Food Additives

Food additives play an important role in maintaining the quality of foods. The Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) closely monitors the types and amounts of additives in food. An Accredited Practising Dietitian can provide dietary advice for those people who may be allergic or intolerant to certain food additives.

Food additives include preservatives, flavourings and colourings. Other additives are also used in processing to help improve the taste, texture and appearance of foods. Some food additives are important in keeping our food supply safe to eat by preventing spoilage, others enhance flavour, appearance or preparation of foods. The FSANZ carefully regulate the types and amounts of additives that can be included in the food supply. For most people, foods containing additives are perfectly safe and there is no need to be concerned about eating them as part of a healthy, varied diet. However, some people may be intolerant or allergic to certain food additives and will therefore need to be careful about eating these. For further information see Allergy and Food Intolerance and Sensitivities.

In Australia, food additives are numbered using an approved numbering system. These numbers are used in the ingredient lists on food labels to help people identify which additives have been used in different food products. It is possible to obtain a complete list of food additive numbers approved for use in Australia from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

If an allergy or intolerance to certain food additives is suspected, it is important that you see an Accredited Practising Dietitian for expert advice before changing your diet. Eliminating certain foods from your diet without such professional advice may mean you miss out on important nutrients.