Why are food additives used?
 

• To maintain a food’s nutritional quality, for example by preventing vitamins, essential amino acids and unsaturated fats from degrading.
• To improve a food’s keeping properties, for example by preventing mould from growing and slowing down the chemical reactions that make foods go off.
• To provide products for consumers who have specific nutritional requirements, such as diabetics who need products containing sweeteners rather than sugar.
• To maintain and improve a product’s sensory properties, such as texture, consistency, taste, aroma and colour.
• To aid the manufacturing process of a food product, or its packaging, transport or storage.

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