A Guide to Food Additives - A
| Name | Other Names | Purpose | Source |
|
Acacia gum |
Wattles |
Food emulsifier |
Acacia plant |
|
Acesulfame potassium |
Ace-K, E950 |
Zero calorie sweetener |
Synthetic |
|
Acetic Acid |
Acidity modulator |
Found in vinegar |
|
|
Acetylated distarch adipate |
E1422 |
Bulking agent, stabilizer, thickener |
Modified starch from maize, tapioca |
|
Acetylated distarch phosphate |
E1414 |
Bulking agent, stabilizer, thickener, fermented by microbiota |
Modified starch from potato, maize, tapioca |
|
Acetylated starch |
E1420 |
Bulking agent, stabilizer, thickener, fermented by microbiota |
Modified starch from potato, maize, tapioca |
|
Adipic acid |
E355, Hexanedioic acid |
Tiny amounts used for gelling & tarty flavor, gives fizzy bubbles in drinks |
Found in beets, sugar cane |
|
Agar |
Agar-agar, China grass, Kanten |
Vegetable gelling agent used in jellies, puddings & custards |
Found in red algae |
|
Alginic acid |
Algin, salts made are called "Alginates" |
Alginates absorb water in dehydrated products, thickening agent for ice-cream, gelling agent for jellies, micro-encapsulation, |
Found in brown seaweed |
|
Alkanet |
Alkanna tinctoria, the "dyer's alkanet", extract is Alkannin |
Red dye soluble in oil and alcohol, coloring wine and vegetable oils |
Herb native to Mediterranean |
|
Allspice |
Jamaica pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, pimento |
jerk seasoning, sausage, curry powder, stews, liqueur, desserts, chili and cakes |
Berry of plant Pimenta dioica |
|
Allura red |
E129, Red azo dye, FD&C Red 40 |
Soluble in water, red coloring in cotton candy, soft drinks, cherry products, condiments, powder mixes & spices |
Synthetic, organic, byproduct of petroleum |
|
Aluminum Sulphate |
E520 |
Purification of water, firming agent, precipitation of protein in brewing, used to strengthen vegetable structure |
Very low concentration in beer & vegetables |
|
Sodium Aluminum Phosphate |
E541 |
Used as acids for baking powders, combines with baking soda to give carbon dioxide at baking temperatures, emulsifier in cheese making |
Cheese, dairy substitute |
|
Aluminium Potassium Sulfate |
E522 |
Acidic ingredient in baking powder as leavening agent at high temperatures, pickling & preserving fruits & vegetables |
Cheese, dairy substitute |
|
Amchoor |
Amchur, mango powder |
Acidic and sour, used in vegetable dishes, soups, curries and tenderize meat for flavor and color |
Cheese, dairy substitute |
|
Ammonium Acetate |
E264, Spirit of Mindererus |
Preservative, acidity regulator, inhibits bacterial growth, sour & tangy flavor enhancer in condiments, pickling, snacks, cheese, wine, mead, eggs |
Naturally produced by bacterial fermentation |
|
Ammonium Adipate |
E359, Diammonium adipate, Ammonium salt of adipic acid |
Acidity regulator, Flavor enhancer |
Adipic acid is found naturally in cells of living things |
|
Ammonium bicarbonate |
E503, Bicarbonate of ammonia, hartshor |
Leavening agent in low moisture baked goods, steamed buns. Tasteless, decomposes into water and gas during baking. |
Synthetically produced, initially by dry distillation of organic matter (leather, hair, antlers etc.) |
|
Ammonium Chloride |
E510, Sal ammoniac, Nushadir salt, Salmiak |
Yeast & acidifier in breadmaking, gives cookies crisp texture, in liquor for flavoring. Increases crispness of snacks. |
Inorganic, formed on burning coal dumps from condensation and in volcanic vents |
|
Ammonium ferric citrate |
E381, Ferric ammonium citrate, FerriSeltz |
Acidity regulator, carbonated beverages, anti-caking agent, extremely water soluble |
Synthetic, parent compound is citric acid, found in lemons and tarty fruits |
|
Ammonium fumarate |
E368, Diammonium fumarate |
Acidity regulator |
|
|
Ammonium hydroxide |
E527, Ammonia water |
Acidity regulator to lower acidity, antimicrobial agent |
Ammonia is produced by decompositon of organic matter(plants, animals) |
|
Ammonium Lactate |
E328 |
Acidity regulator, flour treatment |
Synthesized. Parent compound is lactic acid, found in fermented dairy such as yogurt & human body. |
|
Ammonium Phospatides |
E442 |
Emulsifier, flavor neutral, used in chocolate |
Rapeseed(oil) |
|
Ammonium polyphosphates |
E545 |
Emulsifier |
|
|
Consists of α-amylase, β-amylase, γ-amylase |
Speed break down of starch to sugar during digestion, brewing beer and liquors, bread making |
Animals, plants, microbes, human digestive system |
|
|
Anise |
Aniseed, Not to be confused with star anise |
Sweet and aromatic used in teas & ethnic foods across the globe |
Anise plant |
|
Annato |
E160b |
Used as a spice powder or paste in ethnic cuisines, yellow or orange color in cheese, ice-cream, bakery, desserts, drinks, fillings & fat-based foods. |
Seed of fruit of achiote tree |
|
Anthocyanins |
E163 Multiple sources |
Used as coloring agents, depending on pH, range from red, purple, blue and black |
Found in various plant foods: acai, blackcurrant, orange, berries, black rice, black beans, purple corn, red cabbage, concord grapes |
|
Arabinogalactan |
Galactoarabinan, Larch gum |
Emulsifier, flavoring agent, texturizer, thickener, stabilizer used in essential oils, non-nutritive sweeteners, mixes |
Leek seed, carrot, radish, pear, maize, wheat, tomato |
|
Argon |
Type of noble gas |
Displaces oxygen in airtight packaging to extend shelf life, protect wine from air in wine bottles |
Third most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere besides Nitrogen & Oxygen, respectively |
|
Asafoetida |
Asafetida, badian, stinking gum |
Digestive aid condiments, pickling, savory enhancer in ethnic cuisines, exists raw in resin form, pungency used to add odor to other spices |
Dried resin extracted from Ferula herb |
|
Ascorbic Acid |
E300, Ascorbate, Vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, |
Water soluble anti-oxidant, preservative, stabilizer or thickener, nutrient supplement of Vitamin C |
Higher amounts in several fruits and vegetables and smaller in animal sources |
|
Ascorbyl palmitate |
E304, Vitamin C ester |
Fat soluble version of vitamin C and anti-oxidant |
Synthesized, Vitamin C found in fruits and vegetables |
|
Ascorbyl stearate |
E305, Vitamin C ester |
Fat soluble version of vitamin C and anti-oxidant used in tiny amounts |
Synthesized, Vitamin C found in fruits and vegetables |
|
Aspartame |
E951 |
Non-nutritive sweetener, used to sweeten beverages, chewing gums and condiments, 200 times sweeter than sugar |
Synthesized, rapidly breaks down to aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol(some fruit juices have higher concentration) in body |
|
Astaxanthin |
E161j |
Fat soluble, blood red coloring agent, added to animal feed to give farmed salmon and chicken yolk color, gives lobster & shrimp red color when cooked |
Found naturally in freshwater microalgae, yeast fungus, produced synthetically |
|
Azorubine |
E124, Carmoisine, Acid Red 14 |
Red coloring agent, used in Europe, not used in USA, soluble in water, used in salami, canned fruits, mixes, soups |
Synthetic |