Many different food additives have been developed over time to meet the needs of large-scale food processing. Additives are added to ensure processed food remains safe and in good condition throughout its journey from factories or industrial kitchens, to warehouses and shops, and finally to consumers. Additives are also used to modify the sensory properties of foods including taste, smell, texture and appearance.
Food additives can be derived from plants, animals or minerals, or they can be chemically synthesized. There are several thousand food additives used, all of which are designed to do a specific job. Food additives can be grouped into 3 broad categories based on their function.
Flavouring agents are chemicals that impart flavours or fragrances and are added to food to modify its aroma or taste. They are the most common type of additive used in foods, with hundreds of varieties used in a wide variety of foods, from confectionery and soft drinks to cereal, cake and yoghurt. Flavouring agents can be extracted from naturally occurring sources (e.g. plant or animal sources) or chemically synthesized. Flavours extracted directly from naturally occurring sources are often referred to as natural flavours. Such flavours can also be chemically synthesized and are sometimes referred to as nature made or nature identical to indicate that although the flavour molecule itself is naturally occurring it hasn’t been extracted from its source, but synthesized to be identical. Artificial flavouring agents are chemicals that do not exist in nature but are synthesized to imitate natural flavours or elicit other taste sensations. Culinary ingredients, including spices, nuts and dried fruits or vegetables, can also modify aroma or taste, but are generally not considered flavouring agents.
Enzyme preparations are a type of additive that may or may not end up in the final food product. Enzymes are naturally occurring proteins that boost biochemical reactions by breaking down larger molecules into their smaller building blocks. They can be obtained by extraction from plants or animal products or from micro-organisms such as bacteria and are used as alternatives to chemical-based technology. They are mainly used in baking (to improve the dough), for manufacturing fruit juices (to increase yields), in wine making and brewing (to improve fermentation), as well as in cheese manufacturing (to improve curd formation).
Other food additives are used for a variety of reasons, such as preservation, colouring and sweetening. They are added when food is prepared, packaged, transported, or stored, and they eventually become a component of the food.
Preservatives can slow decomposition caused by mould, air, bacteria or yeast. In addition to maintaining the quality of the food, preservatives help control contamination that can cause foodborne illness, including life-threatening botulism.
Colouring is added to food to replace colours lost during processing or other production, or to make food appear more attractive.
Non-sugar sweeteners are often used as an alternative to sugar because they contribute fewer or no calories when added to food. WHO has issued a recommendation against the use of non-sugar sweeteners in general, based on evidence that they don’t seem to benefit long term weight loss or maintenance and may increase risk of noncommunicable diseases.
Food additives are assessed for potential harmful effects on human health before they are approved for use. Authoritative bodies at the national, regional and international levels are responsible for evaluating the safety of food additives. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is the international body responsible for evaluating the safety of food additives for use in foods that are traded internationally.
WHO, in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is responsible for assessing the risks to human health from food additives. Risk assessments of food additives are conducted by an independent, international expert scientific group – the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).
Only food additives that have undergone a JECFA safety assessment and are found not to present an appreciable health risk to consumers can be used internationally. This applies whether food additives come from natural sources or they are synthetic. National authorities, either based on the JECFA assessment or a national assessment, can then authorize the use of food additives at specified levels for specific foods.
JECFA evaluations are based on scientific reviews of all available biochemical, toxicological, and other relevant data on a given additive – mandatory tests in animals, research studies and observations in humans are considered. The toxicological tests required by JECFA include acute, short-term and long-term studies that determine how the food additive is absorbed, distributed and excreted, and possible harmful effects of the additive or its by-products at certain exposure levels.
The starting point for determining whether a food additive can be used without having harmful effects is to establish the acceptable daily intake (ADI). The ADI is an estimate of the amount of an additive in food or drinking water that can be safely consumed daily over a lifetime without adverse health effects.
The safety assessments completed by JECFA are used by the joint intergovernmental food standard-setting body of FAO and WHO, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, to establish levels for maximum use of additives in food and drinks. Codex standards are the reference for national standards for consumer protection, and for the international trade in food, so that consumers everywhere can be confident that the food they eat meets the agreed standards for safety and quality, no matter where it was produced.
Once a food additive has been found to be safe for use by JECFA and maximum use levels have been established in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives, national food regulations need to be implemented permitting the actual use of a food additive.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission also establishes standards and guidelines on food labelling. These standards are implemented in most countries, and food manufacturers are obliged to indicate which additives are in their products. In the European Union, for example, there is legislation governing labelling of food additives according to a set of pre-defined E-numbers. People who have allergies or sensitivities to certain food additives should check labels carefully.
WHO encourages national authorities to monitor and ensure that food additives in food and drinks produced in their countries comply with permitted uses, conditions and legislation. National authorities should oversee the food business, which carries the primary responsibility for ensuring that the use of a food additive is safe and complies with legislation.
