Food additives
Definitions

Food additive

A food additive is any substance the use of which results, or may reasonably be expected to result, in it or its by-products becoming a part of or affecting the characteristics of a food [B.01.001(1), FDR].

Food additive categories

There are fifteen lists of permitted food additives, which are housed on the Health Canada website, and organized by major functional categories:

1. Anti-caking agents
2. Bleaching, maturing and dough conditioning agents
3. Colouring agents
4. Emulsifying, gelling, stabilizing or thickening agents
5. Food enzymes
6. Firming agents
7. Glazing and polishing agents
8. Food additives with other generally accepted uses
9. Sweeteners
10. pH adjusting agents, acid reacting materials or water correcting agents
11. Preservatives (Classes I-IV)
    • Part 1 - Class 1 - curing preservatives;
    • Part 2 - Class 2 - antibacterial;
    • Part 3 - Class 3 - antifungal and antimycotic;
    • Part 4 - Class 4 - antioxidants
12. Sequestering agents
13. Starch modifying agents
14. Yeast foods
15. Carrier or extraction solvents