A Guide to Food Additives - C
| Name | Other Names | Purpose | Source |
|
Cadinene |
A group of isomeric(similar formula, different chemical structure) hydrocarbons |
Synthetic flavor |
Synthesized, derived from Cade Juniper |
|
Caffeine |
Guaranine, methyltheobromine, |
Stimulant, Cognitive & physical performance booster, |
Extracted from coffee beans from coffee fruit |
|
Calcium 5'-ribonucleotides |
E364 |
Flavor enhancer, combination of guanylic(E626) & inosinic acid(E630), reduces use of added flavoring |
Guanylic acid & inosinic acdis are produced from meat and fish |
|
Calcium acetate |
E263, Caclium ethanoate, Acetate of lime |
Stabilizer, buffer & sequestrate(stabilizer) in candy |
Soaking calcium carbonate(egg shells), limestone, lime in vinegar |
|
Calcium alignate |
E404 |
Water insoluble, gelatinous & creamy substance used as thickener, vegetable gum, stabilizer, gelling agent, emulsifier, insoluble artificial seeds |
Combining calcium chloride with sodium alignate, Alignate found in brown algae |
|
Calcium ascorbate |
E300, Vitamin C |
Anti-oxidant, nutrient |
Citrus fruits, small amounts in meats |
|
Calcium aluminosilicate |
E556 |
Used in small amounts as an anti-caking agent in salt and vanilla powder |
Found as a mineral in anorthite |
|
Calcium benzoate |
E213, Benzoic acid, calcium salt |
Used in soft drinks, concentrates, fruit juices, vinegar, bread and baked goods as a preservative and reduces microbial & yeast growth. Water hardness reducer. |
White crystalline powder, Synthetic, benzoates find in several fruits & herbs |
|
Calcium bisulfite |
E227 |
Acidic preservative, Firming/Reducing agent |
Synthetic |
|
Calcium carbonate |
E170, Calcite, Lime, Limestone Marble, chalk, pearl, oyester |
Acidity regulator, anti-caking agent, stabilizer, color, firming agent and used in some milk alternatives to provide dietary calcium |
Mining or quarrying, synthesized, main component of shells of marine organisms, snails & eggs. |
|
Calcium chloride |
E509, Calcium dichloride |
Highly soluble in water used as a firming agent in canned vegetables, tofu, caviar substitute. Electrolyte drinks, flavoring pickles, slow freezing of caramel in chocolate bars, brewing beer & cheesemaking as a coagulant |
Inorganic, synthesized or purification of brine |
|
Calcium citrate |
E333, Tricaclium dicitrate |
Preservative & flavoring agent, calcium supplementation |
Produced during the isolation of citric acid, naturally found in citrus fruits |
|
Calcium diglutamate |
E623, CDG, calcium gultamate |
Soluble flavor enhancer, similar to monosodium glutamate(MSG) without sodium |
Calcium salt of glutamic acid, natural amino acid, made by bacterial fermentation. Glutamates found in cheese, milk, tomatoes, sardines, soy |
|
Calcium ferrocyanide |
E538 |
Salt substitute, yellow crystals or crystalline powder, Food improvement agent |
Synthetic |
|
Calcium formate |
E238, Calcium methanoate |
Antimicrobial & anti-fungal food preservative used in sauces, gravies, dressings, drinks & baked goods |
Calcium salt of formic acid, found in stinging nettles and many insects such as ants and bees |
|
Calcium fumarate |
E367 |
Calcium booster in foods, acidity regulator, |
Calcium salt of fumaric acid, found in fumitory, bolete mushrooms, lichen & Iceland moss |
|
Calcium gluconate |
E578 |
Firming agent, sequestrant & nutrient supplement for calcium |
Synthesized, calclium found naturally in dairy, vegetable, nuts and tofu |
|
Calcium guanylate |
E629 |
Flavor enhancer, |
Calcium salt of guanylic acid, part of all cells in living organisms. Synthesized from yeast extract or sardines |
|
Calcium hydrogen sulfite |
E227, Calcium bisulfite |
Green fluid, reducing agent & preservative used in beer production, increase firmness of canned vegetables due to calcium |
Synthesized inorganic compound |
|
Calcium hydroxide |
E526, Slaked lime, caustic lime, slack lime, cal, pickling lime |
Clarifiation of raw juice from sugarcane or sugar beets, process water for alcohol & soft drinks, picking, removing cellulose from maize, clearning brine of carbonates to make salt, fortifying Calcium supplement, digestive aid, substitute for baking soda |
Synthesized when quicklime(calcium oxide) is mixed with wat |
|
Calcium inosinate |
E633 |
Flavor enhancer, reducing the need for salt and other flavors in a product |
Derived from peppercorn fruit |
|
Calcium lactate |
E327 |
