Food additives are rarely out of the news these days. There are questions raised over the preponderance of food additives and their possible effects on consumer health, and rightfully so. There are many different types of additives in all kinds of foods. But how much do you know about food additives? Where do they come from? How are they used? Are they regulated? This paper sets out why food additives are used, how their use is regulated and how - through science-based processes - consumers are protected.

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Science is central to the assessment and regulation of these food additives. The current approach to food additives, based on the evaluation and analysis of science by independent experts from around the world through a robust and well-defined process, is the best approach we have to protect consumers while maintaining the supply, shelf life and convenience of the foods we all depend on. And although science is not static and our understanding of food additives and their potential effects in the human body continues to develop, it is important to recognize that food additives go through a rigorous process to make sure they are safe to humans and that the safety of food additives is re-assessed as new scientific evidence emerges.

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The target audience for this document is anyone interested in food additives, whether that is governments, regulators, intergovernmental organizations, academia, the media and the general food sector at large.