Food additives refer to chemically synthesized or natural substances added to food in order to improve the quality, color, aroma and taste of food, as well as for the needs of antiseptic and processing technology. Due to the rapid development of the food industry, food additives have become an important part of the modern food industry, and have become an important driving force for technological progress and technological innovation in the food industry. In the use of food additives, in addition to ensuring that they play their due functions and roles, the most important thing is to ensure the safety and hygiene of food.

The definitions of food additives vary from country to country. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization Joint Food Regulation Committee define food additives as: food additives are consciously added to food in small amounts to improve the appearance, flavor and organizational structure of food. or storage properties of non-nutritive substances. According to this definition, food fortifiers for the purpose of enhancing the nutritional content of food should not be included in the scope of food additives.