AVOIDING ASTHMA TRIGGERS: FOOD ADDITIVE CLASSES
•Anti-caking agents ensure that products, such as salt, flow freely; •Antioxidants prevent food containing fats and oils from becoming rancid;•Artificial sweeteners are used to sweeten low-joule foods;•Bleaching agents whiten foods, such as flour;•Colours restore losses during processing and storage, and ensure a uniform colour in the finished product;•Emulsifers ensure that oil and water mixtures do not separate into layers;•Enzymes break down food, such as milk into curds and whey;•Flavour enhancers bring out the flavour of the food without imparting a flavour of their own;•Flour treatment agents improve flour performance in bread making;•Food acids maintain a constant acid level in food despite variations in the acid level of ingredients;•Humectants prevent foods from drying out;•Mineral salts enhance the texture of foods, such as processed meats, which might lose fats or juices;•Preservatives prolong the shelf-life of food;•Propellants are used in aerosol containers;•Thickeners and vegetable gums ensure constant consistency;•Vitamins make up for losses in processing and storage, and are added to certain foods to supplement dietary intake. Food additives are numbered as follows: 100-181 Colours200 – 297 Preservatives and food acids300 – 381 Antioxidants, food acids and mineral salts400 – 492 Vegetable gums, emulsifiers, some anti-caking agents, humectants, mineral salts500 – 579 More mineral salts and anti-caking agents 600 – 637 Flavour enhancers900 – 1202 Bleaching and flour treatment agents and propellants1400- 1450 Thickeners1505 – 1520 Miscellaneous additives*37\148\2*
