Food Additives and Preservatives

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Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Food Additives and Preservatives

Food additives and preservatives have been getting a lot of bad press lately, but not all--or even most--food additives are bad. They add flavor and color to food as well as give it a longer shelf life. Salt and vinegar are some of the earliest preservatives, but modern chemistry has created a number of other options.

If you can or manufacture a food product, no doubt you already use a food additive or preservative. These agents help make sweet foods sweet, give tart foods that acidic punch and give creamy foods an extra richness.

Look for a supplier of food additives and preservatives that can keep you stocked with the product you require. You don't want to shut down your production line waiting for an additive. A quality vendor will also offer delivery, quantity discounts and flexible payment terms.

When looking for a food additive or preservative vendor, it's important to compare the products and services offered by several different companies. Business.com understands this and offers a large selection of food supply companies. Visit the links on the left to learn more about the products and services they offer.

Basics of Food Additives and Preservatives

Food additives and preservatives maintain the quality of foods as they move from farming or manufacturing methods to the market. Additives and preservatives used in food are labeled as colorants, flavorings, emulsifiers, nutrients and preservatives. The overall goals of food preservatives are to maintain freshness, appearance, color and nutritional value by keeping microorganisms, moisture or air away during packaging. Food additives and preservatives also maintain taste and improve flavor in most foods, and they control pH levels to reduce or block bacterial growth.

Salt and vinegar are common examples of food additives, used for centuries to prserve meat and pickled products. Other chemical food additives include sorbic acid and calcium propionate, which are added to baked goods, cheeses and salad dressings. Food preservative antioxidants like vitamins A and D, and riboflavin and niacin prevent flour, rice, milk and margarine from going rancid. Vanilla and sugar add flavors, while food dyes provide color. Some other examples of food preservatives include nitrites and nitrates in cured meats, and emulsifiers for thickening salad dressings and ice cream. When working with food preservatives and additives:

1. Research food additives and preservatives basics.

2. Find food preservative suppliers for your business.

3. Consider organic or natural food preservatives.

Research differences among food additives and preservatives in food

Determine which colorings, sweeteners, nutrients or emulsifiers are necessary for your products. Learn which chemical food additives are considered safe and which ones may be harmful.
Try: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides information on food additives and preservatives ranging from basic facts to health benefits to warnings. Food Safety Center for Science in the Public Interest also provides information on the safety and health risks of some food preservatives and additives.

Look for food preservative suppliers to provide food grade chemical additives for your products

Picking the right additives and preservatives can enhance the quality of your distributed foods and prevent spoilage.
Try: Emerald Performance Materials manufactures additives and preservatives for the beverage and food preservatives industry. Trans-Chemco offers food grade preservatives such as emulsifiers for food processing. Niacet produces food preservatives such as calcium propionate and sodium propionate.

Stock organic or natural food preservatives

Natural food preservatives come from vegetable sources such as beets, corn or soybeans. Beets produce powder to use as a food coloring, while soybean- and corn-based food additives produce lecithin that protects product consistency.
Try: Northwestern Extract Company produces artificial and natural flavorings for pharmaceuticals, sodas and food colorants. Alfa Chem also specializes in artificial and natural food additives and preservatives.

Seeking FDA approval is one of the food additives and preservatives basics that food manufacturers must navigate. For new additive or preservative uses, scientific studies must be presented that show potential effects on animals or humans. The FDA also examines properties of the food additives to determine safety.