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Chemistry and Hygiene of Food Additives pp 1–21Cite as

Classification and Technological Purposes of Food Additives: The European Point of View

Part of the SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science book series (BRIEFSCHEFO)

Abstract

The aim of this chapter was to describe the regulatory classification and the list of ‘technological purposes’ of food additives by the European viewpoint. At present, food additives are extremely useful. Significant progress has been made in the field of health and nutrition. Food additives play an important role in the complex chain of modern food productions. In general, foods are subject to many environmental variables which may alter the original composition. Moreover, the presence of additives in foods must be declared on the label as an ingredient. Also, all additives used in the food industry are included in a ‘positive list’ by health organisations. Finally, food additives are classified into functional categories, in relation to the declared action: food protection, colour or flavour enhancement, sugar substitution or structural and technological functions. This chapter provides also a description of these sub-categories with correlated examples.

Keywords

  • Acceptable daily intake
  • Dye
  • European Food Safety Authority
  • Food additive
  • Preservative
  • Sweetener
  • Thickener

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Fig. 1.1

Notes

  1. 1.

    Marina et al.

Abbreviations

ADI:

Acceptable daily intake

AFC:

Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food

ANS:

Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food

BHA:

Butylated hydroxyanisole

BHT:

Butylated hydroxytoluene

CEF:

Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

EFSA:

European Food Safety Authority

EU:

European Union

IMF:

Intermediate moisture

INRAN:

Italian National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition

INS:

International Numbering System

JECFA:

Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

NOAEL:

No Observed Adverse Effect Level

O2 :

Oxygen

PHB:

p-hydroxybenzoic acid

SO2 :

Sulphur dioxide

TBHQ:

Tertiary butyl hydroquinone

USA:

United States of America

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Pasqualina Laganà, Emanuela Avventuroso & Santi Delia

  2. Territorial Dietician, Lamezia Terme, Italy

    Giovanni Romano

  3. Food Safety Consultant, Messina, Italy

    Maria Eufemia Gioffré

  4. University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Paolo Patanè

  5. Industrial Consultant, Palermo, Italy

    Salvatore Parisi

  6. Department of Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy

    Umberto Moscato

Authors
  1. Pasqualina Laganà
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  2. Emanuela Avventuroso
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  8. Santi Delia
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Correspondence to Pasqualina Laganà .

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Laganà, P. et al. (2017). Classification and Technological Purposes of Food Additives: The European Point of View. In: Chemistry and Hygiene of Food Additives. SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57042-6_1

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