Firming agent, flavor enhancer, leavning agent, stabilizer, thickener, supplement. Added to sugar-free foods to prevent tooth decay, firming fresh fruits and spherification in molecular gastronomy |
Synthesized |
|
Calcium lactobionate |
E399, Galactosylgluconic acid, Lactobionic acid |
Stabilizer, antioxidant or gelling in desserts, acidifier in fermented milk, non-dairy products, flavor enhancer and enhancing production of |
Synthesized from gluconic acid and galactose |
|
Calcium malates |
E352 |
Thickening & flavoring agent used in ice-cream, friend products and marmalades |
Calcium salts of malic acid, found in fruits |
|
Calcium oxide |
E529, Quicklime, burnt lime |
Acid regulator, removing impurities in sugar refining, stabiliser in baked goods, manufacturing of sausage casing |
Synthesized, thermal decomposition of materials such as limestone or seashells |
|
Calcium pantothenate |
E930, Calcium dioxide |
Water soluble essential nutrient used to fortify cereals, infant formulas, energy bars and dried foods |
Found in shiitake mushrooms, liver, kidney, egg yolks, sunflower seeds |
|
Calcium peroxide |
E930, Calcium dioxide |
Used as a flour bleaching and improving agent, rarely used |
Synthetic |
|
Calcium phosphates |
E341, Calcium salts of phosphoric acid |
Used in baking powder to improve bread texture, increases antioxidant activity, stabilizes canned vegetable texture, polishing material toothpaste, preventing clumps in powders |
Synthesized, normal part of the human body |
|
Calcium propionate |
E282, Mycoban, calcium salt of propanoic acid |
Preservative in food such as bread, baked goods, processed meat, whey, dairy, mold inhibitor and fungicide on fruits |
Sytnehsized, produced by bacteria in large intestines |
|
Calcium silicate |
E552, Belite, Grammite, Silene, calcium orthosilicate, Calsil |
White powder servers as an anticaking agent in table salt, antacid |
Synthesized from chalk |
|
Calcium sorbate |
E203, Calcium salt of sorbic acid |
Fatty acid salt, preservative against fungi & yeasts in dairy and rye bread Banned in European Union |
Synthesized, sorbic acid found in fruit of rowan plant |
|
Calcium stearoyl lactylate |
E482, CSL |
Cream colored powder used as emulsifier & stabiliser in yeast leavened bakery goods, liquid & frozen eggs, vegetable oil toppings, dehydrated potatoes, beverage mixes, confectionery, cereals, spirits, minces & canned meats, chewing gum, quick cook rice |
Synthetic |
|
Calcium sulfate |
E516, Plaster of paris, drierite, gypsum |
White poorly soluble powder, Firming, leavening & sequestrant, Coagulant in tofu, permitted in cheese products, cereal flours, baked goods, frozen desserts, artificial sweeteners, condiments & candies |
Naturally occuring gypsum & anhydrite, quarried or mined |
|
Calcium sulfite |
E226, Sulfurous acid, calcium salt of sulfite |
White powder used as antioxidant used in preserving wine, cider, fruit juice, canned fruit and vegetables, bleaching agent in sugar production |
Synthesized, sulfites occur in foods and the human body |
|
Calcium tartrate |
E354, calcium L-tartrate, calcium salt of tartaric acid |
By product of wine production, fruit & fish preservative, acidity regulator, seaweed products |
Tartaric acid found in grapes or other fruits |
|
Camomile |
Chamomile |
Used in beer making due to bitterness |
Daisy like plants of Asteraceae family |
|
Candelilla wax |
E902 |
Glazing agent substitute for carnauba & beeswax |
Candelilla shrub found native to north Mexico & southwest USA |
|
Candle nut |
Candleberry, Indian walnut, varnish tree, kemiri, Aleurites moluccanus |
Used in ethnic cuisines for sauces & condiments Seeds contain saponin and phorbol, mildly toxic when raw |
Candelilla shrub found native to north Mexico & southwest USA |
|
Canola oil |
Rapeseed oil |
Vegetable oil used in all forms of cooking and industrial productions of food |
Extracted from canola plant |
|
Canthaxanthin |
E161g |
Coloring agent & fat soluble antioxidant added to trout, salmon and poultry feed. Not approved in Australia and New Zealand |
Pacific salmon, broiler meat & egg yolk |
|
Caper |
Flinders rose, Capparis spinosa |
Seasoning or grarnish in mediterranean cuisine, pickled, used in tartar sauce, salads, meat dishes, pasta sauces and substitue for rennet in cheese making |
Caper bush |
|
Capsanthin |
E160c(i) |
Red food coloring |
Red bell pepper, paprika |
|
Capsorubin |
E160c(ii) |
Red food coloring |
Red bell pepper, paprika |
