Common food additives include antioxidants, leavening agents, colorings, preservatives, sweeteners, and food flavorings. Common preservatives include sodium benzoate in soy sauce and potassium sorbate in jam; common antioxidants include tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) in edible oils; common sweeteners include xylitol in chewing gum and aspartame in beverages; common colorings include red yeast rice in fermented bean curd and caramel color in beverages.
Essential nutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin E are also food additives. Various processing aids used in food processing, such as nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, activated carbon, and various enzymes that aid in food processing, are also food additives. Scientists are constantly developing new, high-performance, safe, and reliable additives to meet the needs of consumers and the food industry.
