. Sweeteners 

6. Acids, Bases and Buffers 

7. Anti-caking Agents 

8. Anti-foaming Agents 

9. Glazing Agents 

10. Emulsifiers, stabilizers, gelling agents and thickeners 

CLASSIFICATION OF FOOD ADDITIVES

PRESERVATIVES

prevent the growth of micro-organisms 

• extend the shelf-life of products For example, bacon, ham, corned beef and other ‘cured’ meats are often treated with nitrite and nitrate (E249 to E252) during the curing process. 

ANTIOXIDANTS

 prevent food containing fat or oil from going rancid due to oxidation 

• prevent the browning of cut fruit, vegetables and fruit juices For example, vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, or E300, is one of the most widely used antioxidants. 

COLORANTS/COLORS

restore color lost during processing or storage

• ensure that each batch produced is identical in appearance or does not appear ‘off’; 

• reinforces color already in foods 

• give color to foods which otherwise would be colorless

flavour enhancers

• bring out the flavor in foods without imparting a flavor of their own. 

• Flavorings, on the other hand, are added to a wide range of foods, usually in small amounts to give a particular taste. These do not have E numbers because they are controlled by different food laws.

sweeteners

e.g. saccharin, have a sweetness many times that of sugar and therefore are used in small amounts 

• bulk sweetener, have a similar sweetness to sugar and are used at similar levels. 

**If concentrated cordial drinks that contain sweeteners are given to children between the ages of 6 months to 4 years, it is important to dilute them more than for adults.

• Acids, bases and buffers 

• control the acidity or alkalinity of food, for safety and stability of flavor. 

Anti-caking agents

ensure free movement or flow of particles.

E.g. silicone dioxide, calcium silicate

Anti – foaming agents

agents prevent or disperse frothing 

e.g. polydimethysiloxane

glazing agents

provide a protective coating or sheen on the surface of foods 

•Emulsifiers

help mix ingredients together that would normally separate 

stabilizers

 prevent ingredients from separating again 

gelling agents

re used to change the consistency of a food 

thickeners

help give food body

To preserve the nutritional quality of the food; 

(b) To enhance the keeping quality or stability of a food or to improve its organoleptic properties; 

(c) To provide necessary constituents for foods manufactured for groups of consumers having special dietary needs;

the food additives being used should present no risk to the health of the consumer at the levels of use

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA

is the international body responsible for evaluating the safety of food additives.

Codex Alimentarius Commission,

Only food additives that have been evaluated and deemed safe by JECFA, on the basis of which maximum use levels have been established by the——- can be used in foods that are traded internationally.

•  Laughing at inappropriate times 

•  Strange rashes that appear on the body 

•  Erratic behaviors and moods 

•  Self -stimulatory behaviors 

•  Waking up in the middle of the night 

•  Having a difficult time with their stools 

•  Headaches 

HAZARDS OF FOOD ADDITIVES

1. Buy foods from reputable sources. 

2. Read the label of prepackaged food carefully. 

3. People with allergic condition, such as asthma patients, may experience hypersensitive reaction due to some food additives. 

ADVICE TO THE PUBLIC OF FOOD ADDITIVES

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (Republic Act No. 3720)

An Act to ensure the safety and purity of food, drugs and cosmetics being made available to the public by creating the Food and Drug Administration which shall administer and enforce the laws pertaining thereto.