List of food additives

Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste, appearance, or other qualities.

Purposes

Additives are used for many purposes but the main uses are:

Acids Food acids are added to make flavors "sharper", and also act as preservatives and antioxidants. Common food acids include vinegar, citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, folic acid, fumaric acid, and lactic acid. Acidity regulators Acidity regulators are used to change or otherwise control the acidity and alkalinity of foods. Anticaking agents Anticaking agents keep powders such as milk powder from caking or sticking. Antifoaming agents Antifoaming agents reduce or prevent foaming in foods. Antioxidants Antioxidants such as vitamin C act as preservatives by inhibiting the effects of oxygen on food, and can be beneficial to health. Bulking agents Bulking agents such as starch are additives that increase the bulk of a food without affecting its nutritional value. Food coloring Colorings are added to food to replace colors lost during preparation, or to make food look more attractive. Color retention agents In contrast to colorings, color retention agents are used to preserve a food's existing color. Emulsifiers Emulsifiers allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an emulsion, as in mayonnaise, ice cream, and homogenized milk. Flavors Flavors are additives that give food a particular taste or smell, and may be derived from natural ingredients or created artificially. Flavor enhancers Flavor enhancers enhance a food's existing flavors. They may be extracted from natural sources (through distillation, solvent extraction, maceration, among other methods) or created artificially. Flour treatment agents Flour treatment agents are added to flour to improve its color or its use in baking. Glazing agents Glazing agents provide a shiny appearance or protective coating to foods. Humectants Humectants prevent foods from drying out. Tracer gas Tracer gas allow for package integrity testing to prevent foods from being exposed to atmosphere, thus guaranteeing shelf life. Preservatives Preservatives prevent or inhibit spoilage of food due to fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms. Stabilizers Stabilizers, thickeners and gelling agents, like agar or pectin (used in jam for example) give foods a firmer texture. While they are not true emulsifiers, they help to stabilize emulsions. Sweeteners Sweeteners are added to foods for flavoring. Sweeteners other than sugar are added to keep the food energy (calories) low, or because they have beneficial effects for diabetes mellitus and tooth decay. Thickeners Thickeners are substances which, when added to the mixture, increase its viscosity without substantially modifying its other properties.

Caffeine and other GRAS (generally recognized as safe) additives such as sugar and salt are not required to go through the regulation process.

Alphabetical index of food additives __NOTOC__

0–9 1,4-heptonolactone – food acid * 2-hydroxybiphenyl – preservative

A Abietic acid – Acacia vera – Acacia – thickener, emulsifier, and stabilizer Acesulfame potassium – artificial sweetener Acesulfame – Acetic acid – acidity regulator Acetic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids – emulsifier Acetone – Acetylated distarch adipate – thickener, vegetable gum Acetylated distarch phosphate – thickener, vegetable gum Acetylated oxidised starch – thickener, vegetable gum Acetylated starch – thickener, vegetable gum Acid treated starch – thickener, vegetable gum Adipic acid – food acid Agar – thickener, vegetable gum, stabilizer, gelling agent Alcohol – Alfalfa – Alginic acid – thickener, vegetable gum, stabilizer, gelling agent, emulsifier Alitame – artificial sweetener Alkaline treated starch – thickener, vegetable gum Alkanet – color (red) Allspice – Allura red AC – color (FDA: FD&C Red #40) Almond oil – used as a substitute for olive oil. Also used as an emollient. Aluminium – color (silver) Aluminium ammonium sulfate – mineral salt Aluminium potassium sulfate – mineral salt Aluminium silicate – anti-caking agent Aluminium sodium sulfate – mineral salt Aluminium sulfate – mineral salt Amaranth – color (red) (FDA: [DELISTED] Red #2) Note that amaranth dye is unrelated to the amaranth plant Amaranth oil – high in squalene and unsaturated fatty acids – used in food and cosmetic industries. Amchur (mango powder) – Ammonium acetate – preservative, acidity regulator Ammonium adipates – acidity regulator Ammonium alginate – thickener, vegetable gum, stabilizer, gelling agent, emulsifier Ammonium bicarbonate – mineral salt Ammonium carbonate – mineral salt Ammonium chloride – mineral salt Ammonium ferric citrate – food acid Ammonium fumarate – food acid Ammonium hydroxide – mineral salt Ammonium lactate – food acid Ammonium malate – food acid Ammonium phosphates – mineral salt Ammonium phosphatides – emulsifier Ammonium polyphosphates – anti-caking agent Ammonium sulfate – mineral salt, improving agent Amylases – flour treatment agent Angelica (Angelica archangelica) – Anise – Annatto – color Anthocyanins – color Apricot oil – a cooking oil from certain cultivars. Arabinogalactan – thickener, vegetable gum Argan oil – a food oil from Morocco that has also attracted recent attention in Europe. Argon – propellant Rocket (Arugula) – Asafoetida – Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) – antioxidant (water-soluble) Ascorbyl palmitate – antioxidant (fat soluble) Ascorbyl stearate – antioxidant (fat soluble) Aspartame – artificial sweetener Aspartame-acesulfame salt – artificial sweetener Astaxanthin – color Avocado oil – used a substitute for olive oil. Also used in cosmetics and skin care products. Azodicarbonamide – flour bleaching agent. Also used in the production of foamed plastics and the manufacture of gaskets. Banned as a food additive in Australia and Europe. Azorubine – color (red) (FDA: Ext D&C Red #10)

