Food Additives
Food Additives
Food Additives (pronunciation: /fuːd ˈædɪtɪvz/) are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste and appearance. Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling (with vinegar), salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines.
Etymology
The term "Food Additives" is derived from the English words "food" (from Old English fōda) and "additive" (from Latin additivus).
Types of Food Additives
Food additives can be divided into several groups, although there is some overlap between them.
- Antioxidants - prevent or slow down the oxidation of food.
- Preservatives - used to prevent the growth of bacteria, yeast or molds.
- Sweeteners - added to foods for flavoring.
- Color Additives - used to give food a particular look.
- Flavor Enhancers - used to give or enhance a particular flavor.
- Emulsifiers - allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an emulsion.
- Stabilizers - used to maintain the physical properties of the food.
- pH Control Agents - used to control the acidity and alkalinity of foods.
- Leavening Agents - release gases within foods to make them light and fluffy.
Related Terms
- E number - a system for identifying food additives.
- Food safety - scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness.
- Food chemistry - the study of chemical processes and interactions of all biological and non-biological components of foods.
- Food engineering - a multidisciplinary field of applied physical sciences which combines science, microbiology, and engineering education for food and related industries.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Food Additives
- Wikipedia's article - Food Additives
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