Guide to Food Additives - M
| Name | Other Names | Purpose | SourcedFlo | ||||||
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Macadamia Oil |
Macadamia tre |
Source of monounsaturated fat, 1-2 year shelf life, 210C(410F) smoke point, 300C(572F) flash point, used as salad oil, frying and baking |
Extracted from Macadamia, Macadamia integrifolia, plant, native to Australia |
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Mace |
Nutmeg, true nutmeg, common nutmeg |
Delicate nutmeg flavoring spice added to baked goods, meat, fish, vegetables, preserving and picling |
Made from covering of nutmeg seed |
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Magnesium |
E966, Lacty |
Magnesium compounds added to fortify or supplement foods |
Essential nutrient found in spices, nuts, cocoa, vegetables & leafy greens |
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Magnesium carbonate |
E504(i), magnesite |
Mostly insoluble in water, insoluble in alcohol, bleaching and anti-caking agent, releasing agent in biscuits & soft drinks |
Oobtained by mining magnesite, primarily in China |
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Magnesium chloride |
E511 |
Sterilizing vegetables, emulsifier, firming agent |
Occurs in sea water to promote growth of corals, algae, clams and invertebrates |
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Magnesium citrate |
E345 |
Water soluble colorless white crystalline powder, magnesium fortification in diet, acidity regulator, laxative, |
Synthesized with magnesium, found in many foods, and citric acid, found in many citrus fruits |
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Magnesium diglutamate |
E625, magnesium glutamate |
Used as a flavor enhancer for umami taste, reducing the need for flavoring |
Produced commercially by bacterial fermentation, soy & vegetable sources |
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Magnesium hydroxide |
E528, magnesium hydroxide, milk of magnesia |
Antacid tablets, capsules, powder and liquids, laxative, neutralizing acidic waste water for treatment, acidity regulator |
Found as a mineral in the form of Brucite ore. |
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Magnesium lactate |
E329 |
Highly water soluble white crystalline powder, acidity regulator, added to baked goods, cereals, snacks, confectionery, dairy, desserts and beverages, magnesium fortification |
Synthetic |
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Magnesium oxide |
E530, Magnesia |
Anti-caking agent and acidity regulator, used in canned peas, cocoa products and frozen desserts, laxative |
Synthesized by calcination of magnesium hydroxide, using sea water |
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Magnesium phosphates |
E343(I)(II)(III) |
Emulsifier, increasing ant-caking agent in powders, magnesium fortification in foods, baked products, athletic products, infant formulas & supplements |
Produced from phosphoric acid produced by mining and phosphates being essential salts for the body |
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Magnesium silicate |
E553b, Talc |
Buffing agent in processing white rice to polish, anti-caking agent in salt |
Obtained by mining |
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Magnesium stearate |
E572, Magnesium octadecanoate |
Anti-caking and emulsifying agent in confectionery, inhibits disintegration of powders and tablets, creating pressed candies and releasing agent, binding sugar in candies, infant formulas |
Synthesized, produced from vegetable products |
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Magnesium sulphate |
518, Epsom salt, English salt, bath salt |
Brewing salt in brewing beer, coagulating agent for producing tofu, magnesium fortification in foods, |
Produced using magnesium salts and sulphuric acid, natural mineral |
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Mahleb |
Mahalepi, mahlep |
Seed kernels used as flavoring in sweet foods, cakes and cheeses and various baked goods, pastry dishes, snacks and holiday breads |
Spice made from the seeds of a species of cherry |
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Malabathrum |
Malabathron, malobathrum |
Cinnamon like aromatic plant leaves used as spice in savory foods, flavoring wine & meat dishes |
Plant grown mostly in eastern Himalayas |
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Malic acid |
E296, L-Malic Acid, D-Malic acid, "malic" in latin means "apple" |
Creates sourness in unripe fruits, tartness to wine, "salt and vinegar" potato chips, extremely tart candy |
Firest isolated from apple juice in 1785, found in various fruits such as apricots, berries, pears, plums, peaches, grapes |
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Malt extract |
Liquid malt extract, dry malt extract |
Brewing beer, Creating liquid malt extract used for baking and sweetening |
