Tokyo Food Safety Information Center » Good things to know » Food additives » Food additive categories
Food additive categories
Food additives are used for a variety of purposes and are categorized based on their roles and effects.
Food Sanitation Act categories
Designated food additives
Food additives whose safety and effectiveness haven’t been confirmed and which are not designated by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare based on Article 10 of the Food Sanitation Act, regardless of their method of production whether a chemically synthesized compound or natural additive, etc., may not be used.
As of September 18, 2015, there are 449 designated food additives included on the Designated Additives List in Appended Table 1 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act.
Existing food additives
Additives which have been recognized by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare as having been successfully used for many years are recorded in the List of Existing Food Additives and are approved for continued usage.
There are 365 additives in the List of Existing Food Additives, and their product names, origins, production methods, and qualities are noted in the List of Existing Food Additives Listed Items List.
Items which are found to have safety issues or which are no longer used may be removed from the list.
Natural flavoring agents
Additives used for adding flavor such as apples and green tea and those obtainable from animals or plants like milk which are generally used in small amounts and which have exhibited no adverse effects on health through many years of people eating them are approved for use.
612 such original substances are included in the Natural Flavoring Original Substance List.
General food and drink additives
Article 10 of the Food Sanitation Act defines these additives as “articles that have generally been served for human consumption and that are used as additives”
Examples: An additive used to add color to orange juice.
Mannan, a component of konyaku, used for increasing thickness.
Numerous items are included in the General Food and Drink Additive Item List, but this designation applies to all foods.
Categories by use
Additives are categorized by their roles and effects.
Items necessary for the production and processing of food
Items required for the production and processing of certain foods, including enzymes, filter aids, oil eluents, anti-foaming agents, and acidic and alkali processing aids.
Examples: Coagulants for solidifying tofu.
Kansui alkaline water used in the process making ramen noodles from wheat.
Activated charcoal used when filtering beer, etc.
Items used to improve food taste and appearance
Items added to improve food flavor and appearance to create attractive, high quality food.
Examples include colorings, color fixatives, and bleaching agents for improving food color; flavoring agents for adding fragrance; sweeteners and seasoning for improving food taste; and emulsifiers and thickening agents for improving food texture.
Items for improving food preservation and preventing food poisoning
Items used to prevent decomposition due to food oxidation or deterioration and microorganism propagation, as well as to improve food preservation.
In addition to preservatives and antioxidants, other examples include disinfectants and anti-mold agents.
Items which fortify food nutrition
Items used for fortifying and enhancing the existing nutritional content of food and for adding nutrients required by human beings.
Examples include vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.