food additive: A substance addedto a food during its manufacture orprocessing in order to improve itskeeping qualities, texture, appearance,or stability or to enhance itstaste or colour. Additives are usuallypresent in minute quantities; they includecolouring materials, sweeteners,preservatives, antioxidants,emulsifiers, and stabilizers. In mostcountries the additives used must beselected from an approved list ofsuch compounds, which have beentested for safety, and they must belisted on the food labels of individualproducts.
