What Are the Different Kinds of Additives?

Food additives, according to "Nutrition: The Science of Eating" by Frances Sizer, can range from chemical additives to natural supplement additives. Additives are things that are added to foods to change texture, make them last longer, enhance color or make them healthier. Some additives are good for the body, and some are believed to be bad for the body, according to "Williams' Essentials of Diet & Nutrition Therapy" by Eleanor Schlenker.

Flavoring Agents

• Flavoring agents enhance a food's flavor. Flavoring agents include Amyl acetate (which is used in soft drinks), Benzaldehyde (common in bakery goods) and Methyl salicylate (found in candy and ice cream). Along with those, "Williams' Essentials of Diet & Nutrition Therapy" says that essential oils and natural extracts can be healthier choices for flavoring agents.

Nonnutritive Supplements

• This category of food additives includes the alternative sweeteners that many people use in their coffee and that comes in diet foods and sodas. These sugar substitutes include saccharin, aspartame and sucralose.

Nutrient Supplements

• These food additives usually benefit foods and add healthy vitamins and minerals to them. Nutrient additives include vitamin C (which you can find in fruit juices), vitamin D (also in fruit juices, as well as milk), vitamins A and B (in breads and cereals), iron and even calcium.

Thickeners

• Thickeners are added to foods like jelly and salad dressings to give them their thicker consistency. Without thickener added, gelatin would be juice, instead of wiggly and jiggly. Other foods that contain thickeners are soups, puddings and chewing gum.

Coloring and Bleaching Agents

• Some foods are not really the color they appear to be. Food additives that bleach them or add color to them can enhance the look of the foods. Annatto is a coloring agent that is used in butter and margarine. An example of the bleaching agents is benzoyl peroxide, which bleaches wheat flour to its powdery white look, according to "Williams' Essentials of Diet & Nutrition Therapy."