Additives in Meat and Poultry Products

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency 

in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

In prehistoric times, cavemen may have smoked meats to make them taste 

better. In coastal regions, early man probably soaked foods, including meat 

and poultry, in seawater for better flavor and for preservation. The spice trade 

between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe flourished because the public 

demanded the flavors that spices added to foods. Early explorers went in 

search of salt and spices, and wealthy Romans were kidnaped for ransom of 

salt and spices. Our ancestors discovered that large amounts of sugar helped 

preserve fruits.

“Food additive” is defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as any 

substance that--directly or indirectly--becomes a component or otherwise 

affects the characteristics of any food. This definition includes any substance 

used in the production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or 

storage of food. 

Additives are used to maintain or improve safety, freshness, nutritional value 

taste, texture and appearance. The use of food additives has become more 

prominent in recent years due to the increased production of prepared, 

processed, and convenience foods. 

According to the FDA, “Direct food additives are those that are added to a 

food for a specific purpose in that food.” For example, using phosphates in 

meat and poultry products to retain moisture and protect the flavor.

“Indirect food additives are those that become part of the food in trace 

amounts due to its packaging, storage or other handling,” according to the 

FDA. For instance, minute amounts of packaging substances may find their 

way into foods during storage. Food packaging manufacturers must prove to 

the FDA that all materials coming in contact with food are safe before they are 

permitted for use in such a manner.

FDA defines a color additive as any dye, pigment, or substance which—when 

added or applied to a food, drug, or cosmetic, or to the human body—is 

capable (alone or through reactions with other substances) of imparting 

color. FDA is responsible for regulating all color additives to ensure that foods 

containing color additives are safe to eat, contain only approved ingredients, 

and are accurately labeled.

Color additives are used in foods for many reasons: 1) to offset color loss 

due to exposure to light, air, temperature extremes, moisture, and storage 

conditions; 2) to correct natural variations in color; 3) to enhance colors that 

occur naturally; and 4) to provide color to colorless and “fun” foods. Without 

color additives, colas wouldn’t be brown, margarine wouldn’t be yellow, and 

mint ice cream wouldn’t be green. Color additives are now recognized as an 

important part of practically all processed foods we eat.

People have been using food additives for thousands of years. Today more than 3000 substances are used as food additives. Salt, sugar, and corn syrup are by far the most widely used additives in food in this country.

History of Food 

Additives

What is a food additive?

PhotoDisc

What is a “direct” food 

additive?

What is an “indirect” 

food additive?

What is a color additive?
Additives in Meat and Poultry Products

Food Safety Information 2

Today, food and color additives are more strictly studied, regulated, and 

monitored than at any other time in history. FDA has the primary legal 

responsibility for determining their safe use. To market a new food or color 

additive (or before using an additive already approved for one use in another 

manner not yet approved), a manufacturer or other sponsor must first petition 

FDA for its approval. These petitions must provide evidence that the substance 

is safe for the ways in which it will be used. As a result of recent legislation, 

since 1999, indirect additives have been approved via a premarket notification 

process requiring the same data as was previously required by petition.

Before any substance can be added to food, its safety must be assessed in 

a stringent approval process. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 

of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shares responsibility with FDA 

for the safety of food additives used in meat, poultry, and egg products. All 

additives are initially evaluated for safety by FDA.

When an additive is proposed for use in a meat, poultry, or egg product, its 

safety, technical function, and conditions of use must also be evaluated by 

the Risk, Innovations and Management Staff (RIMS) of FSIS, as provided in 

the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Egg 

Products Inspection Act, and related regulations.

Although FDA has overriding authority regarding additive safety, FSIS may 

apply even stricter standards that take into account the unique characteristics 

of meat, poultry, and egg products. Several years ago, for instance, 

permission was sought to use sorbic acid in meat salads. Although sorbic acid 

was an approved food additive, permission for use in meat salad was denied 

because such usage could mask spoilage caused by organisms that cause 

foodborne illness.

Additives are never given permanent approval. FDA and FSIS continually 

review the safety of approved additives, based on the best scientific 

knowledge, to determine if approvals should be modified or withdrawn. 

During the early part of the first century in America, people lived off the land. 

They grew their own foods or bought them from someone they knew and 

trusted. There was no need for food safety laws. As the country grew and 

became more industrialized, the number of people who produced their own 

foods decreased drastically. Therefore, the nation depended on the newly 

emerging food industry to produce and distribute its food. Unfortunately, 

during the 1850’s, there was much dishonesty concerning adding substances 

to foods. 

The first efforts to pass laws to govern foods were state laws (1850 and 

beyond). These laws were difficult to enforce. The first major Federal law 

governing food was the 1906 Federal Food and Drug Act. It set the framework 

for the regulation of foods and stated that it was illegal to sell misbranded or 

adulterated foods and drugs in interstate commerce. It listed chemicals that 

were illegal to add to foods, such as borax or formaldehyde. The law was weak 

in that there was no method of enforcement and no punishment.

