Food Additives are used either to facilitate or to complement a wide variety of production methods in the modern food supply. Two of their most basic functions are to make food safer by preserving it from bacteria and preventing oxidation and other chemical changes, and to make food look or taste better or feel more pleasing in the mouth.

The guide aims to answer questions on why additives are used in prepared foods, and also covers the technical aspects, benefits and limitations of individual additives.