Every ingredient, explained.

Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) is a synthetic, non-caloric high-intensity sweetener approximately 130–200 times sweeter than sucrose. It is widely used in the food and beverage industry as a direct sugar substitute and is...

Aspartame is an artificial, low-calorie sweetener approximately 150–200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) by weight. It is synthesised from two naturally occurring amino acids — aspartic acid and phenylalanine — ...

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a synthetic, lipid-soluble antioxidant used as a preservative in a wide range of food products, animal feeds, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. Its primary function is to retard oxidative...

Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), assigned E number E321, is a synthetic phenolic antioxidant widely used in food processing to retard oxidative rancidity in fats, oils, and fat-containing foods. By donating hydrogen atom...

Blue 1, officially designated FD&C Blue No. 1 in the United States and E133 in the European Union, is a synthetic food colourant widely used to impart bright blue or blue-green hues to processed foods and beverages....

Blue 2, also known as Indigotine or Indigo Carmine, is a synthetic food dye in the indigoid chemical family. It imparts a distinctive indigo-blue color to food and beverages and is one of the certified color additives...

Calcium propionate is the calcium salt of propionic acid, widely used as an antimicrobial preservative in baked goods, dairy products, and other processed foods. It works by inhibiting the growth of mold and certain ba...

Caramel color is one of the most widely used food colorants in the world, produced by the controlled heat treatment of carbohydrates — typically glucose syrup, sucrose, or invert sugar — in the presence or absence of sp...

Plant-cellulose derivative used to thicken and stabilise ice-cream, baked goods, sauces and toothpaste. Preliminary research suggests possible effects on gut microbiota in animal studies....

Carrageenan is a family of linear sulphated polysaccharides extracted from red seaweeds (Rhodophyta), most commonly Chondrus crispus , Eucheuma spp., and Gigartina spp. It has been used as a food thickener and gell...

Citric acid is a naturally occurring weak organic acid found abundantly in citrus fruits and is one of the most widely used food additives in the world. It serves primarily as an acidity regulator, preservative, and fla...

EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a synthetic chelating agent widely used in the food industry to sequester metal ions—primarily iron, copper, and calcium—that would otherwise catalyse oxidation, rancidity, and ...

Bluish-green dye used in canned peas, sauces and desserts. Approved in the US and Canada but not permitted in the EU....

Guar gum is a natural polysaccharide extracted from the endosperm of the guar bean ( Cyamopsis tetragonoloba ), a legume cultivated primarily in India and Pakistan. It belongs to the galactomannan family of carbohydrate...

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a liquid sweetener derived from corn (maize) starch through enzymatic processing that partially converts glucose into fructose, yielding a mixture sweeter than glucose alone. It exists...

Lecithin is a naturally occurring mixture of phospholipids widely used in food manufacturing as an emulsifier, stabiliser, and release agent. It is most commonly extracted from soybeans, sunflower seeds, or egg yolks, t...

Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide derived from the partial hydrolysis of starch — most commonly corn (maize), wheat, potato, or tapioca — yielding short chains of glucose units with a dextrose equivalent (DE) between 3 a...

Modified food starch (MFS) is a broad category of starches—derived from corn, wheat, potato, tapioca, rice, or other plant sources—that have been altered through physical, chemical, or enzymatic means to improve or tail...

Monk fruit extract is a high-intensity natural sweetener derived from the dried fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii , a climbing vine native to southern China and northern Thailand. The extract's sweetness — typically 150 to...

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid found widely in foods such as tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, soy sauce, and fermented products. As a flavor enh...

Natural flavors is an umbrella regulatory term covering a large and chemically diverse group of flavoring substances derived from plant, animal, microbial, or mineral sources through physical, microbiological, or enzy...

Phosphoric acid (E338) is a mineral acid widely used in the food and beverage industry as an acidity regulator, flavouring agent, and pH adjuster. It is best known as an ingredient in cola-type soft drinks, where it pro...

