Food additives and spices are substances added to food to maintain or improve its safety, freshness, taste, texture, or appearance.

Food additives and spices are chemicals that keep foods fresh or enhance their colour, flavour or texture.

A small percentage of people are sensitive to some food additives.

Diagnosing sensitivity to food additives needs professional help, since all of the symptoms of sensitivity can also be caused by other disorders.

Types of food additives

The different types of food additive and their uses include:

• Anti-caking agents – stop ingredients from becoming lumpy.
• Antioxidants – prevent foods from oxidising, or going rancid.
• Artificial sweeteners – increase the sweetness.
• Emulsifiers – stop fats from clotting together.
• Food acids – maintain the right acid level.
• Colours – enhance or add colour.
• Humectants – keep foods moist.
• Flavours – add flavour.
• Flavour enhancers – increase the power of a flavour.
• Foaming agents – maintain uniform aeration of gases in foods.
• Mineral salts – enhance texture and flavour.
• Preservatives – stop microbes from multiplying and spoiling the food.
• Thickeners and vegetable gums – enhance texture and consistency.
• Stabilisers and firming agents – maintain even food dispersion.
• Flour treatment – improves baking quality.
• Glazing agent – improves appearance and can protect food.
• Gelling agents – alter the texture of foods through gel formation.
• Propellants – help propel food from a container.
• Raising agents – increase the volume of food through the use of gases.
• Bulking agents – increase the volume of food without major changes to its available energy.