When it comes to labelling food products, it’s imperative for manufacturers and retailers to be aware of the legislation surrounding the use of food additives. Food additives play an important role in ensuring the safety, nutritional value and overall quality of the food we consume every day.
This guide explores the complex world of food additive regulations, outlining the current UK legislation and providing guidance to ensure that your food labels are compliant.
Food additives are substances that are added to food products throughout production to provide various technological functions such as flavour, colour or stability of the product.
The terms food ‘additives’ and ‘ingredients’ refer to different aspects of what goes into food, and they serve different purposes. For instance, although honey, sugar and egg yolks all have a technological function in various food products, they are not considered additives because they are usually recognisable components that contribute to the taste, texture or nutritional value of the food, and are often consumed on their own. Instead, they are referred to as ingredients.
On the other hand, additives are not typically consumed by themselves or used as primary constituents of a meal. Instead, they are used to enhance or preserve the qualities of the food, often without adding nutritional value.
Food additives may be used to:
Whilst the foods we prepare at home are generally eaten shortly after preparation, foods sold in shops and online often need to remain stable and attractive for longer. Additives play a key role in global food production to help meet consumer demands for flavour, safety and freshness. By improving the stability of food, they also contribute to reducing food waste which is a major sustainability concern.
Food additives may conjure up a picture of a synthetic chemical to many. However, this isn’t always the case as many additives are derived from naturally occurring substances, such as lecithin from soy and carrageenan from seaweed. In fact, consumers intentionally add additives to their home cooking, such as jam-makers adding pectin (E440) to ensure a good set to the jam. No matter their source, safety is always of the utmost importance in the mind of the regulator when approving the use of additives in food.
Developments in food science have led to a more frequent use of additives in modern food production. There are now hundreds of different substances used as food additives and many more used as flavourings, all of which are regulated for the safety of consumers.
Below, we explore some of the most common types of food additives.
Colourings are additives that are used to restore or bring out the colour in a food. They can be natural, like beetroot red (E162) or synthetic like tartrazine (E102).
Tartrazine is one of the six colours linked to hyperactivity in some children. After research was conducted and funded by the Food Standards Agency, and reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority, amendments to additive regulations were introduced to require foods containing it to carry a specifically worded warning to this effect.
There are other food additives that require warnings such as Azo dyes, which can cause allergies in sensitive individuals, and Aspartame, which can be harmful to people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder.
Preservatives prolong the shelf life of food by protecting against deterioration caused by microorganisms. Common examples include calcium propionate (E282), which is commonly used in bread, and potassium sorbate (E202) used in vegetable spreads/margarine.
Antioxidants prevent the deterioration of foods by the chemical process of oxidation. This includes the prevention of off flavours being formed in foods by the oxidation of fats and oils in the food using tocopherols (E306). Similarly, the application of ascorbic acid (E300) can be used to prevent browning by inhibiting oxidative reactions. Ascorbic acid is more widely recognised as Vitamin C by consumers.
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Sweeteners are additives used to create a sweet taste in food. Typically, non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose are used to produce a sweet taste without the additional calories found in sugar and naturally sourced sweeteners such as honey.
Sometimes several non-nutritive sweeteners may be used together or with sugar to achieve a particular flavour or increase the overall level of sweetness synergistically.
Emulsifiers enable oil and water to mix together and maintain the emulsion, ensuring stability with no separation of the water and fat portions in the product.
Emulsifiers are commonly used in mayonnaise, ice cream and chocolate. Examples include mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471) and soy lecithin (E322), both of which are found in ice cream, ready-to-use icings and instant hot chocolate.
Flavour enhancers are used to boost the existing taste of a food without providing their flavour (i.e. they taste of nothing but enhance the existing flavour of the product). The most common (and contentious) example is monosodium glutamate (MSG, E621), found in crisps and savoury noodles.
According to food additive legislation, all additives must be approved before they can be used in the UK. For a food additive to be approved for use, it must be considered advantageous to the consumer. For instance, if it enhances flavour, extends shelf-life or improves the quality of the food.
Extensive assessments of scientific and technical reports are required to ensure an additive’s safety, technological need, and that its use will not cause the consumer to be misled. Each additive that is approved is permitted for use in certain foods and at a maximum predetermined level.
These regulations help to ensure that additives are only used in products that benefit from their presence, and that presence is kept to the minimum required to achieve the desired results.
The list of the approved ingredients and E numbers that can be used in food products are stated on the Food Standards Agency’s website and in the retained EU Regulation /.
Additives are often referred to by their E-numbers as illustrated throughout this guide. The E-number classification system was created as part of a drive to have a single list for each functional group of additives with the ‘E’ intending to represent to consumers that the permitted additives were classed as safe in the EU. It is recognised globally, and the International Numbering System (INS) for Food Additives which is found in the Codex Alimentarius is based on this. The system was first used in for colours, and was subsequently used in for the directive on preservatives, for antioxidants and in for emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners and gelling agents.
