In addition to the basic chemical building blocks of protein, carbohydrates and fats, you probably consume a wide range of other chemicals in the course of a single day. The kinds of chemicals in normal foods include sodium chloride and other salts, caffeine, food colors and preservatives, thickeners and other stabilizing agents. Food additives must be generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration before they are added to foods.
Sodium Chloride
Salt, or sodium chloride, has been used for thousands of years as a preservative and to add flavor to foods. Salt usually appears on the menu as common table salt or sodium chloride. But salt isn't always so simple: Some companies add other ingredients to their product. For instance, iodine is necessary for a healthy thyroid, but the potassium iodide that's added to salt must be stablized with other chemicals. Typically, sugar or sodium bicarbonate are used for this purpose. Some people use sea salt to avoid the added chemicals or because they prefer the taste. Table salt is almost pure sodium chloride, but sea salt may have other minerals, such as magnesium and calcium, that give it additional flavor.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant that's found in coffee, tea and cocoa as well as other plants. When consumed in moderation--defined as 300 mg per day or less--caffeine is generally safe. The chemical provides a mental boost, and some studies show that it may be effective in preventing the onset of migraine headaches. Caffeine is considered a drug that can cause dependency in just one week, and safe amounts vary from person to person. Caffeine is used as an additive in products such as energy drinks and soft drinks, as well as boutique chewing gum and candy.
Food Coloring
Almost all processed foods, other than organic or natural foods, contain some kind of food coloring. These additives can be natural or synthetic and generally have little or no nutritive value. Food colors are used simply to make a food look more appealing. Natural coloring agents include beta carotene, turmeric and beet juice. Synthetic products include water soluble dyes that are available as powders and liquids and the lake food colors, which are pigments. Food colors are used in all types of processed foods, from baked goods to candy and cereal to dairy products, including yogurt.
Eggs and Other Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers have the singular purpose of trying to make mixtures of oil and water mix. These are some of the most common food additives that you'll find. They not only make food more appealing, but emulsifiers also affect the texture of foods and can help prevent the growth of mold. Emulsifiers work on a molecular level by effectively coating droplets of oil, which are then suspended in water. In mayonnaise, eggs act as an emulsifier and prevent it from separating. Other emulsifiers include milk and magnesium stearate.
Silicon Dioxide
Anti-caking agents, such as silicon dioxide, prevent powdered foods from absorbing moisture from the air and sticking together. Magnesium carbonate is often added to salt to keep it from clumping up so that it will dispense properly from a shaker. Perhaps the most common anti-caking agent that you'll encounter is silicon dioxide. Calcium silicate, sodium aluminosilicate and dicalcium phosphate are other chemicals that you'll see used as anti-caking agents. Natural sources include potato starch and microcrystalline cellulose.
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