Food additives are substances that are added to food to maintain or improve the safety, freshness, taste, texture, or appearance. In a time where the public is more aware and interested with what they eat, natural (or biobased) additives, obtained from natural raw materials like plant, animals, minerals, etc., have been gaining interest both from the food industries and the consumers. With the rising demand for healthy foods ingredients and the deeper understanding of health diseases happening due to artificial additives, the demand for biobased food additives products increases.
There are no defined categories for natural food additives, while the most researched natural additives are antioxidants, antimicrobials, colorants, and sweeteners.
Antioxidants are mainly used in food to prevent off-flavors by oxidation of fats, therefore halting their peroxidation in the initiation or propagation phases.
Natural antimicrobials can guarantee that the food is free of microorganisms and safe to eat. They mainly derived from three sources, microorganisms, animals and plants.
Colorants are used in food to make it feel more appealing and appetizing. Most natural colorants are derived from plant tissues.
Sweeteners are additives to make foodstuffs more appetizing and appealing to consumers. Natural sweeteners can deliver a sweet taste while contributing with less or no calories at all to the diet.
Natural additives along with the foods or foodstuffs they are used in, are represented in the following table [1].
| Type | Additive | Foodstuffs |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidants | Carnosic acid | Oils, Animal fats, Sauces, Bakery wares, Meat, Fish |
| Ferulic acid | Gels, Edible films | |
| Catechin | Encapsulation | |
| Ascorbic acid | Lipids, Oils | |
| β-carotene | Bakes goods, Eggs, Dairy products | |
| Tocopherols | Films, Coatings, Bacon, Meat, Dairy products, Oils | |
| Antimicrobials | Nisin | Coatings, Films, Dairy products, Beverages, Eggs, Meat |
| Pediocin | Ham, Dairy products | |
| Natamycin | Encapsulation, Films, Cheese, Beverages | |
| Reuterin | Cheese, Sausages, Salmon, Cottage cheese | |
| Poly-L-Lysine | Sushi, Rice, Noodles, Vegetables, Soups, Salads, Steamed cakes, Custard creams | |
| Lactoperoxidase | Milk, Fruit juices, Coatings | |
| Lactoferrin | Baby formulas, Meat | |
| Essential oils | Meat, Fish, Dairy products, Vegetables, Rice, Fruit | |
| Colorants | Annatto | Cakes, Biscuits, Rice, Dairy products, Flour, Soft drinks, Snacks, Meat products |
| Carotenoids | Sauces, Marinades, Spice blends, Coatings, Beverages, Milk | |
| Anthocyanins | Soft drinks, Confectionary, Fruit preparations | |
| Chlorophylls | Dairy products, Soups, Drinks, Sugar confections | |
| Curcumin | Mustard, Yoghurt, Baked goods, Dairy products, Ice creams, Salad dressings | |
| Carminic acid | Jams, Gelatins, Baked goods, Dairy products, Non-carbonated drinks | |
| Sweeteners | Erythritol | Baked goods, Coatings, Frostings, Fermented milk, Chocolate, Low calorie beverages, Candy, Chewing gums |
| Tagatose | Cereals, Beverages, Yoghurts, Frostings, Chewing gum, Chocolate, Fudge, Caramel, Fondant, Ice cream | |
| Steviol glycosides | Beverages, Dairy products, Ice cream, Frozen desserts, Sugar-free confectionary, Mints, Dried sea foods, Sauces | |
| Glycyrrhizin | Baked goods, Frozen dairies, Beverages, Confectionary, Chewing gum | |
| Thaumatin | Sauces, Soups, Fruit juices, Poultry, Egg products, Chewing gum, Processed vegetables |
Food safety analysis is an important procedure to control food contamination and supervision. The earliest food safety detection methods are still by far the most frequently used, which consist of visual inspection, smell, and taste, followed by bioassay through ingestion. With the growing of technology, advanced analysis techniques, such as DNA-based, biomarkers, isotope labeling, liquid chromatography technique coupled with mass spectrometry, near-infrared technology, NMR spectroscopy, metabolomics, proteomics, etc., present an opportunity to assess the safety risks deriving from pathogens and from the undeclared introduction of any food ingredient that might be harmful to human health.
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Reference
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