|
Carrageenan |
E407, Carrageenins |
Found as Kappa, Iota & Lambda types and used as thickening, gelling and stabilizing agent in dairy & meat products |
Red edible seaweed |
|
Caraway |
Meridian fennel, Persian cumin |
Spice used in breads, desserts, liquors, casserols, goulash, sauerkraut, caraway cake, scones. Flavor to cheeses and pastes. |
Caraway plant |
|
Carbamide |
E927b, Urea |
Used in the process of fermenting sugars into ethanol |
Synthesized, produced in our body |
|
Carbon dioxide |
E290, Carbonic oxide, dry ice(solid) |
Colorless gas used as a preservative, propellant and "popper" in hard candy, carbonated drinks. Dry ice used in winemaking for cooling grapes |
Trace gas found in earth's atmosphere |
|
Cardamom |
Cardamon, cardamum |
Aromatic spice used in ethnic cuisines, treats, sweet bread, savory dishes, teas, aromatic bitters, gin and spice mixes |
Elettaria and Amomum plant family, found in Indian subcontinent & Indonesia |
|
Carmines |
E120, Natural red 4, cochineal, NR4 |
Deep red color additive in yogurt, candy and juice |
Aluminum salt of carminic acid, isolated from insects Dactylopius coccus |
|
Carmoisine |
E124, Azorubine, Acid Red 14 |
Red coloring agent, soluble in water, used in salami, canned fruits, mixes and soups Not used in USA |
Synthetic |
|
Carnauba wax |
E903, Brazil wax, palm wax |
Yellow flakes used as a glazing agent to add shine to sweets |
Synthetic |
|
Carob |
Caroube, Locust bean pod, St. John's bread |
Carob pods are used in cakes and cookies as chocolate substitute, locust bean gum extracted is used as thickening agent and stabilizer, gluten substitute, gives jelly texture |
Carob pod extracted from carob tree |
|
Carotenes |
Carotin, "carrot", Alpha, Beta & Gamma carotene |
Fat soluble coloring agents that give orange to yellow hue |
Synthesized by plants and algae, found in palm oil, corn and dairy |
|
Cassia |
Chinese cassia, Chinese cinnamon |
Used as a spice, bark used as flavoring agent for desserts, pastries, meats, curry and confectionery Not recommended at higher doses in humans |
Chinese cassia tree |
|
Celery salt |
Salt of celery |
Seasoning, making cocktails and hot dogs |
Mixture of ground celery seeds and salt |
|
Chervil |
French parsley, garden chervil, leaves of joy |
Herb used in seasoning poultry, seafood, vegetables, soups and sauces, especially French cooking |
Plant of same name |
|
Chicory |
Common chicory, blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors, bunk, coffeeeweed, cornflower, wild endive |
Root used as coffee substitute, flavoring stouts & ales, leaves used in salads, extraction of inulin(dietary fiber & sweetener) |
Catalogna chicory, Radicchio, sugarloaf, Belgian endive |
|
Chili pepper |
Chile, chilli |
Dried and crushed to make chili powder, seasoning, preserved or pickled, used to make pastes, several ethnic dishes and condiments. Leaves in soups kimchi and preservation |
Fruit of genus Capsicum of nightshade family |
|
Chili powder |
Powdered chili |
Powdered forms of chili used alone as seasoning or to create blends with other spices and salts |
Powdered fruit of genus Capsicum of nightshade family |
|
Chives |
Allium schoenoprasum |
Flavoring herb used in European cuisine, coups, fish, sandwiches and pancakes |
Plant of the same name |
|
Chlorine dioxide |
E926, Chlorine(IV) oxide |
Yellow green gas, bread enhancer and leavening agent, bleaching agent for flour, rarely used |
Synthetic |
|
Chlorophyllin |
E141, Copper phaeophytin, copper complex of chlorophyll |
Green food coloring agent, E141(i) is soluble in water, E141(ii) is soluble in oil |
Found in all plants and algae, extracted from nettles, grass and alfalfa |
|
Chocolate Brown HT |
E155, Brown HT, Food Brown 3 |
Brown food dye substitute for cocoa and caramel, used in cakes, milk, cheese, yogurts, jams, fruit products, and meat Approved in the European Union. Banned in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the USA |
Synthetic |
|
Cicely |
Sweet cicely, myrh, myrrhis odorata, sweet chervil |
Leaves used as herb, eaten raw or cooked, aroma similar to anise. Roots & seeds are edible. |
Myrrhis odorata plant |
|
Cinnamon |
Canel, canella, cassia |
Used as a spice, condiment and flavoring agent in chocolate, savory dishes, cereals, bread dishes, toasts, fruits and various ethnic soups, drinks, alcohol flavorant and sweets |
Bark of genus cinnamomum |
|
Citranaxanthin |
E161i |
