Types of Ingredients

What They Do

Examples of Uses

Names Found on Product Labels

Preservatives

Prevent food spoilage from bacteria, molds, fungi, or yeast (antimicrobials); slow or prevent changes in color, flavor, or texture and delay rancidity (antioxidants); maintain freshness

Fruit sauces and jellies, beverages, baked goods, cured meats, oils and margarines, cereals, dressings, snack foods, fruits and vegetables

Ascorbic acid, citric acid, sodium benzoate, calcium propionate, sodium erythorbate, sodium nitrite, calcium sorbate, potassium sorbate, BHA, BHT, EDTA, tocopherols (Vitamin E)

Sweeteners

Add sweetness with or without the extra calories

Beverages, baked goods, confections, table-top sugar, substitutes, many processed foods

Sucrose (sugar), glucose, fructose, sorbitol, mannitol, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K), neotame

Color Additives

Offset color loss due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture and storage conditions; correct natural variations in color; enhance colors that occur naturally; provide color to colorless and "fun" foods

Many processed foods, (candies, snack foods margarine, cheese, soft drinks, jams/jellies, gelatins, pudding and pie fillings)

FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40, FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, annatto extract, beta-carotene, grape skin extract, cochineal extract or carmine, paprika oleoresin, caramel color, fruit and vegetable juices, saffron (Note: Exempt color additives are not required to be declared by name on labels but may be declared simply as colorings or color added)

Flavors and Spices

Add specific flavors (natural and synthetic)

Pudding and pie fillings, gelatin dessert mixes, cake mixes, salad dressings, candies, soft drinks, ice cream, BBQ sauce

Natural flavoring, artificial flavor, and spices

Flavor Enhancers

Enhance flavors already present in foods (without providing their own separate flavor)

Many processed foods

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium guanylate or inosinate

Fat Replacers (and components of formulations used to replace fats)

Provide expected texture and a creamy "mouth-feel" in reduced-fat foods

Baked goods, dressings, frozen desserts, confections, cake and dessert mixes, dairy products

Olestra, cellulose gel, carrageenan, polydextrose, modified food starch, microparticulated egg white protein, guar gum, xanthan gum, whey protein concentrate

Nutrients

Replace vitamins and minerals lost in processing (enrichment), add nutrients that may be lacking in the diet (fortification)

Flour, breads, cereals, rice, macaroni, margarine, salt, milk, fruit beverages, energy bars, instant breakfast drinks

Thiamine hydrochloride, riboflavin (Vitamin B₂), niacin, niacinamide, folate or folic acid, beta carotene, potassium iodide, iron or ferrous sulfate, alpha tocopherols, ascorbic acid, Vitamin D, amino acids (L-tryptophan, L-lysine, L-leucine, L-methionine)

Emulsifiers

Allow smooth mixing of ingredients, prevent separation

Keep emulsified products stable, reduce stickiness, control crystallization, keep ingredients dispersed, and to help products dissolve more easily

Salad dressings, peanut butter, chocolate, margarine, frozen desserts

Soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, egg yolks, polysorbates, sorbitan monostearate

Stabilizers and Thickeners, Binders, Texturizers

Produce uniform texture, improve "mouth-feel"

Frozen desserts, dairy products, cakes, pudding and gelatin mixes, dressings, jams and jellies, sauces

Gelatin, pectin, guar gum, carrageenan, xanthan gum, whey

pH Control Agents and acidulants

Control acidity and alkalinity, prevent spoilage

Beverages, frozen desserts, chocolate, low acid canned foods, baking powder

Lactic acid, citric acid, ammonium hydroxide, sodium carbonate

Leavening Agents

Promote rising of baked goods

Breads and other baked goods

Baking soda, monocalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate

Anti-caking agents

Keep powdered foods free-flowing, prevent moisture absorption

Salt, baking powder, confectioner's sugar

Calcium silicate, iron ammonium citrate, silicon dioxide

Humectants

Retain moisture

Shredded coconut, marshmallows, soft candies, confections

Glycerin, sorbitol

Yeast Nutrients

Promote growth of yeast

Breads and other baked goods

Calcium sulfate, ammonium phosphate

Dough Strengtheners and Conditioners

Produce more stable dough

Breads and other baked goods

Ammonium sulfate, azodicarbonamide, L-cysteine

Firming Agents

Maintain crispness and firmness

Processed fruits and vegetables

Calcium chloride, calcium lactate

Enzyme Preparations

Modify proteins, polysaccharides and fats

Cheese, dairy products, meat

Enzymes, lactase, papain, rennet, chymosin

Gases

Serve as propellant, aerate, or create carbonation

Oil cooking spray, whipped cream, carbonated beverages

Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide