View article

The addition of certain substances to foodstuffs was practiced in ancient times, mostly for improving preservation. Salt was added to perishable foodstuffs, such as meat and fish, from prehistoric ages on. Smoke curing can also be considered as the fortuitous addition of constituents to food, as wood smoke contains a number of compounds that are absorbed by the food during the smoke-curing process or are deposited onto the surface. These treatments not only prolong the shelf life of the food, but also add to the flavor.

The preparation of any food product includes the addition of a number of ingredients that are not considered to be additives, but that clearly improve some properties of the food, such as maintenance of quality, and are originally intended as such. Preparation of a marinade of sour wine or vinegar, for example, is a technique for preserving fish, which was known to the Romans, but acetic acid is not an additive in the strict sense of the word. In some cases, it is not so easy to determine whether the substance under consideration is an additive. It is helpful, however, to keep in mind that an additive is intended as an aid, for some purpose or another, and not as an ingredient.