Food additives Food additives refer to chemical substances added to food to improve the taste, color, taste, and preservation of food. There are many ways to classify food additives, and here are some common ways to classify them:
1.Classified by **.
Food additives can be divided into natural food additives and synthetic food additives. Natural food additives refer to those extracted from natural plants and animals, such as citric acid, pectin, etc. Synthetic food additives refer to those prepared by chemical synthesis methods, such as sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, etc.
2.Categorized by function.
Food additives can be divided into colorants, color protection agents, bleaching agents, flavoring agents, emulsifiers, thickeners, preservatives, antioxidants, etc. These additives have different functions, such as colorants can change the color of food, color protectors can maintain the color of food, bleach can remove pigments from food, flavoring agents can improve the texture and taste of food, emulsifiers can improve the texture and texture of food, thickeners can increase the viscosity of food, preservatives can extend the shelf life of food, and antioxidants can prevent oxidative deterioration of food.
3.Classified by chemical structure.
Food additives can be divided into inorganic salts, organic acids, organic alkalis, organic esters, etc. Inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, calcium sulfate, etc., organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, etc., organic alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, etc., organic esters such as ethyl acetate, etc.
4.Classified by scope of use.
Food additives can be divided into general-purpose food additives and special-purpose food additives. General-purpose food additives refer to additives that can be used in a variety of foods, such as salt, sugar, etc. Specialized food additives refer to additives that are only used in specific kinds of foods, such as tartrazine, which can only be used in beverages.
The above are some common ways of classifying food additives, different types of food additives have different functions and uses. When using food additives, it is necessary to comply with relevant national regulations and standards to ensure food safety and health.