Food additive, any of various chemical substances added to foods to produce specific desirable effects. Additives such as salt, spices, and sulfites have been used since ancient times to preserve foods and make them more palatable. With the increased processing of foods in the 20th century, there came a need for both the greater use of and new types of food additives. Many modern products, such as low-calorie, snack, and ready-to-eat convenience foods, would not be possible without food additives.
There are four general categories of food additives: nutritional additives, processing agents, preservatives, and sensory agents. These are not strict classifications, as many additives fall into more than one category. For more information on additives, see emulsifier; food colouring; nutritional supplement; and preservative.
Food additives and their metabolites are subjected to rigorous toxicological analysis prior to their approval for use in the industry. Feeding studies are carried out using animal species (e.g., rats, mice, dogs) in order to determine the possible acute, short-term, and long-term toxic effects of these chemicals. These studies monitor the effects of the compounds on the behaviour, growth, mortality, blood chemistry, organs, reproduction, offspring, and tumour development in the test animals over a 90-day to two-year period. The lowest level of additive producing no toxicological effects is called the no-effect level (NOEL). The NOEL is generally divided by 100 to determine a maximum acceptable daily intake (ADI).
Toxicological analysis of the nonnutritive sweeteners has produced variable results. High concentrations of saccharin and cyclamates in the diets of rats have been shown to induce the development of bladder tumours in the animals. Because of these results, the use of cyclamates has been banned in several countries, including the United States, and the use of saccharin must include a qualifying statement regarding its potential health risks. However, no evidence of human bladder cancer has been reported with the consumption of these sweeteners. Both aspartame and acesulfame K have been deemed to be relatively safe, with no evidence of carcinogenic potential in animal studies.
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