Food addictives : their function and control.

Abstract

Food Additives are compounds not generally regarded as foods but as an aid to improve the keeping qualities, to enhance flavour, colour, texture, appearance, or stability of the food as a convenience to the consumer. Additives may be natural or synthesised in the laboratory so as to be chemically identical to natural compounds or synthetic compounds that are not available in nature. Most additives are used whenever there is a need but the use of certain compounds may be restricted to specified foods. Laws and regulations have been born as a result of adverse effect caused by high intake, as a shown by laboratory tests on certain food additives. The highest acceptable daily dose is usually equivalent to one-hundredth of the highest dose that has no detectable effect in laboratory tests. Additives are classified by their function.