Polysorbate 80 is a synthetic, non-ionic emulsifier widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. It is produced by ethoxylating sorbitan monooleate—a reaction that grafts polyethylene glycol chains ...

Potassium sorbate (E202) is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, a widely used food-grade preservative valued primarily for its ability to inhibit the growth of molds, yeasts, and certain bacteria. It is one of the most ...

Propyl gallate (E310) is a synthetic antioxidant food additive widely used to prevent or retard the oxidative rancidity of fats, oils, and fat-containing foods. It is the propyl ester of gallic acid, a naturally occurri...

Red 40, officially designated FD&C Red No. 40 and known internationally as Allura Red AC (E129), is a synthetic azo dye widely used to impart a bright red-to-orange hue to processed foods and beverages. It is among the ...

Saccharin is one of the oldest artificial sweeteners in existence, discovered accidentally in 1879 and now used in foods, beverages, and pharmaceuticals worldwide. It is approximately 300–400 times sweeter than sucrose ...

Essential for life — regulates nerve function, muscle contraction and fluid balance. Excess intake is associated with high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease; the WHO recommends less than 5g/day for most adults....

Sodium aluminum phosphate (SALP) is a synthetic inorganic salt used primarily as a leavening acid and emulsifying agent in processed foods. It exists in two commercially important forms: an acidic form (acidic SALP or S...

Sodium benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, one of the most widely used chemical preservatives in the global food industry. It is effective at inhibiting the growth of molds, yeasts, and certain bacteria, makin...

Sodium metabisulfite (E223) is an inorganic sulfite compound widely used in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries as a preservative, antioxidant, and antimicrobial agent. It is a white to slightly yellow cry...

Sodium nitrate (NaNO₃) is an inorganic salt used as a food preservative, curing agent, and color fixative, primarily in cured and processed meat products. It is authorised in many jurisdictions under the E-number E251....

Sodium nitrite (E250) is an inorganic salt widely used as a food preservative and color fixative, most prominently in cured and processed meats such as bacon, ham, hot dogs, and salami. It inhibits the growth of danger...

Sodium phosphate is a collective term for a family of inorganic salts formed from sodium cations (Na⁺) and phosphate anions (PO₄³⁻). The three principal food-grade forms — monosodium phosphate (MSP), disodium phosphate ...

Stevia is a high-intensity, non-caloric sweetener derived from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a plant native to Paraguay and Brazil. The sweet-tasting compounds responsible for its intense sweetness are a fa...

Sucralose is a zero-calorie artificial sweetener derived from sucrose (table sugar) through a selective chlorination process that replaces three hydroxyl groups with chlorine atoms. The result is a compound approximatel...

Refined sucrose from cane or beet. Provides quick energy but excess added-sugar intake is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay and fatty liver disease. The WHO recommends added sugars stay under 10% of daily e...

Sulfites are a group of sulfur-containing compounds widely used in food and beverage processing as preservatives, antioxidants, and bleaching agents. The group includes sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and several sulfite salts — s...

TBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone) is a synthetic phenolic antioxidant widely used as a food preservative to prevent or delay the oxidative rancidity of fats, oils, and fat-containing foods. By donating hydrogen atoms to fre...

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an inorganic white pigment and opacifier widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and paint industries. In food applications it serves primarily to impart a bright white color and t...

Xanthan gum is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide produced by the fermentation of simple sugars by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris . It is widely used as a thickener, stabiliser, and emulsifier in foods, pharm...

Bright lemon-yellow synthetic dye used in soft drinks, candy, cereals and cake mixes. A small number of people show allergy-like sensitivity; the EU requires a hyperactivity warning label on foods containing it....

Yellow 6, officially designated FD&C Yellow No. 6 in the United States and E110 (Sunset Yellow FCF) in the European Union, is a synthetic azo dye widely used to impart an orange-yellow color to processed foods and beve...