Harmonisation of these additives was the next goal as part of the effort to create the Internal Market in the EU. Harmonisation of additives occurred during the late s and the early to mid-s.
Yes, it is mandatory for food additives to be listed on the ingredients list when present in a food product, either by their name or E number, to abide by food additive labelling regulations.
The additive’s purpose or function within the product must also be stated. Examples of such functions are acids, acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, emulsifiers, gelling agents, humectants and raising agents, amongst others.
To learn more about which ingredients need to be declared on a food label, please refer to our guide:
Although the additives regulations were put in place with the aim of ensuring citizens’ safety, their appearance on food labels can deter consumers with mandy perceiving shorter ingredient lists, with as few additives as possible, as more appealing – a concept known as a ‘clean label’. E-numbers have raised particular concern, with consumers questioning why manufacturers are ‘hiding’ what is in their food by using codes, rather than viewing the codes as a tool that was actually meant to improve transparency.
In the UK, it is common practice to use the additive’s full name on a label, as these can provoke fewer negative perceptions and are generally preferred by consumers. However, for more chemical-sounding and less familiar additives, E-numbers are often used. Additionally, space constraints can demand the use of E-numbers as these can be much shorter than their full-name counterparts.
Ideally, the product label should reflect familiarity to the consumer. We also recommend that a brand approaches the labelling of additives consistently across its product portfolio to improve understanding.
If additives have been used in a food product, you must ensure that they are only used in legally permitted foods and quantities, relevant to the markets of sale (as different countries have different approaches to regulations) which we can advise you on at Ashbury.
To support in communicating to consumers that additives are not always as scary as they look, some brands have taken to including additional information about additives alongside the legal terminology on their labels that simplifies this into more recognisable language. For example, ‘Ascorbic Acid, a form of Vitamin C, also found in citrus fruits’. This is a helpful tactic to educate your customers, but be careful with compliance, as you don’t want to mislead the consumer into thinking your product contains citrus fruits.
Additives that may cause allergic reactions or intolerances, such as sulphites, must be highlighted in the ingredients list if present above pre-set levels and declared even when sold loose or in non-prepacked foods. For Sulphur dioxide (E220) and sulphites (E221 to E228) they must be labelled when present above 10 mg/Kg or 10 mg/litre. This is calculated as the amount of sulphur dioxide in the finished product, as it would be consumed.
Should the allergen be present in a product that is exempt from carrying an ingredient list, then a ‘contains’ statement should be used, unless the name of the product includes the allergen, which in the case of sulphur dioxide or sulphites, is not likely to happen.
If sulphur dioxide or sulphites are present as a preservative in one of the ingredients of a food, for example, in the apples in the filling of an apple pie, then its presence as an allergen must be indicated on the food label. The requirement is set out in retained Regulation (EU) /, Annex II, 12, but labelling consequences of this may not be immediately obvious. This is where a labelling expert can ensure your food label is compliant.
The process of correctly labelling food products can seem complicated, given the many different rules and guidelines to follow. However, it is essential to keep consumers informed on the contents of their food and to ensure your food labels are compliant. For more information please refer to our detailed guide:
Some food additives are banned in the UK because of their potential to cause harmful effects if consumed. For instance, if they are carcinogenic (e.g. Sudan dyes), lead to hyperactivity in children (e.g. Southampton six colours) or have nutritional consequences (e.g. side effects such as stomach cramping and other gastrointestinal issues caused by the additive Olestra).
Countries do not always agree on the safety of additives. This is the case with titanium dioxide, which is used to produce a white colour in some bakery products and confectionery. It is banned in the EU, but after consideration, the UK decided to keep it legal.
In November , the European Court of Justice annulled the classification of titanium dioxide as a carcinogen by inhalation, as inconsistencies in the toxicity findings were noted. France decided to appeal the annulment, which means that at the time of writing, titanium dioxide cannot be used in foods in the EU and Northern Ireland.
Potassium bromate has been shown to cause cancer in some animals, so it is not permitted for use in foods in the EU, UK, Canada and other nations. The US authorities judged that this effect was not evident when the animals were fed bread containing the additive, so it may be added to bread in the USA, where it acts as a dough strengthener, flour treatment agent and leavening agent.
If a company is caught selling foods that contain banned additives in the UK, this could result in serious legal repercussions. It cannot be assumed that because an additive is permitted in one country, that it will be allowed in another.
Some specific examples of foods that are banned in the UK include:
For food businesses, it is imperative that they consult the relevant regulations to ensure that the use of an additive in a particular food is permitted, and also that it is used in quantities below the maximum permitted level.
Understanding and navigating food additive legislation and labelling is challenging. At Ashbury, our expert team is here to help. Our industry-wide experience enables us to provide sound, risk-based guidance on the complexities of food labelling compliance to ensure your products meet the required standards in the UK and globally.
For more Food Additives Manufacturerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.