Time:2023-04-04
Food additive refers to a class of chemical synthetic or natural substances used to improve the quality of food, prolong the shelf life of food, facilitate food processing and increase the nutritional content of food. Food additives are compounds or natural substances added to food for the purpose of improving the quality of food, such as color, aroma and taste, as well as for the needs of preservative and processing technology.
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) joint food Regulatory Committee defines food additives as: food additives are consciously added to food in small amounts to improve the appearance, flavor, organizational structure or storage properties of food non-nutritional substances. According to this definition, food fortifications for the purpose of enhancing the nutritional content of food should not be included in the scope of food additives. According to Article 43 of the Food Hygiene Law of the People's Republic of China, Article 28 of the Hygiene Control Measures for Food Additives, and Article 2 of the Hygiene Control Measures for Food Nutrition Fortifier, China defines food additives and food fortifier as: Food additives refer to chemical synthetic or natural substances added to food for the purpose of improving food quality, color, aroma and taste, as well as for the need of preservative and processing technology.
In the development of the food industry, food additives have played an important role. With the development of science and technology, food additives have been widely developed and applied, which not only ensures the high quality of food but also promotes the development of the food industry. The total output of food additives in our country accounts for about 10% of international trade, and the output of some varieties has occupied the first place in the world, which occupies an important position in international trade and has a relatively large influence.
Source: Hangzhou e-Government Office