Food additives and processing aids

Introduction

Food additives are substances intentionally added to food staples in order to improve conservation, color, taste or appearance.

aids are substances intentionally added to food. But, contrary to food additives, the role of processing aids is to facilitate the production of food without filling any position in the finished product.

The use of these substances by humans goes back centuries, although it manifests itself today as a technical fashion. The Egyptians, for example, have used colors and flavorings to enhance the attractiveness of certain food products and the Romans used saltpetre (potassium nitrate), spices and dyes for the conservation and , improving the appearance of food.

developments in food science and recent technological advances have led to the discovery of new substances that can serve many functions in food: Preserving the quality of food, improved organoleptic characteristics, etc. . According to the function that these substances play in the finished product or in its preparation, they are classified into several categories: dyes, preservatives, antioxidants, etc.. Classification can also be based on their origin. Thus, there are those that are natural, those obtained by modification of natural products and synthetic ones.

food additives and processing aids are strictly regulated in order to protect consumer health. The regulations in this area is based on the principle of the positive list: only those additives that are explicitly authorized can be used. The substances permitted are systematically reviewed by the scientific authorities, and that, taking into account scientific and technological developments. When we demonstrate that an additive allowed is unsafe, it is removed from the positive list.

Document Content

paper on food additives and processing aids is composed of the following sections: