Additives, Emulsifiers, and Fermentation

Food additives serve many functions, but preservatives — compounds such as sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sulfites, and sodium nitrite — are specifically added to inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds or to prevent oxidation. Sodium nitrite, for instance, is added to cured meats largely because it prevents the growth of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium responsible for botulism, though its safety at various dose levels has itself been the subject of long-running scientific review. In the United States, additive safety is governed by the FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe, or GRAS, designation, while internationally the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives establishes acceptable daily intakes. The 1958 Delaney Clause, an early landmark in US regulation, barred the approval of any additive shown to cause cancer in animals or humans at any dose.