Food Additive

Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by Pickling (with Vinegar ), Salt ing, as with Bacon , or using Sulfur Dioxide as in some Wine s. With the advent of processed foods in the second half of the 20th Century , many more additives have been introduced, of both natural and artificial origin.

NUMBERING

To regulate these additives, and inform consumers, each additive is assigned a unique number. Ini\in Europe for all approved additives. This numbering scheme has now been adopted and extended by the Codex Alimentarius Committee to internationally identify all additives, regardless of whether they are approved for use.

E numbers are all prefixed by " E ", but countries outside Europe use only the number, whether the additive is approved in Europe or not.
For example, Acetic Acid is written as E260 on products sold in Europe, but is simply known as additive 260 in some countries. Additive 103, Alkanet , is not approved for use in Europe so does not have an E number, although it is approved for use in Australia and New Zealand .

See List Of Food Additives for a complete list of all of the numbers.

CATEGORIES

Food additives can be divided into several groups, although there is some overlap between them.

;Acids : Food Acid s are added to make flavours "sharper", and also act as preservatives and antioxidants. Common food acids include Vinegar , Citric Acid , Tartaric Acid , Malic Acid , Fumaric Acid , Lactic Acid .
;Acidity regulators : Acidity Regulator s are used to change or otherwise control the acidity and Alkalinity of foods.
;Anticaking agents : Anticaking Agent s keep powders such as milk powder flowing freely.
;Antifoaming agents : Antifoaming Agent s reduce or prevent foaming in foods.
;Antioxidants : Antioxidant s such as Vitamin C act as preservatives by inhibiting the effects of Oxygen on food, and are generally beneficial to health.
;Bulking agents : Bulking Agent s such as Starch are additives that increase to bulk of a food without affecting its nutritional value.
;Food coloring : Colorings are added to food to replace colours lost during preparation, or to make food look more attractive.
;Colour retention agents : In contrast to colourings, Colour Retention Agent s are used to preserve a food's existing colour.
;Emulsifiers : Emulsifier s allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an Emulsion , as in Mayonnaise , Ice Cream , and homogenised Milk .
;Flavours : Flavour s are additives that give food a particular taste or smell, and may be derived from natural ingredients or created articially.
;Flavour enhancers : Flavour Enhancer s enhance a food's existing flavours.
;Flour treatment agents : Flour Treatment Agent s are added to Flour to improve its colour or its use in Baking .
;Humectants : Humectant s prevent foods from drying out.
;Preservatives : Preservative s prevent or inhibit spoilage of food due to Fungi , Bacteria and other Microorganism s.
;Propellants : Propellant s are pressurised gases used to expel food from its container.
;Stabilizers : Stabilizer s, thickeners and gelling agents, like Agar or Pectin (used in Jam for example) give foods a firmer texture. While they are not true Emulsifier s, they help to stabilize Emulsion s.
;Sweeteners : Sweetener s are added to foods for flavoring. Sweeteners other than Sugar are added to keep the Food Energy ( Calorie s) low, or because they have beneficial effects for Diabetes Mellitus and Tooth Decay .
;Thickeners : Thickener s are substances which, when added to the mixture, increase its Viscosity without substantially modifying its other properties

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