Malt is produced by germinating cereal grain, malt extract is further refined to create malt extract |
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Maltitol |
E965, Maltitol syrup |
70-90% sweetness of sucrose(table sugar), doesn't promote tooth decay, low calorie, used to produce sugar-free candy, chewing gum, chocolates, baked goods, ice-cream and confectionery, produces less crystals than table sugar |
Synthesized by hydrogenation of maltose from starch |
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Maltodextrin |
Levisticum officinale |
Moderately sweet powder, improves mouthfeel of foods and beverages, used in chips and jerky, low fat peanut butter to maintain texture, athletic and energy drinks for athletes, infant formula thickener, high glycemic index response |
Synthesized by partial hydrolysis of vegetable starch or enzymatically from starch |
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Maltol |
E636, Larixinic acid, palatone, veltol |
Flavor enhancer, soluble in hot water, adds aroma of fresh baked bread in breads and cakes |
Synthesized, found in the bark of larch tree, pine needles and malt |
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Maltose |
Maltobiose, malt sugar |
30-60% sweet as sugar, used to sweeten food products |
Component of malt, by product of grain softening |
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Mandarin oil |
E160d |
Used to add aroma to food |
Extracted from mandarins from the same name tree. |
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Mannitol |
E421, Osmitrol, D-mannitol, mannite, manna sugar |
Low glycemic sweetener, soluble in higher heat, holds low water content, used in gums, candies and coating dried fruits |
Sugar alcohol derived from sugar, commercially produced by hydrogenation of fructose, isolated from seaweed |
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Margarine |
Oleo, oleomargarine, marge, "Non-dairy spread" |
Used instead of butter in pastries, doughnuts, cakes, cookies and as a spread |
Synthetic replacement of animal fat created from vegetable oil and water |
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Marjoram |
Sweet marjoram, knotted marjoram, pot marjoram |
Used to season soups, stews, dressings, sauces and making herbal teas |
Synonymous with oregano, plant found in Cyprus, Turkey and middle eastern regions |
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Mastic |
Arabic gum(not gum Arabic), Yemen gum, tears of Chios |
Spice in foods, baking & cooking, aroma for ice-cream & desserts, part of Arab, Japanese & Mediterranean cuisines, also used in soft drinks, puddings, coffee additive, stabilizing agent, breads, cheese and in savory meat dishes |
Sun-dried resin extracted from mastic tree |
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Meadowfoam |
Limnanthes |
Gives toasted marshmallow flavor to honey by bee pollination |
Plant found extensively in Western North America |
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Mega-purple |
Mega "Cherry Shade" Grape Juice Concentrate |
Added to wines to enhance sensory attributes such as color, taste and mouth feel |
Produced from wine grape Rubired |
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Mentha arvensis |
Corn mint, wild mint, field mint |
Used to extract mint flavor such as menthol, menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol, limonene, methylacetate and other extracts. Extracts used in drinks, foods, cough medicine, creams and dental care |
Plant native to Europe, Asia, & North America |
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Metatartaric acid |
E353 |
Used in wine to prevent precipitation and in fruit juices |
Synthesized from tartaric acid, found in many fruits |
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Methionine |
Used to frotify foods and animal feeds |
Essential amino acid primarily found in poultry, meat, fish, cereals, nuts and plant seeds, synthesized for commercial purposes |
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Methyl butyrate |
Methyl butanoate, butanoic acid methyl ester |
Used as a an aromatic for apple or pineapple scent or as a flavoring agent |
Found in small amounts in plants |
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Methyl disulfide |
DMDS, Methyl disulfide |
Garlic like odor used in onion, garlic, cheese, meats, soups, savory flavors and fruit flavors in very tiny amounts |
Odor compound emitted from bacteria, fungi, plants and animals |
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Methyl ethyl cellulose |
E465, ethyl methyl cellulose |
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Derived from cellulose, found in all plants |
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Methyl isobutyrate |
Methyl 2-methylpropanoate |
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Synthesized, found in fruits such as apple, banan, kumqat peel, blueberry, strawberry, dill and fried potato |
