Editing Food additive (section)

== Identification ==
To regulate these additives and inform consumers each additive is assigned a unique number called an "E number", which is used in Europe for all approved additives. This numbering scheme has been adopted and extended by the ''[[Codex Alimentarius]]'' Commission as the [[International Numbering System for Food Additives]] (INS) to internationally identify all additives (INS number.,<ref>
{{Cite web| publisher = United Nations, World Health Organization| title = Codex Alimentarius, Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) Online Database| url = https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/dbs/gsfa/en/|date=2025|access-date=4 January 2025}}</ref>

E numbers are all prefixed by "E", but countries outside Europe use only the number, whether the additive is approved in Europe or not.

For example, [[acetic acid]] is written as E260 on products sold in Europe, but is simply known as additive 260 in some countries. Additive 103, [[alkannin]], is not approved for use in Europe, so does not have an E number, although it is approved for use in Australia  and New Zealand. Since 1987, Australia has had an approved system of labelling for additives in packaged foods. Each food additive has to be named or numbered. The numbers are the same as in Europe, but without the prefix "E".{{cn|date=March 2023}}

The United States [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) lists these items as GRAS;<ref name="gras-1-25">{{cite web |title=GRAS Notices |url=https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=GRASNotices|publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=4 January 2025 |date=2 January 2025}}</ref> they are listed under both their [[Chemical Abstracts Service]] number and FDA regulation under the United States [[Code of Federal Regulations]].<ref name="fda-determine">{{cite web |title=Determining the Regulatory Status of a Food Ingredient |url=https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/determining-regulatory-status-food-ingredient |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910182852/https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/determining-regulatory-status-food-ingredient |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 10, 2019 |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=4 January 2025 |date=20 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="fda-how">{{cite web |title=Understanding How the FDA Regulates Food Additives and GRAS Ingredients |url=https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-and-gras-ingredients-information-consumers/understanding-how-fda-regulates-food-additives-and-gras-ingredients |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709010153/https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-and-gras-ingredients-information-consumers/understanding-how-fda-regulates-food-additives-and-gras-ingredients |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=4 January 2025 |date=6 June 2024}}</ref>

The FDA publishes a [[list of food additives]] for all approved ingredients.<ref name="fda-final10-24">{{cite web |title=Final Rules: Food Additives and Color Additives |url=https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=FinalRules |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=4 January 2025 |date=25 October 2024}}</ref>

===Categories===
Food additives can be divided into several groups, although there is some overlap because some additives exert more than one effect.  For example, salt is both a preservative as well as a flavor.<ref name=Ullmann>Erich Lück and Gert-Wolfhard von Rymon Lipinski "Foods, 3. Food Additives" in ''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'', 2002, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. {{doi| 10.1002/14356007.a11_561}}</ref><ref name="fda-cons">{{cite web |title=Food Additives and GRAS Ingredients – Information for Consumers |url=https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/food-additives-and-gras-ingredients-information-consumers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708122651/https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/food-additives-and-gras-ingredients-information-consumers |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2023 |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration |access-date=4 January 2025 |date=24 May 2024}}</ref>

*[[Acidulant]]s confer sour or acid taste. Common acidulants include vinegar, [[citric acid]], [[tartaric acid]], [[malic acid]], [[fumaric acid]], and [[lactic acid]].
*[[Acidity regulator]]s are used for controlling the [[pH]] of foods for stability or to affect activity of enzymes.
*[[Anticaking agent]]s keep powders such as milk powder from caking or sticking.
*[[Defoamer|Antifoaming agents]] reduce or prevent foaming in foods.  Foaming agents do the reverse.
*[[Antioxidant]]s such as [[vitamin C]] are preservatives by inhibiting the degradation of food by [[oxygen]].
*{{anchor|bulking}}Bulking agents such as [[starch]] are additives that increase the bulk of a food without affecting its taste.
*[[Food coloring|Colorings]] are added to food to replace colors lost during preparation or to make food look more attractive.
*Fortifying agents: [[Vitamin]]s and [[Mineral (nutrient)|minerals]] may be added to increase the nutritional value
*In contrast to colorings, [[Colour retention agent|color retention agents]] are used to preserve a food's existing color.
*[[Emulsion#Emulsifiers|Emulsifiers]] allow water and oils to remain mixed together in an [[emulsion]], as in [[mayonnaise]], [[ice cream]], and homogenized milk.
*[[Flavoring]]s are additives that give food a particular taste or smell, and may be derived from natural ingredients or created artificially.

In Europe, flavorings do not have an E-code and they are not considered as food additives.
*[[Flavoring|Flavor enhancers]] enhance a food's existing flavors.  A popular example is [[monosodium glutamate]].  Some flavor enhancers have their own flavors that are independent of the food.
*[[Flour treatment agent]]s are added to flour to improve its color or its use in [[baking]].
*[[Glazing agent]]s provide a shiny appearance or protective coating to foods.
*[[Humectant]]s prevent foods from drying out.
*[[Tracer gas]] allows for package integrity testing to prevent foods from being exposed to atmosphere, thus guaranteeing shelf life.
*[[Preservative]]s prevent or inhibit spoilage of food due to [[Fungus|fungi]], bacteria and other [[microorganism]]s.
*[[Stabilizer (chemistry)|Stabilizers]], thickening and gelling agents, like [[agar]] or [[pectin]] (used in [[Fruit preserves|jam]] for example) give foods a firmer texture.  While they are not true emulsifiers, they help to stabilize [[emulsion]]s.
*[[Sugar substitute|Sweeteners]] are added to foods for flavoring. Sweeteners other than sugar are added to keep the [[food energy]] ([[calorie]]s) low.
*[[Thickening agent]]s are substances which, when added to the mixture, increase its [[viscosity]] without substantially modifying its other properties.
*[[Bisphenols]], [[phthalates]], and [[Perfluorinated compound|perfluoroalkyl chemicals]] (PFCs) are indirect additives used in manufacturing or packaging.  In July 2018 the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]] called for more careful study of those three substances, along with [[nitrates]] and food coloring, as they might harm children during development.<ref>{{cite news |title=Press release: Some Common Food Additives May Pose Health Risks to Children |url=https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Says-Some-Common-Food-Additives-May-Pose-Health-Risks-to-Children.aspx |work=American Academy of Pediatrics |date=July 23, 2018}}</ref>