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.