What are additives commonly used for in food production?

Additives are commonly used in food production primarily to improve quality, flavour, colour, texture, or stability. These substances can enhance the sensory attributes of food, making it more appealing to consumers. For example, flavor enhancers can intensify the taste, while color additives can make a product visually attractive. Furthermore, certain additives can help maintain texture, ensuring that food products meet consumer expectations in terms of mouthfeel and physical quality. Stability is also a key factor; some additives help products remain consistent in their composition and performance throughout their shelf life, which is critical for consumer satisfaction.

While enhancing nutritional value, improving food safety, and prolonging shelf life are also important aspects of food production, they represent more specific uses of additives and do not cover the broader range of functions that additives serve in enhancing overall food quality and consumer appeal.