Deep violet crystals added to animal feed to add yellow color to chicken fat and egg yolks |
Synthesized |
|
Citric acid |
E330, sour salt |
Flavoring and preserving agent in drinks and candies, emulsifying agent in ice-cream, in caramel to prevent crystallization, substitute for lemon juice, alternative to vinegar |
Synthesized, found in vegetables and citrus fruits |
|
Cloves |
E330, sour salt |
Used in Asian, African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines to flavor meats, curries, marinades and fruits. Aroma used in hot beverages and teas and alongside other spices |
Flower buds of a tree Syzygium aromaticum |
|
Cochineal |
E120, Carmine, Natural red 4, NR4 |
Deep red color additive in yogurt, candy and juice |
Aluminum salt of carminic acid, isolated from insects Dactylopius coccus |
|
Coconut Oil |
Copra oil |
Used in baked goods, pastries, saute, popping popcorn, non-dairy creamers and snack food |
Derived from coconut palm tree |
|
Sage |
Garden sage, common sage, culinary sage |
Herb used for savory flavor used in European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines |
Derived from the salvia officinalis plant |
|
Coriander |
Chinese parsley, cilantro |
Edible plant, leaves used fresh in ethnic cuisines such as salsa, guacamole, garnish, soups, meat dishes. Seeds are dried and used as citrus spice, pickling, sausages, alternative to caraway, spice powders, brewing beer Root used in curries and soups with more intense flavor |
Coriandrum sativum herb |
|
Corn oil |
Maize oil |
High smoke point oil used for frying, cooking and key ingredient in margarine |
Expeller-pressed from corn |
|
Corn syrup |
Glucose syrup |
Thickener, sweetener and maintaining freshness in foods, pancake syrup(substitute for maple syrup), production of high fructose corn syrup |
Food syrup made from starch of corn |
|
Cottonseed oil |
Industrial oil used in salads, mayonnaise, dressings, potato chips, frying, snacks, shortenings and condiments |
Oil extracted from seeds of cotton plant |
|
|
Crocetin |
Water soluble carotenoid that serves as coloring agent |
Apocarotenoid found in jasmine fruit, saffron and crocus flower |
|
|
Crocin |
Water soluble carotenoid that serves as coloring agent |
Carotenoid found in crocus, gardenia and saffron |
|
|
Sodium carboxymethylcellulose |
E466, E469(hydrolyzed), Cellulose gum, CMC |
Thickener and stabilizer used to make ice creams without churning or low temperatures, reduced fat products, baked goods, emulsifier in chewing gum, peanut butter & margarines |
Derivative of cellulose, organic compound found in plant cells |
|
Cryptoxanthin |
E161c |
Red crystalline carotenoid converted to Vitamin A in body, antioxidant, coloring agent. Not approved for use in European Union & United States |
Isolated from orange rind, egg yolk, butter, apples, blood serum of bovine and papaya |
|
Cumin |
Aromatic and flavorful spice used in many cuisines, cheeses, chili powders, spice blends, stews, soups, gravies, pickles and pastry |
Cuminum cyminum plant |
|
|
Cupric sulfate |
E519, blue vitriol, bluestone, vitriol of copper |
Used to create Bordeaux mixture, suspension of copper sulfate and calcium hydroxide, to inhibit fungal growth on grape vines, melons and berries |
Synthetic |
|
Curcumin |
E100 |
Yellow-orange coloring in food, turmeric flavored beverages |
Curcuma longa plant |
|
Curry Powder |
Garam masala |
Spice blend originating from the Indian subcontinent usually containing coriander, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, chili, ginger, garlic, fennel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, curry leaf, black pepper and so on |
Several herbs and spices |
|
Curry leaf |
Sweet neem, karuveppilai, curry vepillai, kari bevu |
Fresh leaves used as seasoning in South Asian and Cambodian cuisines, scented soups and flavorful stews |
Leaf of murraya koenigii tree |
|
Cyanocobalamin |
Vitamin B12 |
Manufactured red crystalline powdered form of vitamin B12 that is converted to B12 inside the body |
Produced by bacterial fermentation |
|
Cyclamates |
E952(iv), Sodium or calcium salts of cyclamic acid(E952) |
30-50 times sweeter than table sugar, artificial sweetener Banned in USA and South Korea. Used in European Union and 130 countries |
Synthetic |
|
Cymbopogon |
Lemongrass, silky heads, cochin grass, oily heads, barbed wire grass |
Flavoring agent in some ethnic dishes |
Cymbopogon citratus plant |
