Food additives: what they are and how they affect your health

Food additives are substances not normally consumed as food in themselves, nor are they used as characteristic ingredients of a food, regardless of whether they have nutritional value or not. They are added for technological purposes; specifically, they perform various functions such as maintaining freshness, taste, and appearance, or improving the product’s safety.[1]

Several hundred food additives are used, and they can be of plant, animal, mineral, or artificial origin.[1]

Their use varies from food to food.
Only a limited number have been authorized for use in unprocessed foods such as water, fruit, vegetables, milk, and fresh meat. On the other hand, the more processed a food is, such as sweets, desserts, salty snacks, and processed meats, the greater the number of authorized and used additives.[2]

Additives present in a food are, in all respects, components of the food itself. They are identified by the E-numbering system, where “E” stands for Europe, and are listed in the ingredients according to the rules established by Directive 2000/13/EC.[3]

Most food additives are considered safe. However, attention should be paid to certain preservatives, such as nitrates and nitrites, whose potential health effects are discussed below.[4][5]

Contents

Examples of additives

Food additives can be grouped into classes or categories based on the technological purpose for which they are used.[6] For example, according to European legislation, twenty-six categories have been defined, and eight of them are listed below with a brief description of their functions.

  • Acidity regulators, which are used to modify or stabilize the pH levels of foods.[7]
  • Anti-caking agents, used in the production of powdered or dried foods to prevent aggregation and, therefore, the formation of lumps.[8]
  • Antioxidants, which protect foods from oxidation, which could alter their color or, in the case of fats, cause rancidity, thereby increasing their shelf life.[9]
  • Colours, used to restore or enhance the food’s color and make it more visually appealing.[10]
  • Emulsifiers, whose function is to improve the stability, consistency, or shelf life of foods.[11]
  • Flavour enhancers, used to enhance the taste or aroma of food without imparting any of their own.[12]
  • Glazing agents, used to coat the surface of foods, giving them a glossy appearance and/or providing a protective layer that extends their shelf life.[13]
  • Preservatives, whose purpose is to protect foods from microbial spoilage, ensuring their safety and prolonging their shelf life.[14]
  • Sweeteners, used as substitutes for sucrose.[15]

Are additives added to all foods?

Some foods do not require additives at all. Examples include homemade foods, which are usually consumed immediately and where appearance may be less important than in industrial foods. However, not all industrial foods require additives either. Examples include yogurt and certain types of bread.[2]
Examples of skeletal formulas of food additives, including potassium ferrocyanide and ascorbic acid.On the other hand, many foods naturally contain substances also used as additives, such as carotenoids, polyphenols (such as anthocyanins [E163]), and vitamin C (E300).[1]

Natural and artificial additives

Additives used in the food industry can be of animal, plant, mineral, or artificial origin. However, the distinction between “natural” and “artificial” has become blurred, as laboratory-made compounds can be identical to those extracted from natural sources. An example is vitamin C and alpha-tocopherol (E307), two antioxidants that can be obtained from natural sources but whose high market demand cannot be met solely through these means.[9]

Health effects

Most food additives used by the food industry are not harmful to human health and do not increase the risk of developing cancer.[5]

Safety is ensured by rigorous evaluation processes that candidate molecules must undergo before they can be approved for use. In Europe, these assessments are conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), while internationally, other reference bodies for additive evaluation include the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), established by the FAO and the WHO. Moreover, the lists of permitted additives are updated regularly, taking into account the most recent scientific evidence.[12]

However, a significant exception is represented by nitrates and nitrites, used mainly in the preservation processed meats. These substances, although not dangerous in themselves, can undergo chemical changes leading to the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogenic compounds that can increase the risk of gastric and esophageal cancers when consumed in large amounts.[4]

For this reason, it is advisable to reduce the consumption of foods that contain nitrates and nitrites by choosing fresh meats and adopting a balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables, which contain antioxidants and vitamins that help counteract the formation of nitrosamines.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c EFSA. Food additives. Last reviewed date: 28 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011 of 11 November 2011 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a Union list of food additives. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1129/2013-11-21
  3. ^ Food Standards Agency. Approved additives and E Numbers. Last updated: 3 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b Grosse Y., Baan R., Straif K., Secretan B., El Ghissassi F., Cogliano V.; WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group. Carcinogenicity of nitrate, nitrite, and cyanobacterial peptide toxins. Lancet Oncol 2006;7(8):628-9. doi:10.1016/s1470-2045(06)70789-6
  5. ^ a b AIRC. Gli additivi e i conservanti alimentari aumentano il rischio di tumori? Ultimo aggiornamento: 22 marzo 2023. https://www.airc.it/cancro/informazioni-tumori/corretta-informazione/additivi-conservanti-alimentari
  6. ^ Food Standards Agency. Food additives. Last updated: 13 December 2024. https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-additives
  7. ^ EUFIC. What are acidity regulators and why are they added to food. Last Updated: 01 December 2021. https://www.eufic.org/en/whats-in-food/article/acidity-regulators-the-multi-task-players
  8. ^ Belitz H.-D., Grosch W., Schieberle P. Food Chemistry. 4th Edition. Springer, 2009.
  9. ^ a b EUFIC. The importance of antioxidants in food. Last updated: 01 July 2004. https://www.eufic.org/en/whats-in-food/article/food-should-also-look-good-why-antioxidants-are-so-important
  10. ^ EFSA. Food colours. Last reviewed date: 29 April 2025.
  11. ^ Hasenhuettl G.L., Hartel R.W. (Eds.). Food emulsifiers and their applications. 3rd Edition New York: Springer, 2008.
  12. ^ European Union. Guidance notes on the classification of a flavouring substance with modifying properties and a flavour enhancer. 27 May 2014. https://food.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2016-10/fs_food-improvement-agents_flavourings-guidance_modifying_properties.pdf
  13. ^ Martins F.C.O.L., Sentanin M.A., De Souza D. Chapter 6 – Categories of food additives and analytical techniques for their determination. Editor(s): Galanakis C.M. Innovative Food Analysis. Academic Press. 2021;123-156. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-819493-5.00006-6
  14. ^ European Commission. Food safety. Additives. https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/food-improvement-agents/additives_en
  15. ^ EFSA. Sweeteners. Last reviewed date: 30 April 2025.
  16. ^ Tannenbaum S.R., Wishnok J.S., Leaf C.D. Inhibition of nitrosamine formation by ascorbic acid. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;53(1 Suppl):247S-250S. doi:10.1093/ajcn/53.1.247S

Biochemistry and metabolism