What about Additives?

Manufactured foods sold in New Zealand must have on their ingredient list, any additives included in the food. Why do we add substances to our foods?

Food additives are added to enhance various properties of the foods.Sometimes an additive is listed using a number. A pamphlet called 'Identifying Food Additives' (code 7026) lists all food additives by number and is available from your local Public Health Service, free of charge.

Different types of food additives are permitted in New Zealand:

Preservatives

These are used to delay or prevent spoilage of food.

Colourings

These are used to enhance the natural or processed colour of foods to make them more attractive. While many food colourings are derived from natural sources such as caramel, there are some artificial colourings permitted for use in New Zealand.

Flavourings

These are used to flavour manufactured foods, for example vanilla or strawberry flavouring in ice cream.

Thickeners

These are substances that thicken foods. For example, gels and gums are used to alter the consistency of some food such as packet soups, ice cream and ready-made sauces.

These are used to delay or prevent spoilage of food.

Flavour enhancers

These substances are to bring out the flavours of the food.

Antioxidants

These additives are used to stop a food combining with oxygen, thus enhancing the keeping qualities. For example, vitamin E is used to prevent fats and oils going rancid.

Stabilisers

These are used to stabilise the texture of a product. They are often found in salad dressing and mayonnaise.

Emulsifiers

These are used to help mix together ingredients that would normally separate, for example, salad dressings.