B Babassu oil – similar to, and used as a substitute for coconut oil. Baking powder – leavening agent; includes acid and base Baking soda – food base Balm, lemon – Balm oil – Balsam of Peru – used in food and drink for flavoring Barberry – Barley flour – Basil (Ocimum basilicum) – Basil extract – Bay leaves – Beeswax – glazing agent Beet red – color (red) Beetroot red – color (red) Ben oil – extracted from the seeds of the moringa oleifera. High in behenic acid. Extremely stable edible oil. Also suitable for biofuel. Bentonite – anti-caking agent Benzoic acid – preservative Benzoyl peroxide – flour treatment agent Berebere – Bergamot – in Earl Grey tea Beta-apo-8'-carotenal (C 30) – color Beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid ethyl ester – color Betanin – color (red) Biphenyl – preservative Bison grass (Hierochloe odorata) – Bixin – color Black 7984 – color (brown and black) Black cardamom – Black cumin – Blackcurrant seed oil – used as a food supplement, because of high content of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Also used in cosmetics. Black limes – Pepper (black, white, and green) – Black PN – color (brown and black) Bleached starch – thickener, vegetable gum Bolivian Coriander (Porophyllum ruderale) – Bone phosphate – anti-caking agent Borage (Borago officinalis) – Borage seed oil – similar to blackcurrant seed oil – used primarily medicinally. Borax – Boric acid – preservative Brilliant Black BN- color (brown and black) Brilliant blue FCF – color (FDA: FD&C Blue #1) Brilliant Scarlet 4R – color (FDA: Ext D&C Red #8) Brominated vegetable oil – emulsifier, stabiliser Brown FK – color (brown and black) Bush tomato – Butane – propellant Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) – antioxidant (fat soluble) Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) – antioxidant (fat soluble)

C Cacao shell – Cachou extract – Cactus root extract – Cadinene – Caffeine – stimulant Cajeput oil – Calamus – Calcium 5'-ribonucleotides – flavor enhancer Calcium acetate – preservative, acidity regulator Calcium alginate – thickener, vegetable gum, stabilizer, gelling agent, emulsifier Calcium ascorbate – antioxidant (water-soluble) Calcium aluminosilicate (calcium aluminium silicate) – anti-caking agent Calcium ascorbate (Vitamin C) – Calcium benzoate – preservative Calcium bisulfite – preservative, antioxidant Calcium carbonates – color (white), anticaking agent, stabiliser Calcium chloride – mineral salt Calcium citrates – food acid, firming agent Calcium diglutamate – flavor enhancer Calcium disodium EDTA – preservative Calcium ferrocyanide – anti-caking agent Calcium formate – preservative Calcium fumarate – food acid Calcium gluconate – acidity regulator Calcium guanylate – flavor enhancer Calcium hydrogen sulfite – preservative, antioxidant Calcium hydroxide – mineral salt Calcium inosinate – flavor enhancer Calcium lactate – food acid Calcium lactobionate – stabilizer Calcium malates – food acid Calcium oxide – mineral salt Calcium pantothenate (Vitamin B5) – Calcium peroxide – Calcium phosphates – mineral salt, anti-caking agent, firming agent Calcium polyphosphates – anti-caking agent Calcium propionate – preservative Calcium salts of fatty acids – emulsifier, stabiliser, anti-caking agent Calcium silicate – anti-caking agent Calcium sorbate – preservative Calcium stearoyl lactylate – emulsifier Calcium sulfate – flour treatment agent, mineral salt, sequestrant, improving agent, firming agent Calcium sulfite – preservative, antioxidant Calcium tartrate – food acid, emulsifier Camomile – Candelilla wax – glazing agent Candle nut – Canola oil/Rapeseed oil – one of the most widely used cooking oils, from a (trademarked) cultivar of rapeseed Canthaxanthin – color Caper (Capparis spinosa) – Caprylic acid - preservative Capsanthin – color Capsorubin – color Carrageenan – A family of linear sulphated polysaccharides extracted from red seaweeds. Caramel I (plain) – color (brown and black) Caramel II (Caustic Sulfite process) – color (brown and black) Caramel III (Ammonia process) – color (brown and black) Caramel IV (Ammonia sulfite process) – color (brown and black) Caraway – Carbamide – flour treatment agent Carbon black – color (brown and black) Carbon dioxide – acidity regulator, propellant Cardamom – carmines – color (red) Carmoisine – color (red) (FDA: Ext D&C Red #10) Carnauba wax – glazing agent Carob pod – Carob pod oil/Algaroba oil – used medicinally Carotenes – color Alpha-carotene – color Beta-carotene – color Gamma-carotene – color Carrageenan – thickener, vegetable gum, stabilizer, gelling agent, emulsifier Carrot oil – Cashew oil – somewhat comparable to olive oil. May have value for fighting dental cavities. Cassia – Catechu extract – Celery salt – Celery seed – Wheat germ oil – used as a food supplement, and for its "grainy" flavor. Also used medicinally. Highly unstable. Chalk – color (white), anticaking agent, stabiliser Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) – Chicory – Chicory Root Extract – High in Inulin Chile pepper – Chili powder – Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) – Chlorine dioxide – flour treatment agent Chlorine – flour treatment agent Chlorophylls and Chlorophyllins – color (green) Chocolate Brown HT – color Choline salts and esters – emulsifier Chrysoine resorcinol – color (red) Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) – Sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata) – Cilantro (see Coriander) (Coriandrum sativum) – Cinnamon – Cinnamon oil – used for flavoring. Citranaxanthin – color Citric acid – food acid Citric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids – emulsifier Citrus red 2 – color (red) Cloves – Cochineal – color (red) Coconut oil – a cooking oil, high in saturated fat – particularly used in baking and cosmetics. Sage (Salvia officinalis) – Copper complexes of chlorophylls – color (green) Coriander –