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Food additives are included in food to improve their shelf-life, appearance and flavour. Antioxidants such as ascorbic acid prevent food from going off by reacting with oxygen. Emulsifiers help oil and water to mix - for example, in mayonnaise. Active packaging meanwhile improves the quality or safety of food.
Food additives
Everything in food is made from chemicals. Some of these are natural, and some are artificial. Processed foods, including vegetable oils, may have chemicals added to them. These additives have different roles, including extending a product’s shelf-life and improving its taste and appearance.
You can find additives listed on the ingredients label. Many have E numbers to identify them. The table below describes some of these:
Uses of additives
| type of additive | example | reason for adding it |
|---|---|---|
| colouring | Tartrazine (E102) | orange colouring for soft drinks, sweets and sauces |
| emulsifier | Lecithin (E322) | allows oil and water to mix to make margarine, ice-cream and salad cream |
| antioxidant | Ascorbic acid (E300) | stops food from reacting with oxygen |
| flavour enhancer | Monosodium glutamate (E621) | makes food taste more savoury |
Additives with an E number have been licensed by the European Union. Some are natural, some artificial. But they have all been safety tested and passed for use.
The UK Food Standards Agency - FSA - has strict limits on the amount of colouring allowed in food. Some people have allergic reactions to certain additives, and colourings are banned from baby food.
Food scares
A red dye called 'Sudan I' was banned for use in food because it was thought to be a health risk. Some of the dye had been used in chilli powder before the ban came into force, and the dye was later added in this form to some foods by mistake. Hundreds of food items had to be taken off supermarket shelves and destroyed.
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