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Take a look at the most common food additives used, what their functions are and in which foods you can expect to find them:
| Functions | Additives used | Examples of foods in which additives are used |
| To improve nutritional value of certain foods | Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, ascorbic adic, potassium iodide | Wheat, flour, bread, rolls, biscuits, breakfast cereals, macaroni and noodle products, cornmeal, margarine, milk, iodised salt |
| To maintain appearance, palatability, and wholesomeness in certain foods (delaying undesirable changes in foods caused by oxidation or microbial growth; preventing food spoilage caused by molds, bacteria, yeast) | Propionic acid, calcium and sodium salts of propionic acid, ascorbic acid, butylated hyroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hyroxytoluene (BHT), propylene glycol | Bread, pie filling, cake mixes, potato chips, crackers cheese, syrup, fruit juices, frozen and dried fruits, margarine, shortenings, lard |
| To enhance flavour of certain foods | Spices (cloves, ginger, cinnamon etc.), citrus oils, amyl acetate, carvone, benzaldehyde, monosodium glutamate (MSG), vanilla | Spice cake, gingerbread, ice cream, sweets, carbonated beverages, fruit-flavoured gelatins, toppings, sausage |
| To give charasteristic colour to certain foods | Annatto, carotene, cochineal, chlorophyll nitrates | Baked goods, sweets, carbonated beverages, cheese, margarine, ice cream, jams, jellies, meat products |
| To maintain desired consistency in foods (emulsifiers and stabilisers) | Lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, gum arabic, carboxymethyl cellulose, carrageenan | Bakery products, cake mixes, salad dressings, frozen desserts, ice cream, chocolate milk, sweets, beer |
| To control acidity or alkalinity in certain foods (leavening and neutralising agents) | Potassium acid tartrate, tartaric acid, sodium bicarbonate, lactic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, fumaric acid | Cakes, cookies, biscuits, crackers, waffles, muffins, butter, processed cheese, cheese spreads, chocolates, carbonated beverages, confectionery |
| To serve as maturing and bleaching agents | Chlorine dioxide, chlorine, potassium bromate, iodate | Wheat flour (to make it white), certain cheeses |
| To help retain moisture (humectants), prevent caking, or act as curing agents | Glycerin, magnesium carbonate, sodium nitrate, calcium phosphate | Coconut, marshmallows, table salt, garlic and onion powder, frankfurters, sausages, dietetic foods |
Source: Krause's Food, Nutrition, & Diet Therapy (10th Edition, 2000)
