CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2
FOOD ADDITIVES
CHAPTER OUTCOMES
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:-
a) Explain why food additives are added in food products.
b) Define food additives according to Malaysian Food Regulation (1985).
c) List five types of food preservatives.
d) Explain the functions of antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, humectants, pH regulators and sequestrants.
TYPES OF FOOD ADDITIVES
1. Intentional – purposely added to the food to
provide desirable criteria/characteristics.
Eg: Antioxidants, Antimicrobial, Sequestrants & pH
regulators.
There are 3 categories:
a) Additives generally recognized as safe
(GRAS)
b) Additives with prior approval
c) Food additives
2. Incidental – indirect additives substances that can

accidentally get into food product during
production, processing or packaging.
Eg: Antibiotic, dirt, dust, hair, hormones, insects,
and chemicals from plastic migration
List of some GRAS chemical preservatives
Chemical Amount Organism(s) Use in Foods
GRAS Affected
Sulfites 200-300 ppm Insects and Dried Fruits, Wine,
Microorganisms Lemon Juice
Dehydroacetic acid 65 ppm Insects Strawberries
Sodium Nitrite 120 ppm Clostridia Cured Meats
Ethyl Formate 15-220 ppm Yeasts and Moulds Dried Fruits & Nuts
Propionic Acid 0.32% Moulds Bread, Cakes, Cheeses
Sorbic Acid 0.2% Moulds Hard Cheeses, Cakes,
Salad Dressings
Benzoic Acid 0.1% Yeasts & Moulds Margarine, Relishes,
Soft Drinks, Ketchup,
Salad Dressings
GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) :
a status label assigned by the USFDA (US Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act)
to a listing of substances (GRAS list) not known to be hazardous to health and
thus approved for use in foods.
OR
Compounds that are excluded from the food additive regulation process since it
is recognized safe by experts, based on history of use or based on publish
scientific evidence. There compounds present insignificant hazard with normal
human food uses.
According to USFDA :
Food additive is any substance that is intentionally added into food.

It is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA,
unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having
adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless
the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food
additive.
FUNCTIONS OF FOOD ADDITIVES
1) To improve or maintain nutritional value
2) To enhance overall quality
3) To enhance consumer acceptability
4) To improve shelf life
5) To increase varieties of products
6) To make food readily available
7) To facilitate preparation or processing of the food

MISUSE OF FOOD ADDITIVES IN INDUSTRY
Some food manufacturer misuse the food additives to:
a) Camouflage poor quality product
b) Disguise/conceal an inferior product
c) Hide from defective manufacture
d) Hide from deterioration of the food
e) Use in greater amounts than the minimum necessary to obtain

the same results
DEFINITION OF FOOD ADDITIVES
Malaysian Food Regulations (1985), defined food additives as:
“Any safe substance that is intentionally introduced into or on a food in

small quantities in order to effect the foods keeping quality, texture,
consistency, appearance, odour, taste, alkalinity or acidity or to serve
any other technological function in the manufacture, processing,
preparation, treatment, packing, packaging, transport or storage of the
food and that results or may be reasonably expected to results directly
or indirectly in the substance or any of its by-products becoming a
component of, or otherwise affecting the characteristics of the food and
include any preservative, colouring substance, flavouring substance,
flavour enhancer, antioxidant and food conditioner but shall not include
nutrient supplement, incidental constituent or salt”
FOOD ADDITIVE OR NUTRIENT?
Source: MIKE SALTMARSH

HIERARCHY OF FOOD ADDITIVES
FOOD
ADDITIVES
INTENTIONALL INCIDENTAL
Y ADDED ADDED
FOOD FOOD FOOD

COLOURING PRESERVATIVES FLAVOURING
ANTI-
pH SEQUESTRANT
MICROBIAL ANTIOXIDANTS HUMECTANTS
REGULATORS S
AGENTS
FOOD PRESERVATIVES
• Function: To improve shelf life of processed foods
Chemicals food preservatives must satisfy these main

requirements:
a) Addition of extremely low concentrations must make the food

unacceptable for microflora.
b) Added in effective concentrations must be completely

harmless to human health
c) It should not impart colour, flavour or taste to the product.
d) It should be free from officially banned, deleterious

