Food additive terms

Food additives refer to a class of chemical synthetic or natural substances used to improve the quality of foods, extend the shelf life of foods, facilitate food processing, and increase the nutritional content of foods. Food additives are compound or natural substances added to foods to improve the color, aroma, taste, and other qualities of foods, as well as for preservation and processing. At present, there are 23 categories of food additives in China, more than 2000 varieties, including acidity regulators, anti-caking agents, defoamers, antioxidants, bleaches, leavening agents, colorants, color protection agents, enzymes, flavor enhancers , nutritional fortifiers, preservatives, sweeteners, thickeners, and spices.

Standard definition

Different countries in the world have different definitions of food additives. The Joint Food Regulation Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) defines food additives as: Food additives are deliberately added to foods in a small amount to improve foods. Non-nutrients of appearance, flavor, texture, or storage properties. According to this definition, food fortifiers aimed at enhancing the nutrient content of foods should not be included in the range of food additives.

In accordance with Article 43 of the “Food Sanitation Law of the People's Republic of China” and Article 28 of the “Measures for the Hygienic Management of Food Additives” and Article 2 of the “Measures for the Hygienic Management of Food Nutrition Enhancers”, China defines food additives and food fortifiers as: Food additives are chemically synthesized or natural substances that are added to foods to improve food quality and color, aroma, taste, and the need for preservation and processing. Food fortifiers are natural or artificially synthesized substances that are added to foods to enhance nutrient content and are food additives that fall within the scope of natural nutrients. In the process of food processing and raw material processing, it is also possible to apply certain auxiliary substances in order to enable it to proceed smoothly. These substances are not related to food, such as filter aid, clarification, lubrication, stripping, decoloration, peeling, solvent extraction and nutrient for fermentation. They should generally be removed from the finished food product and should not be the final food ingredient, or only There is residue. This type of substance is called a food processing aid.