Food additives help preserve the freshness and appeal of food between the time it is manufactured and when it finally reaches the market. Additives may also improve nutritional value of foods and improve their taste, texture, consistency or color. All food additives approved for use in the United States are carefully regulated by federal authorities to ensure that foods are safe to eat and are accurately labeled.

Food additives have been used by man since earliest times. Early peoples, for example, used salt to preserve meats and fish; they also added herbs and spices to improve the flavor of their foods. It has only been in recent times, however, that governments have sought to ensure the safety of additives through regulation. Today, food and color additives are more strictly regulated than at any time in history.

Additives may be incorporated in foods to maintain product consistency...