Food Additives

Look closely at the ingredient list on any packaged food -- biscuits, chocolates, and the like -- and, alongside the expected main ingredients (wheat flour, edible oil, sugar, milk solids), you'll typically spot a string of numbered or named substances such as emulsifiers (e.g. 322, 472E) or dough conditioners (e.g. 223). Are these actually necessary? The unit's answer is yes: these substances -- which are not naturally part of the food and are deliberately added, the very definition of a food additive -- genuinely improve the food. They enhance its nutritive value, its sensory qualities (taste, appe …