Major group of food additives

Food additive is a substance or mixture of substances, other than basic food stuff, which is present in food as a result of any activity of production, processing, storage or packaging.

Food additive can be divided into two major groups: intentional additives and incidental additives.

Intentional additives are chemical substances that are added to food for specific purpose, including improving, maintaining, or stabilizing some characteristics of food.

Therefore intentional food additives include preservatives, antioxidants, sequestrants, surface active agents, stabilizers and thickeners, bleaching and maturing agents and starch modifiers, buffers, acids and alkalis.

Incidental additives are environmental chemicals of known origin and anticipated use: for example, pesticides, antibiotics and growth stimulants.

Incidental additives may be transferred to foods by contact such as ingredients of packaging or of equipment surface coating. They are really contaminants from some phase of production, processing, storage, packaging or consumer preparations.

Currently, more than 2800 different substances are intentionally added to foods.  As many as 10,000 other substances enter foods as contaminants.

Although there are controls over intentional or incidental additives, intentional additives are regulated by strict government controls.
Major group of food additives 

Intentional Additives

Chemicals that are intentionally introduced into foods to aid in processing, to act as preservatives or to improve the quality of the food are called intentional additives.

Such materials as colors, flavors, sweeteners, vitamins and minerals for enrichments, mold inhibitors, bactericides, antioxidants and emulsifiers are intentional food additives.

Intentionally food additive are chemicals or compounds, natural or synthetic added deliberately to make some changes on the food product, e.g. to add color, to preserve to provide nutritional supplement.

It also include sequestrants, surface active agents, stabilizers and thickeners, bleaching and maturing agents and starch modifiers, buffers, acids, alkalies, and flavoring agents.

Their use is strictly regulated by national and international laws.

The national academy has listed the purpose of food additives as follows:
*To improve or maintain nutritional value (e.g. vitamins and minerals)
*To enhance quality
*To reduce wastage
*To enhance consumer acceptability
*To improve keeping quality
*To make the food more readily available
*To facilitate preparation of the food

The additive must not impart any undesirable flavor, odor, color or texture to the food. That is, it must no make the food unacceptable in any way.
Intentional Additives