Chemistry · Ch 16 — Chemistry in Everyday Life
Chemicals in Food
16.4
Chemicals in Food
Why Chemicals Are Added to Food
Chemical substances are deliberately added to food for three broad purposes: to preserve it against spoilage, to enhance its appeal (colour, flavour, texture), and, in a smaller number of cases, to genuinely add nutritive value. Food additives fall into seven main categories:
- Food colours
- Flavours and sweeteners
- Fat emulsifiers and stabilising agents
- Flour improvers (antistaling agents and bleaches)
- Antioxidants
- Preservatives
- Nutritional supplements (minerals, vitamins, amino acids) …