What are food additives?

Food additives are categorized into 23 distinct groups based on their functions. Among the ones you may hear about regularly are preservatives, thickeners, antioxidants, sweeteners, flavorings and fragrances, as well as colorants—plus some less common categories that might be unfamiliar to you, such as processing aids and nutritional fortifiers. Currently, China has approved approximately 2,400 types of food additives for use.