Common Sense About Food Additives

The definitions of food additives vary from country to country in the world. Food additives are defined by the food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (who) Joint Committee on food regulations as follows: food additives are non nutritive substances that are consciously added to food in small amounts to improve the appearance, flavor, organizational structure or storage properties of food. According to this definition, food fortifiers for the purpose of enhancing food nutrients should not be included in the scope of food additives.

Food additives have the following three characteristics: first, they are substances added to food, therefore, they are not used as food alone; second, they include both synthetic substances and natural substances; third, they are added to food to improve the quality and color, aroma and taste of food, as well as the need for preservation, preservation and processing technology.

Reasonable use of food additives can prevent food spoilage, maintain or enhance the nutrition of food, improve or enrich the color, aroma and taste of food. In fact, there is a greater risk of not using preservatives, because spoiled food tends to cause food poisoning diseases. In addition, preservatives can not only prevent food deterioration, but also kill Aspergillus and other toxic microorganisms, which is undoubtedly beneficial to human health.