Why are Additives Used  in  Foods?

Additives perform a variety  of  useful  functions  in  foods that  are  often taken for granted. Since most people no longer live on fms,  additives  help keep food wholesome and  appealing while  en route to markets sometimes thousands of miles away from where it  is grown or manufactured. Additives also improve the nutritional value of certain foods and can make them more appealing by  improving their taste,  texture, consistency or color. We  can understand  this better by  looking at what goes in  toproducing good quality bread. A mild oxidizing agent is added to the flour to obtain whiteness, vitamins may  be  added to  improve  nutritional quality,  salt,  sugar  and flavors’ are added to obtain desirable taste and flavor, glycerol monostearate for soft texture and propionates or sorbates are added for better keeping quality to suit long distance transportation and marketing. Additive required to  make good quality bread. Each additional component incorporated  in  breadmanufacture has a positive  impact on  the desirable quality of the  finished product which is  so essential for its marketability or acceptance by  the consumer.