admixtures and impurities.
Food preservatives and their function
Additives Function
(preservatives)
Antimicrobial Prevent growth of microorganisms in foods such as
agents breads, carbonated beverages and margarine. Nitrites
also preserve colour, enhance flavour and prevent
rancidity.
Antioxidants Retard rancidity of unsaturated oils also prevents

browning in fruits and vegetables that occurs due to
exposure to oxygen.
pH regulators Change or maintain active acidity or alkalinity.
Sequestrants Added to bind with metals such as iron, calcium, nickel
and copper to prevent colour, flavour and appearance
changes in food products such as wine and cider.
Humectants Retain moisture also to keep foods soft and moist.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT
Function: to prevent food spoilage cause by growth of bacteria,

mould, fungi and yeast hence assuring safety of many
foods.
It helped to:
a) Extend shelf-life of food products
b) Protect the natural colour and flavour of the food.
Examples are sugar, salt, sodium benzoate, fatty acid salts such as
sodium or calcium propionate, sodium nitrite and nitrates, sodium
chloride, sulphur dioxide, sorbic acid and oxidizing agents like
chlorine, hydrogen peroxide and iodine.
APPLICATIONS OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
IN FOOD PRODUCTS:
1) Benzoic acid: added in oyster sauce, fish sauce, ketchup,
carbonated and alcoholic beverages, fruit juice, margarine,
salad dressings, soy sauce, jams and pickled products.
2) Sodium or calcium propionate and propionic acid: added to
prevent mould formation and rope development in breads,
chocolate products, cheese.
3) Nitrates and nitrites of sodium and potassium: added to
maintain pink colour in cured meats and to enhance flavour
but it is also used to prevent botulism in canned foods.
4) Ascorbic acid and ascorbates: added in sausages.
5) Salt: added to retards bacterial growth in cheese and butter.
6) Sulfur dioxide and sulfites: used to bleach and also as
antioxidants to prevent browning in alcoholic beverages, fruit
juices, dried fruits and vegetables and to prevent yeast
growth.
7) Sorbic acid and sorbates: added to prevent mould formation
in cheese and flour confectioneries.
ANTIOXIDANT
Function: Delaying or retarding the development of rancidity in

food or other deterioration due to oxidation
(enzymatic browning).
It must meet certain properties such as:

a) Do not cause any harmful physiological effects on human
b) Do not contribute to an objectionable flavour, odour or
colour
c) Do not destroy during processing
d) Effective in low concentration,
e) Fat soluble
f) Economical
g) Have carry-through effect
TYPES OF ANTIOXIDANTS
1) Natural antioxidants such as:
a) Tocopherols,
b) Sesamol,
c) Gossypol,
d) Ascorbic acid,
e) Spices and Herbs (rosemary and sage)
2) Synthetic antioxidants such as:

a) Butylated hydroxylanisole (BHA),
b) Butylated hydroxyltoluene (BHT),
c) Propyl gallate,
d) Tertiary butylated hydroxyquinone(TBHQ),
e) Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA).
APPLICATIONS OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN FOOD PRODUCT
1) BHA and BHT: added to prevent oxidative spoilage

of unsaturated fats and oils in potato chips, cheese
balls, ready-to-eat cereals, crackers.
2) α-tocopherols: used in vegetable oils to delay

rancidity.
3) Ascorbic acid: reacts with unwanted oxygen,

stabilising colour, flavours and prevent formation
of nitrosamines in cured meats, applied to frozen
fruits to prevent browning.
pH REGULATORS (ACIDULANT)
• Function: lower food pH, control food acidity

and alkalinity, improve of flavours and inhibit
microorganisms in food.
• Examples of acidulants are malic acid,

tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric
acid, citric acid and acetic acid (vinegar).
APPLICATIONS OF pH REGULATORS IN FOOD
PRODUCT
1) Phosphoric acid is used in cola soft drinks to

reduce pH.
2) Acetic acid is used in mayonnaise and salad
dressings to provide tartness.
3) Propionic acid applied to surface of cheese and
butter for its antifungal properties.
4) Alkaline compounds is used to neutralize
the excess acid developed in fermented
foods. E.g : Sodium hydroxide and
potassium hydroxide
SEQUESTERANTS (CHELATING AGENT)
Function: To control the availability of a cation by binds or isolates other

