 According to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)- Any substances added to food/

term refers to “any substances the intended use of which results or may reasonably be
expected to result directly or indirectly in its becoming a component or otherwise
affecting the characteristics of any food”

 The Codex Alimentarius commission –FSSAI defined Food additive as “Any

substances not normally consumed as food by itself and not normally used as a
typical ingredient of the food, whether or not it has nutritional value, the intentional
addition of which to the food for a technological (including organoleptic) purpose in
the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packing, Packaging transport or
holding of such foods results or may reasonably be expected to result directly or
indirectly in it or its bye products becoming the component or otherwise affecting the
characteristics of such foods. The term does not include contaminants or substances
added to food for maintaining and improving its nutritive value.
 Improving and Enhancing the Food color, Aroma, taste and mouth feel
properties.

 Maintaining and improving the nutritional value of food

 Contributing to food preservation and extending the shelf-life.

 Increasing the diversity of foods

 Advantageous for food processing operations

 Meeting the needs of different consumers.

FAO and WHO set the principles for the use of food additives (Codex, 1995).
Food Additive Safety:
 Only those Food additives that can be judged on the evidence presently
available from the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and
present no appreciable health risk to consumers at the levels proposed for use
in foods.
 The quantity of a selected additive should be at or below the maximum
allowed level, and the lowest level necessary to achieve the intended technical
effect.
 For the same food additive, the maximum allowed levels may differ in
different countries.
Justification for the Use of Food Additives:

 The use of food additives is justified only when such use has an advantage,
and does not present an appreciable health risk to consumers.

Either it can be helpful

 To preserve the nutritional quality of the food,

 To provide necessary ingredients or constituents for foods manufactured for

consumers with special dietary needs,

 To enhance the quality or stability of a food, or

 To improve its organoleptic properties

Good Manufacturing Practice:

 All food additives should be used under conditions of good manufacturing

practice(GMP)

(a) The quantity of the additive added to food shall be limited to the lowest
possible level necessary to accomplish its desired effect.

(b) The quantity of the additive that becomes a component of food as a result of
its use in the manufacturing, processing, or packaging of a food and which is
not intended to accomplish any physical, or other technical effect in the food
itself, is reduced to the extent reasonably possible amount.

(c) The additive is of appropriate food grade quality, and is prepared and
handled in the same way as a food ingredient.
 Based on various sources, food additives can be divided into natural
additives and synthetic additives.

 Natural food additives - natural substances extracted from animals or

plants, or microbial metabolites.

 Synthetic food additives are substances obtained by chemical synthesis.

 Currently, most food additives used are synthetic ones.

  Additives that are used in food industry must be certified as ‘GRAS’-
GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE’.

 Based on function it is classified into different classes.

Different classes of Food Additives

Anti caking agents Edible films Propellants

Antimicrobials Emulsifiers Stabilizers and

thickeners
Antioxidants Fat replacers Sweeteners'

Bleaching/maturing Flavoring agents

agents
Bulking agents Leavening agents

Coloring agents Acidulants/ low pH

Dough conditioners Preservatives

 Under Rule 52 of PFA 1955- Preservative means any substances which
when added to food, is capable of inhibiting, retarding or arresting the
process of fermentation, acidification or other decomposition of food.

NATURAL PRESERVATIVES:

 Naturally occurring antimicrobials are abundant in environment.

 These compounds may exhibit antimicrobial activity in the foods as

natural ingredients or may be used as additives to other foods.
LACTO-ANTIMICROBIALS:
 Milk is the first complete functional food devised by nature for the protection and development
of a newborn mammal.
 The prophylactic and therapeutic benefits of milk and its bioactive components have been
recognized for centuries.
 The antimicrobial and nutraceutical potential of many components in milk has been unraveled in
recent years.
Lactoferrin (LF):
 Metal-binding glycoprotein present in milk and also in mucosal surfaces.
 LF could elicit a variety of inhibitory effects against microorganisms comprising Stasis, Cidal,
Adhesion-blockade, Cationic, Synergistic and Opsonic mechanisms.
 Broad-spectrum activity against different bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, in combination
with anti-inflammatory activity.
 protein is finding its applications as an active ingredient in infant formulae, and health foods in
South-East Asian countries.
 LF is also in use as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent to control intestinal illnesses and mucosal
infections.
 Lactoperoxidase (LP) is an oxidoreductase secreted into milk which
plays an important role in protecting the lactating mammary gland and the
intestinal tracts of the newborn infants against pathogenic
microorganisms.

