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Why use additives and food ingredients?
Food additives and food ingredients are an essential part of many of the food products we take for granted. Preservatives prevent them from deteriorating too rapidly. Low-calorie, low-carb and diabetic products would not be possible without intense sweeteners. Additives are an important part of the convenience foods that form a staple part of the busy modern lifestyle.
Additives and food ingredients have been used for thousands of years, to preserve food from one harvest to the next, and make it taste and look nicer. In recent years, additives ranging from emulsifiers to colours to raising and gelling agents have been developed that are essential components of many products on the shelves of our food stores. Additives come from various sources – some are synthetic, and many others are extracted from plants.
Without additives and food ingredients, consumers would have to shop for food every day which, as well as being inconvenient, has an environmental impact. Many of the food products we buy would be blander, less appetising and spoil more quickly. Additives mean that the food industry is able to meet consumers’ growing demands for taste, variety and convenience.
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