Food Additives and Its Classification

Classification of food
additives and their

functionalities
Made by – Baishali Pandey
Roll no. – A4312615050
Btech Food tech
4th sem
Sec A
2015-2019
Learning objectives
• To identify the reason why food additives are used.
• To understand the different sources of food additives.
• To understand the different roles and functions of food additives in food

What are food additives?
Food additives are substances added to products to perform specific technological functions.
These functions include preserving, increasing shelf-life or inhibiting the growth of pathogens,
or adding colouring and flavouring to food for interest and variety. It is also a substance or a
mixture of substance other than basic foodstuffs, which is present in food as a result of
production, processing, or packing . Food additives are added to foods in precise amounts
during processing. They are Technologically justified for:
• Maintaining the nutritional quality of the food;
• Enhancing the keeping quality or stability of food thereby reducing food wastage;
• Making food attractive to consumers in a manner which precludes deception; and
• Providing essentials aids in food processing
Food Additives are substances added to food to improve its:
• Storage properties,
• Appearance,
• Flavor, and • Nutritional value .
Additives are very important for the processed food industry. Natural additives come from
plants and animals while other additives are artificial from various chemicals. Common types of
additives are: • Preservatives, • Coloring, • flavoring, and • Nutrient
The FDA makes sure that food additives used by food manufacturers safe and approved for
regulated use .
Types of additives
Additives may be:
 Natural – found naturally, such as extracts from beetroot juice , 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, used as a

preservative in some dairy products and in semolina and tapioca puddings.
Classification of Food Additives
1. Preservatives
 • prevent the growth of micro-organisms which could cause food spoilage and lead
to food poisoning;
 • extend the shelf-life of products, so that they can be distributed and sold to the
consumer with a longer shelf-life.
Examples of selected preservatives
a. Salt, sugar, vinegar, and pepper( common household preservatives
b. Saltpeter or sodium nitrate ( used for meat curing)
c. Sulfur dioxide ( sulfurous acid) and sulfide (inhibit discoloration of cut fruits and
serve as anti- browning agent)
d. Benzoic acid or Sodium benzoate (for fruit juices, jellies, margarine, and catsup)
e. Citric and Tartaric Acids (provide the acid for flavor improvement in syrups, drinks,
and jellies)
f. Alum and soaked lime or apog ( used as a firming agent for pickles and fruit
preserves)
2. Antioxidants
• prevent food containing fat or oil from going rancid due to oxidation, developing an
unpleasant odour or flavour;
• prevent the browning of cut fruit, vegetables and fruit juices (and so increase shelf life
and appearance). For example, vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, or E300, is one of
the most widely used antioxidants.
• Very-beneficial in preventing spoilage in animals fat caused by oxidation .
3. Sequestrants
• Is a chemical which combines with a substance and sets aside so it can be removed from
the food.
• Used to inactivate a substance which interferes with the processing of a food. They are
frequently used to keep the minerals from settling out of beverages and making them
cloudy. Sorbital and Phosporic Acid are used as sequestrants .
4. Humectants
• Prevent food from drying out
• Glycerine, Sorbital, and Monitol are called humectants and are used in foods such as
coconut and certain confections to help retain moisture
5. Bleaching and Maturing Agents, starch Modifier
• Chemicals such as Chlorine Dioxide, Bromate and Iodate, and Chlorine are used in
bleaching and maturing agents for flour. The use of these materials reduces the time
required for natural aging of flour therefore is economically important.
• Bleaching agents are also used in manufacturing of certain cheese to impart a
white color.
• The bleaching agent used is Benzoyl Peroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide is used to bleach
tripe, a variety meat
6. Emulsifiers, stabilisers, gelling agents and thickeners

• Emulsifiers help mix ingredients together that would normally separate, e.g.
Lecithins .
• Stabilisers prevent ingredients from separating again, e.g. locust bean gum .
• Emulsifers and stabilisers give food a consistent texture, e.g. they can be found in
low-fat spreads.
• Gelling agents are used to change the consistency of a food, e.g. pectin , which is
used to make jam.
7. Surface Active Agents
• Lecithin is an emulsifier, an example of surface- active agents. When added to baked
goods, it facilitates in machining of dough and improves resulting bread appearance .
8. Anti-caking agents, Anti – foaming agents

• Anti-caking agents ensure free movement or flow of particles, e.g. in dried milk or table
salt.
• Anti-foaming agents prevent or disperse frothing, e.g. in the production of fruit juices.
• Calcium Phospate, Silica Gel in curing mixes and Stearate are examples of anti-caking
agent.
9. Colours
• restore colour lost during processing or storage, e.g. marrowfat peas;
• ensure that each batch produced is identical in appearance or does not appear ‘off’;
• reinforces colour already in foods, e.g. enhance the yellowness of a custard;
• give colour to foods which otherwise would be colourless (e.g. soft drinks) and so make
them more attractive.
10. Flavour enhancers
Flavour enhancers bring out the flavour in foods without imparting a flavour of their
own, e.g. monosodium glutamate (E612) is added to processed foods. For example
some soups, sauces and sausages. Flavourings, 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. Ingredients
lists will say if flavourings have been used, but individual flavourings might not be
named .
11. Acids, bases and buffers

Acids, bases and buffers control the acidity or alkalinity of food, for safety and
stability of flavour.
12. Glazing agents

Glazing agents provide a protective coating or sheen on the surface of foods, e.g.
confectionary (for appearance and shelf-life).
Criteria for Use
Before being considered for use, a chemical preservative needs to fulfill the following
conditions:
1. It must be non-toxic and suitable for application.
2. It must not impart off-flavors when used at levels effective in controlling microbial
growth.
3. It must be readily soluble.
4. It must exhibit antimicrobial properties over the PH range of each particular food.
5. It should be economical and practical to use .

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Classification of food

additives and their

• To identify the reason why food additives are used.

• To understand the different sources of food additives.

• To understand the different roles and functions of food additives in food

Additives may be:

 Natural – found naturally, such as extracts from beetroot juice , used as a

 Manmade versions – synthetic identical copies of substances found naturally,

 Artificial – produced synthetically and not found naturally, used as a

6. Emulsifiers, stabilisers, gelling agents and thickeners

8. Anti-caking agents, Anti – foaming agents

11. Acids, bases and buffers

12. Glazing agents

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