substances.
Food products that contact directly with bronze, brass, cold rolled steel or black
iron surfaces (containers or equipment) having potential in off-odour, off-colour,
oxidation process using stainless steel.
E.g:
It acts to combine with metal elements such as copper (Cu2+)and iron (Fe2+) which are
active in oxidation (metal-catalysed oxidation in ascorbic acid) reactions by forming
complexes which inhibit vitamin C losses and development of off-flavours and odours.
These substances have little or no activity alone but will enhance the activity of true
antioxidants through their synergistic effect. It is normally added in metal canned food
products including beer.
Phosphoric acid
Citric acid
Polyphosphates
Ascorbyl palmitate
Ethylenediamine tetra acetate (EDTA) & amino acid cysteine
- significant effect in reducing oxidation in ascorbic acid
APPLICATIONS OF SEQUESTRANTS IN FOOD
PRODUCT
1) Sodium citrate: added in cooked cured meat

and canned baby foods.
2) EDTA: used in wine and cider to prevent

undesirable effects on flavour or
appearance.
Handbook of Nutrition and Food, 3rd edition edited by Carolyn D. Berdanier et. al (2014)
HUMECTANTS
Function: to attract water within a food product which

lowers the products water activity (aw).
The hygroscopic or “water-pulling” substances when

incorporated in food will promote the retention of
moisture.
E.g: Fructose, polyhydric alcohols or plyols such as glycerol,

sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, propylene glycol,
polydextrose and glyceryl triacetate (triacetin).
APPLICATIONS OF HUMECTANTS IN FOOD
PRODUCT
Fructose, glycerine and sorbitol:

used in sweetened baked goods such as
marshmallows, flaked coconut, cake icings,
soft and chewy cookies.
HUMECTANT USAGE
Sorbitol Cakes, pastries, sugar

confectioneries, chewing gum,
snack bars
Xylitol (lower mw than More effective in softening
sorbitol) starch, sugar and protein
matrices
Maltitol Cakes, pastries, chocolate,
chewing gum, sugar
confectineries, tabletop
sweetener (similiar to sucrose)

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a) Explain why food additives are added in food products.

b) Define food additives according to Malaysian Food Regulation (1985).

c) List five types of food preservatives.

2. Incidental – indirect additives substances that can

Food additive is any substance that is intentionally added into food.

2) To enhance overall quality

3) To enhance consumer acceptability

4) To improve shelf life

5) To increase varieties of products

6) To make food readily available

7) To facilitate preparation or processing of the food

a) Camouflage poor quality product

b) Disguise/conceal an inferior product

c) Hide from defective manufacture

d) Hide from deterioration of the food

e) Use in greater amounts than the minimum necessary to obtain

“Any safe substance that is intentionally introduced into or on a food in

Source: MIKE SALTMARSH

FOOD FOOD FOOD

Chemicals food preservatives must satisfy these main

a) Addition of extremely low concentrations must make the food

b) Added in effective concentrations must be completely

c) It should not impart colour, flavour or taste to the product.

d) It should be free from officially banned, deleterious

Antioxidants Retard rancidity of unsaturated oils also prevents

Function: to prevent food spoilage cause by growth of bacteria,

Function: Delaying or retarding the development of rancidity in

It must meet certain properties such as:

2) Synthetic antioxidants such as:

1) BHA and BHT: added to prevent oxidative spoilage

2) α-tocopherols: used in vegetable oils to delay

3) Ascorbic acid: reacts with unwanted oxygen,

• Function: lower food pH, control food acidity

• Examples of acidulants are malic acid,

1) Phosphoric acid is used in cola soft drinks to

Function: To control the availability of a cation by binds or isolates other

1) Sodium citrate: added in cooked cured meat

2) EDTA: used in wine and cider to prevent

Function: to attract water within a food product which

The hygroscopic or “water-pulling” substances when

E.g: Fructose, polyhydric alcohols or plyols such as glycerol,

Fructose, glycerine and sorbitol:

Sorbitol Cakes, pastries, sugar

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