What is Food Additive ?
Food additives in general terms; they are expressed as substances or substances which are not food alone but are added to food in stages such as production, processing storage or packaging.
According to the International Food Codex Commision; Food additive “ whether technically (including organoleptic) intended for foodstuffs in food, manufacturing, processing, preparation, application, packaging, transporting, storage.
Use of Food Additives
- Extending food shelf life and reducing losses; Examples of this object are the use of calcium propionate to prevent mold growth, to prevent botulism in cured meat products, to use nitrates and nitrites, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) against the bitterness of fats.
- Improvement of sensory properties of foods; Examples of the additives used fort his purpose included emulsifiers, colorants, flavors, flavor enhancers, sweeteners, bulking agents.
- Maintaining food quality characteristics; emulsifiers used in salad dressings for the purpose of preventing oil speration or baking agents used in baked products are additives.
- The use of phosphate additives in the preparation of ready-made puddings can be given as an example.
- Protection of the feeder value; For example, antioxidants are used to protect nutrients that are easily decomposable, such as vitamin C in foods.
Additives have many benefits, when used in the food industry fort he purposes mentioned above.
Food Additives;
- Hiding the technique of bad quality or spoiled food or defect of faulty products, improper processing of food, imitation of food production and deception of the consumer.
- Reduce the feeder value of the product.
What is E Code ?
They are the symbols of the European Union (EC) which is used to define food additives and not to cause any confusion. It is determined by the European Union for each additive. All chemicals used in foodstuffs, whether natural or synthetic, and defined as additives in this coding system.
Definitions and Subclasses of Food Additives
| Function | Definition | Subclasses |
| Antioxidants | Extends shelf life by preventing deterioration caused by oxidation reactions | Antioxidant, Chelate Agent |
| Acids | It increases the acidity of the product or gives the food a soury taste | Acidifying |
| Acidity Regulators | It changes and controls the acidity and alkalinity of the product. | Acid, Alkali, Base, Buffer Agent, pH Adjuster Agent |
| Emulsifiers | It provides mixing of two or more phases that do not mix with each other such as oil and water. | Emulsifier, Plasticizer, Disperse Agent, Surfactant, Moisturizing Agent |
| Emulsifying Salt | It prevents the oil decomposition by rearranging cheese proteins in the production of processed cheese. | Melting Salt, Chelating Agent |
| Volume Booster | It is a substance other than water or air, which increases the volume without significantly increasing the energy value of the food. | Volume Booster agent, Plump. |
| Propellant | Gas that allows the product to jump out of the packing. | Propellant |
| Gelling Agent | It does the product gelly. | Gelling Agent |
| Embossing Agent | Increases the volume of the dough by releasing gas. | Embossing Agent |
| Thickener | Increases the viscosity of product. | Thickening Agent, Tissue Transducer, Structure Corrector |
| Protector | It increases the shelf life by preventing spoilage caused by microorganisms in food. | Antimicrobial Preservative, Chemical Sterilizer / Wine Maturation Agent, Disinfection Agent |
| Foaming Agent | It provides the formation or uniform distribution of the gas phase in a liquid or solid food. | Whish agent, Ventilation Agent |
| Antifoaming Agent | Prevents or reduces foaming | Antifoaming Agent |
| Flavor Enhancer | Increases the taste and smell | Flavor Enhancer |
| Humidifier | It acts as a wetting agent with a low moisture content and prevent food from drying out. | Humidifier |
| Polishing Agent | Creates a glossy appearance or protective layer on the outer surface of the food | Coating Material, Bonding Agent, Polishing |
| Colorant | It gives color to product or repairs color. | Colorant |
| Color Stabilization Agent | It stabilizes the color of food and ensures its permanence | Color Stabilizer |
| Firming Agent | Tighten the tissues of fruits and vegetable or interact with the gelling agents to form gel or to stabilize the gel. | Firming Agent |
| Stabilizer | It provides uniform distribution of two or moren on-interfering phases in food. | Connector, Hardening Agent, Foam Stabilizer |
| Sweetener | It is a non-sugar substance and gives to product a sweet taste. | Sweetener |
| Anti-Caking | It prevents the particles of the product from sticking together. | Anti-Caking |
| Flour Processing Agent | It improves the baking quality or color of flour | Bleaching Agent |