Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or improve its taste and appearance. Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling (with vinegar), salting, as with bacon, or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines. 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. Cucumbers gathered together. ... Vinegar is often infused with spices or herbs—as here, with oregano. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Bacon is any of certain cuts of meat taken from the sides, back or belly of a pig or cow, cured and possibly smoked. ... Sulfur dioxide (or Sulphur dioxide) has the chemical formula SO2. ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of the juice of fruits, usually grapes. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

Numbering

To regulate these additives, and inform consumers, each additive is assigned a unique number. Initially these were the "E numbers" used 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. For the mathematical constant see: E (mathematical constant). ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighboring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... The Codex Alimentarius (Latin = “food law” or “food code”) is a collection of international standards and is alleged to be for the sake of food safety and consumer protection. ...

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. The letter E is the fifth letter in the Latin alphabet. ... Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic chemical compound best recognized for giving vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. ... Binomial name Alkanna tinctoria (L.) Tausch The name alkanet generally refers to Alkanna tinctoria or Dyers Bugloss (though it may be used for Anchusa officinalis or Common Bugloss). ...

• See list of food additives for a complete list of all the names.
• See E number for the numbers.

The following is a list of food additives as organized by the Codex Alimentarius Committee. ... For the mathematical constant see: E (mathematical constant). ...

Categories

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

Acids 

Food acids 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 regulators are used to change or otherwise control the acidity and alkalinity of foods.

Anticaking agents 

Anticaking agents keep powders such as milk powder flowing freely.

Antifoaming agents 

Antifoaming agents reduce or prevent foaming in foods.

Antioxidants 

Antioxidants such as vitamin C act as preservatives by inhibiting the effects of oxygen on food, and are generally beneficial to health.

Bulking agents 

Bulking agents such as starch are additives that increase the 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 agents are used to preserve a food's existing colour.

Emulsifiers 

Emulsifiers allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an emulsion, as in mayonnaise, ice cream, and homogenised milk.

Flavours 

Flavours are additives that give food a particular taste or smell, and may be derived from natural ingredients or created artificially.

Flavour enhancers 

Flavour enhancers enhance a food's existing flavours.

Flour treatment agents 

Flour treatment agents are added to flour to improve its colour or its use in baking.

Humectants 

Humectants prevent foods from drying out.

Preservatives 

Preservatives prevent or inhibit spoilage of food due to fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms.

Propellants 

Propellants are pressurised gases used to expel food from its container.

Stabilizers 

Stabilizers, thickeners and gelling agents, like agar or pectin (used in jam for example) give foods a firmer texture. While they are not true emulsifiers, they help to stabilize emulsions.

Sweeteners 

Sweeteners are added to foods for flavoring. Sweeteners other than sugar are added to keep the food energy (calories) low, or because they have beneficial effects for diabetes mellitus and tooth decay.

Thickeners 

Thickeners are substances which, when added to the mixture, increase its viscosity without substantially modifying its other properties

-) :-( :-P :-*An acid (often represented by the generic formula HA) is traditionally considered any chemical compound that when dissolved in water, gives a solution with a pH of less than 7. ... Vinegar is often infused with spices or herbs—as here, with oregano. ... Citric acid is a weak organic acid found in citrus fruits. ... Tartaric acid or H2C4H4O6 is a white crystalline organic acid. ... Malic acid is a tart-tasting organic acid that plays a role in many sour or tart foods. ... Fumaric acid, also called allomaleic acid, 2-butenedioic acid, boletic acid, or lichenic acid, is a colorless crystalline flammable carboxylic acid with a fruitlike taste and chemical formula C2H2(CO2H)2. ... Lactic acid, also known as milk acid or 2-hydroxypropanoic acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in several biochemical processes. ... Acidity regulators, or pH control agents, are food additives added to change or maintain pH (acidity or basicity). ... The common (Arrhenius) definition of a base is a chemical compound that either donates hydroxide ions or absorbs hydrogen ions when dissolved in water. ... Anticaking agents are used in such things as table salt to keep the product from forming lumps, making it better for packaging, transport and for the consumer. ... An antifoaming agent is a food ingredient intended to curb effusion or effervescence in preparation or serving. ... An antioxidant is a chemical that reduces the rate of particular oxidation reactions in a specific context, where oxidation reactions are chemical reactions that involve the transfer of electrons from a substance to an oxidising agent. ... 3D representation of vitamin C Chemical structure of vitamin C Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient and vitamin essential for life and for maintaining optimal health. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Atomic mass 15. ... Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water, it is used by plants as a way to store excess glucose. ... Food coloring spreading on a soap bubble A food coloring is any substance that is added to food to change its color. ... An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible substances. ... A. Two immisicble liquids, not emulsified; B. An emulsion of Phase B dispersed in Phase A; C. The unstable emulsion progressively separates; D. The (purple) surfactant positions itself on the interfaces between Phase A and Phase B, stabilizing the emulsion An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible (unblendable) substances. ... Mayonnaise is a thick, creamy sauce, usually of a white or light yellow color. ... Missing image Ice cream is often served on a stick Boxes of ice cream are often found in stores in a display freezer. ... A glass of cows milk Milk is the nutrient fluid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals (including monotremes). ... This article is about flavor, the sensory impression. ... Flavour enhancers are commonly added to commercially produced food products (eg. ... Flour treatment agents (also called improving agents) are food additives added to flour in order to improve its properties. ... Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Baking Baking is the technique of cooking food in an oven by dry heat applied evenly throughout the oven or only from the bottom element. ... A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that is used as a food additive. ... A preservative is a natural or synthetic chemical that is added to products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, paints, biological samples, etc. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... E. coli magnified 10,000 times. ... A propellant is a material that is used to move an object by applying a motive force. ... The tail of a Lufthansa airliner (Airbus A319) in flight, showing the horizontal and vertical stabilizer Mathematics: see Group action. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Pectin is a heterosaccharide derived from the cell wall of plants. ... Jam from berries Jam is a type of fruit preserve made by boiling fruit with sugar to make an unfiltered jelly. ... An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible substances. ... A. Two immisicble liquids, not emulsified; B. An emulsion of Phase B dispersed in Phase A; C. The unstable emulsion progressively separates; D. The (purple) surfactant positions itself on the interfaces between Phase A and Phase B, stabilizing the emulsion An emulsion is a mixture of two immiscible (unblendable) substances. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Sugar substitute. ... Magnified crystals of refined sugar Magnification of typical sugar In general use, non-scientists take sugar to mean sucrose, also called table sugar or saccharose, a white crystalline solid disaccharide. ... Food energy is the amount of energy in food that is available through digestion. ... A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. ... For the disease characterized by excretion of large amounts of severely diluted urine, see diabetes insipidus. ... Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ... Thickening agents, or thickeners, are substances which, when added to the mixture, increase its viscosity without substantially modifying its other properties, like eg. ... The pitch drop experiment at the University of Queensland. ...

External links

• Database of food additives and regulations governing their use
• EU legislation on food additives
• CSPI's guide to food additives