Food additives are substances added to food to keep it safe, extend its shelf life, or improve its texture, color or flavor. They include preservatives, colors, sweeteners, emulsifiers, thickeners and flavor enhancers. In most countries, additives must be assessed for safety and approved before they can be used, and each is given an acceptable daily intake (ADI), the amount considered safe to eat every day over a lifetime. In the UK and EU, approved additives get an E number. Most additives used within limits are considered safe for the general population, but a few deserve attention: some artificial colors linked with hyperactivity in some children, sulfites for people with asthma, and nitrites in processed meat.
Why additives are used
| Type | What it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Preservatives | Stop bacteria, mold and yeast growing | Sorbates, benzoates, nitrites, sulfites |
| Antioxidants | Stop fats going rancid and fruit browning | Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), tocopherols (vitamin E) |
| Colors | Add or restore color | Beetroot red, paprika extract, curcumin, synthetic dyes |
| Sweeteners | Add sweetness with few calories | Aspartame, sucralose, stevia, erythritol |
| Emulsifiers | Help oil and water mix | Lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, polysorbates |
| Thickeners and stabilizers | Improve texture, stop separation | Pectin, xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan |
| Flavor enhancers | Strengthen savory flavor | Monosodium glutamate (MSG) |
| Acidity regulators | Control acidity | Citric acid, lactic acid |
Many additives are natural or identical to substances found in food. Ascorbic acid is vitamin C, lecithin comes from soy or sunflower, and pectin comes from fruit.
How additives are regulated
In the UK, the Food Standards Agency oversees approvals, and in the EU, the European Food Safety Authority assesses safety. The Food Standards Agency explains that additives must be authorized before use and labeled on food packaging, by name or E number, with their function. In the US, the FDA approves food additives, while some ingredients are classed as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) based on expert consensus. Regulators review additives again when new evidence emerges, and approvals sometimes change.
Additives worth knowing about
Artificial colors and children’s behavior
A 2007 Lancet trial found that mixes of certain artificial food colors with the preservative sodium benzoate increased hyperactive behavior in some 3-year-old and 8 to 9-year-old children in the general population. Since then, foods and drinks in the UK and EU containing six of these colors (E102, E104, E110, E122, E124 and E129) must carry a warning that they “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.” Many manufacturers have switched to natural colors. If you think your child is affected, cutting down on brightly colored sweets, drinks and snacks is a reasonable step.
Titanium dioxide (E171)
Titanium dioxide was used to make sweets, icing and some sauces bright white. In 2021, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that it could no longer be considered safe as a food additive, mainly because concerns about damage to DNA couldn’t be ruled out, and it was banned in the EU. Other countries have reached different conclusions, which shows how assessments can change over time.
Nitrites and nitrates
Nitrites keep cured meats such as bacon and ham pink and protect against dangerous bacteria, including the one that causes botulism. But in processed meat, they can form compounds called nitrosamines. The World Health Organization classifies processed meat as a cause of bowel cancer. The best approach is to eat processed meat only occasionally.
Sweeteners
Approved sweeteners are considered safe within their ADI. In 2023, the World Health Organization classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited evidence, while its expert committee kept the acceptable daily intake at 40 mg per kg of body weight. An adult weighing 70 kg would need to drink more than 9 to 14 cans of diet soft drink a day to exceed that. People with the rare genetic condition phenylketonuria (PKU) must avoid aspartame. Our guide to cutting sugar without giving up dessert puts sweeteners in context.
MSG
Monosodium glutamate gives a savory, umami flavor, and glutamate is found naturally in tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms. The FDA considers MSG generally recognized as safe. Some sensitive people report short-lived symptoms such as headache or flushing after large amounts, 3 g or more without food, but that’s far more than a typical meal contains. MSG contains about a third of the sodium of table salt, so a little can help reduce overall salt.
Sulfites
Sulfites, used in wine, dried fruit and some processed foods, can trigger symptoms in some people with asthma. They must be labeled in many countries. If you react to them, check labels for sulfur dioxide or sulfites (E220 to E228).
Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers such as carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate 80 are being looked at for possible effects on gut bacteria. In a 2015 study in mice, they altered gut bacteria and promoted gut inflammation and weight gain. Evidence in people is still limited, so it’s too early to draw firm conclusions, but it’s one more reason to base your diet on less processed foods.
Additives and ultra-processed food
Additives are one feature of ultra-processed foods, but the concern with those foods is wider: they’re often high in sugar, salt and fat, low in fiber, and easy to overeat. Whether a food contains additives matters less than its overall nutritional quality. Our guide to ultra-processed foods explains how to cut down.
Reading labels
- Additives are listed in the ingredients, usually by function and name or E number, such as “preservative: potassium sorbate” or “color: E160c”.
- A long ingredients list full of unfamiliar names often means a highly processed food.
- “Natural” doesn’t always mean healthier, and “artificial” doesn’t always mean harmful.
- Allergens such as soy lecithin are highlighted in bold in the UK and EU.
Our guide to whole foods explains how to build meals around less processed ingredients.
Common questions
Are E numbers bad for you?
No. An E number simply means the additive has been assessed and approved for use in the EU or UK. Some are vitamins, such as E300 (vitamin C).
Should I avoid all additives?
There’s no need for most people. Focusing on a diet based mainly on whole foods will naturally reduce additives. People with specific sensitivities, such as to sulfites or certain colors, may need to avoid particular ones.
Are natural colors safer than artificial ones?
Natural colors such as beetroot red, paprika and curcumin aren’t linked with the behavior effects seen with some synthetic dyes, but the overall food matters more.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before making big changes to how you eat, especially if you have a health condition, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
