The wide use of synthetic additives in food is a 20th-century phenomenon associated with the growth of the food industry.
There are hundreds of food additives, but they can be classified into six major groups: (1) nutritional supplements; (2) flavoring agents; (3) coloring agents; (4) preservatives; (5) emulsifiers, stabilizers, and thickeners; and (6) acids and alkalis.
Nutritional Supplements, such as iron, minerals, and vitamins, make foods more nourishing. Supplements such as vitamins B-1 and B-2 are added to flour to improve the nutritional value of bread and other flour-based products. Milk with vitamin D added helps prevent rickets, a bone disease.
Flavoring Agents include all spices and natural fruit flavors, as well as such artificial flavors as the vanillin used in some ice cream.
Sweeteners add sweetness to foods. Natural sweeteners include sucrose, fructose, and glucose. Aspartame and saccharin are two commonly used artificial sweeteners. Some flavoring agents, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), also enhance a food's natural flavor.
Coloring Agents help make foods look appealing. For example, margarine manufacturers add yellow coloring to make their product look like butter. Some coloring agents, such as the orange color added to the skins of oranges, improve the appearance of a food. In the home, coloring may be used in baking for purely decorative purposes.
Emulsifiers, Stabilizers, and Thickeners help the ingredients in a food to mix and hold together. Algin, an emulsifier, gives ice cream its creamy texture. Carrageenin, a widely used stabilizer, keeps the chocolate particles in chocolate milk from settling. Pectin and gelatin thicken jams and jellies. Fat substitutes are a low-calorie alternative to fats which enrich the texture of some foods.
Preservatives, such as salt, prevent the growth of bacteria that cause foods to spoil. Antioxidants keep fats and oils from spoiling and prevent other foods from becoming discolored.
Acids and Alkalis help maintain a chemical balance in some foods. Alkalis neutralize the high acid content of such canned foods as peas and olives. Some acids help prevent growth of the bacteria that cause botulism, others add flavor, and carbonic acid puts the fizz in soft drinks.
In addition to additives that reach food indirectly through packaging materials, concern is growing about chemicals that find their way into foods by way of pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables or through medications and stimulants given to animals
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