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Methyl cellulose |
E461, Cellulose, methyl ether, methylated cellulose |
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Produced from cellulose, found in all plants and woooden structures |
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Methylparaben |
E218 |
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Pheromone in a variety of insects including queen bees, wolves |
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Methyltheobromine |
Caffeine, guaranine |
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Milk |
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Milk thistle |
Silybum marianum, cardus marianus, Mary thistle, Scotch thistle |
Roots eaten raw or boiled and roasted, leaves trimmed and boiled as spinach substitute, flower head bracts used in stews |
Native to South Europe and Asia, grown globally |
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Mint |
Metnha |
Sweet, aromatic and cool aroma and taste, added to beverages, teas, jellies, syrups, mouth wash, chewing gum, mint chocolates, candies & ice-creams, garnishing alcoholic drinks |
Plant grown globally in wet environments and soils |
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Modified starch |
Various types of starch derivatives used for various purposes |
Thickening desserts, preventing runniness during cooking, low fat yogurts or meat products, frozen products to prevent dripping when defrosted, dressings, jelly beans, batters and fat substitute |
Sytnehsized from variuos starches |
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Molasses |
Black treacle |
Used to sweeten food products and backed goods, distilling rum, making rye bread, cookies, pies, gingerbread, BBQ sauces, stout beers, emulsifying, major part of brown sugar, humidity absorber in jerky, yeast production |
Refining sugarcane or sugar beets |
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Molybdenum |
Black treacle |
Found primarily in trace amounts within several foods |
Found in pork, lamb, beef liver, eggs, sunflower seeds, wheat, lentils, green beans and cereals |
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Monada didyma |
Bergamot (Not Bergamot orange), crimson beebalm, Oswego tea |
Used to make tea |
Aromatic herb found in North America |
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Mono and diglycerides of fatty acids |
E471, |
Used as an emulsifier in various products |
Present in seed oils, synthesized using fats/oils and glycerol, may be vegetable or animal based |
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Monoammonium glutamate |
E624 |
Enhances umami flavor in various low sodium products |
Ammonium salt of glutamic acid, used by nearly all living things while making protein |
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Monopotassium glutamate |
E622, MPG |
Enhances umami flavor in various low sodium products, alternative to monosodium glutamate(MSG) |
Potassium salt of glutamic acid, used by nearly all living things while making protein |
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Monosodium glutamate |
E621, sodium glutamate, MSG, Tasting Powder, MSG monohydrate |
White crystalline powder that enhances umami flavor in various low sodium products, provides savory aroma, used in stock cubes(Bouillon), soups, ramen, gravy, stews, condiments, snacks and various food products |
Sodium salt of glutamic acid, a non-essential amino acid. Found in tomatoes, grapes, cheese, mushrooms and various other foods. Produced mostly by bacterial fermentation. |
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Monostarch phosphate |
E1410 |
Thickening and stabiliizing agent, fermented by intestinal microbioa |
Prepared using starch and phosphoric acid |
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Montanic acid esters |
Montan wax, octacosanoic acid esters |
Forms a protective layer on fruit skins and foods |
Solvent extraction of brown coal(lignite) |
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Mullein |
Verbascum |
Used to make tea |
Native plant to Europe, Mediterranean & Asia |
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Mustard (Condiment) |
Various types (eg. dijon, english, French, American, beer, honey, fruit, pepper) |
Sharp, hot & pungent flavoring condiment with meals, ingredient in mayonnaise, vinaigrette, sauces and marinades, hot dogs, pretzels, bratwurst, soups, creams and emulsifier |
Prepared by grounding mustard seeds into a paste |
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Mustard plant |
Mustard seed, plant & oil |
Grinding seeds with a liquid yields mustard condiment, seeds can be used as a spice, oil pressed from seed is used for cooking in several south Asian dishes |
Prepared by grounding mustard seeds into a paste |