 LP catalyzes the oxidation of thiocyanate and iodide ions to generate

highly reactive oxidizing agents.

 These products have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial effects against

bacteria, fungi and viruses.

 Its antimicrobial activity has been used to preserve raw milk in warm
climates, through the addition of hydrogen peroxide and thiocyanate.
 In contrast to the immune system of animals, which produce antimicrobial
polypeptides when needed, the egg efficiently resists microorganisms.

 The main function of ovo-antimicrobials is to keep microorganisms away

from the yolk, the nutrient reservoir of egg.

 Of many different types of proteins found in the egg albumen, most of

them appear to possess antimicrobial properties or certain physiological
function to interfere with the growth and spread of the invading
microorganisms.

 Lysozyme, Ovo-transferrin, Avidin.

 Lysozyme: nutraceutical and a value-added product from hen egg white.
 Singly or in combination with other natural antimicrobial compounds, it has
desirable antimicrobial properties for use in minimally processed foods.

 Lysozyme demonstrates cidal effects on Gram-positive bacteria, however,

heat denatured lysozyme has antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative
bacteria.

 Used alone and also synergisticaly with other anti microbial agents for the
preservation of minimally processed fruits, vegetables, meat and beverages.

 Food products containing lysozyme, such as cheese, chewing gums, candies,

and mouthwashes are on the market.
Ovo-transferrin is the major iron-binding protein of egg, which is an
equivalent to LF in milk.

 It acts as a bactericidal agent and its bacterial killing activity can be

decoupled from its iron-sequestration properties,

 Strong bactericidal action against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative

bacteria

 Crude hydrolysate used in food applications or infant formulas.

Avidin- tetrameric glycoprotein of egg white.

 Binds up to four molecules of biotin with exceptionally high affinity.

 Also been viewed as antibiotic protein in egg albumen- could inhibit the
growth of biotin-requiring yeast and bacteria.
 Phyto chemicals exhibiting various degrees of antimicrobial activity occur in
plant stems, leaves, barks, flowers, and fruits.
 Spices and herbs and their essential oils have varying degrees of biological
activity.
 The most consistent antimicrobial activity among herbs and spices has been
found with components of cloves, cinnamon, mustard seed, oregano etc.
Saponins - compounds that protect plants from biotic stress and also elicit
antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities.
 Sources: soy foods are one of the best sources of saponins. Beans and legumes
are another food source of saponins, though they contain less than soy. kidney
beans, chickpeas and green peas are among the best legume sources of
saponins.
Flavonoids: Exhibits broadspectrum antimicrobial activity also exhibits
Antioxidant activity.

 Isoflavonoids- class of flavanoids - potent fungal growth inhibitors.

 Thiosulfinates such as allicin and ajoene are the antimicrobial components
of Garlic.

 Catechins in green tea (GTC) could inhibit bacterial growth. GTC also
strongly inhibit the growth of intestinal pathogens but do not affect other
useful probiotic bacteria.

 Glucosinolates are abundant in various cruciferous vegetables including

cabbage,Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, horseradish, mustard,
watercress, turnips, raddish.

Volatile glucosinolates such as the isothiocyanates elicit a wide range of

antibacterial and antifungal effects. Application of gaseous allyl
isothiocyanates as a preservative in packaged foods has been suggested at
low concentrations
 Food fermentation using microbial starter cultures is one of the oldest known
uses of biotechnology

 Fermented foods and beverages continue to provide an important part of

human diet and constitute 20-40% of food supply worldwide.

 The most common use of probiotics is as food in the form of fermented milk
products.

 Bacteriocins are naturally produced small peptides with bactericidal activity.

 Antimicrobial activity of bacteriocins in foods is affected by its levels, type

and number of microorganisms, condition of application,
interaction/inactivation by food components, and pH and temperature of
product.