In 1938, the Federal Food and Drug Act was revised to account for changes 

in medical science and food technology and was renamed the Federal Food, 

Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Among the many provisions of the law was a 

requirement for truthful labeling of additives.

Who monitors the safety 

of food additives?

Why are food additives 

regulated?

How are additives 

approved for use in 

foods?
Food Safety Information 3

Additives in Meat and Poultry Products

Are any additives 

exempt from the 

approval process?

When were color 

additives addressed?

What are labeling 

requirements for 

additives?

When did food additive 

regulations begin?

The 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act provided for the first specific regulations of food additives. Approval 

of new food additives was required before they could be marketed, and the 

responsibility for proving their safety was placed on the manufacturer. 

To use or market a substance to be used as a food additive, a company must 

first file a petition with the FDA outlining the tests that prove the substance to 

be safe under the proposed conditions of use. If it is approved as safe under 

the proposed conditions of use, FDA prescribes in its regulations, the types of 

foods it may be used in, and how it may be used.

Yes. The Food Additives Amendment exempted two groups of food additives 

from FDA’s testing and approval process. One is the list of substances known 

as “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). This group includes a variety of 

substances, from commonly used flavorings and spices to phosphates and 

carrageenan. These substances are considered harmless under prescribed 

conditions of use. Past extensive use of these substances has produced no 

known harmful effects. 

The other group of additives, known as “substances with prior sanction,” was 

approved by USDA and FDA for use in foods prior to the passage of the 1958 

Food Additives Amendment. Examples of these types of substances include 

potassium nitrite and sodium nitrite. Additives can be removed from the lists if 

tests indicate the substances are not safe for human consumption. 

The 1960 Color Additives Amendment brought all colors, natural and 

synthetic, under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Color additives may not 

be used to deceive consumers or to conceal blemishes or inferiorities in food 

products. Colors used in foods, drugs, and cosmetics must be approved by the 

FDA before they can be marketed. 

The Food Additives Amendment and the Color Additives Amendments include 

the Delaney Clause, which prohibits the approval of an additive “if it is found 

to induce cancer when ingested by” people or animals, or “if it is found, after 

tests which are appropriate for the evaluation of the safety of food additives, 

to induce cancer in” people or animals. Any substance found to cause cancer is 

regulated under the general safety provisions of these laws, as well as by the 

Delaney Clause.

The statutes and regulations to enforce the statutes require certain 

information on labels of meat and poultry products so consumers will have 

complete information about a product. In all cases, ingredients must be listed 

on the product label in the ingredients statement in order by weight, from the 

greatest amount to the least. 

Substances such as spices and spice extractives may be declared as “natural 

flavors,” “flavors,” or “natural flavoring” on meat and poultry labels without 

naming each one. This is because they are used primarily for their flavor 

contribution and not their nutritional contribution. See www.fsis.usda.gov/

PDF/Natural_Flavorings_on_Meat_and_Poultry_Labels.pdf

Substances such as dried meat, poultry stock, meat extracts, or hydrolyzed 

protein must be listed on the label by their common or usual name because 

their primary purpose is not flavor. They may be used as flavor enhancers, 

binders, or emulsifiers. They must be labeled using the species of origin of the 

additive, for example, dried beef, chicken stock, pork extract, or hydrolyzed 

wheat protein. 

Color additives must be declared by their common or usual names on labels 

(e.g., FD&C Yellow 5 or annatto extract), not collectively as colorings. These 

labeling requirements help consumers make choices about the foods they eat.
Food Safety Information 4

Additives in Meat and Poultry Products

Glossary of Commonly Used

Meat and Poultry Additives and Terms

ANTIOXIDANT - substances added to foods to prevent the oxygen present in the air from causing undesirable 

changes in flavor or color. BHA, BHT, and tocopherols are examples of antioxidants.

BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), TOCOPHEROLS (VITAMIN E) - antioxidants that 

help maintain the appeal and wholesome qualities of food by retarding rancidity in fats, sausages, and dried meats, 

as well as helping to protect some of the natural nutrients in foods, such as vitamin A.

BINDER - a substance that may be added to foods to thicken or improve texture. Some examples of binders in 

meat and poultry products are carrageenan, whey protein concentrate, food starch, and cellulose.

BROMELIN - an enzyme that can dissolve or degrade the proteins collagen and elastin to soften meat and poultry 

tissue. It is derived from pineapple fruit and leaves and is used as a meat tenderizer. 

CARRAGEENAN - seaweed is the source of this additive. It may be used in products as binder.

CITRIC ACID - widely distributed in nature in both plants and animals. It can be used as an additive to protect 

the fresh color of meat cuts during storage. Citric acid also helps protect flavor and increases the effectiveness of 

antioxidants.

CORN SYRUP - sugar that is derived from the hydrolysis of corn starch. Uses include flavoring agent and 

sweetener in meat and poultry products. 

EMULSIFIER - substance added to products, such as meat spreads, to prevent separation of product components 

to ensure consistency. Examples of these types of additives include lecithin, and mono- and di-glycerides.

FICIN - enzyme derived from fig trees that is used as a meat tenderizer.

GELATIN - thickener from collagen which is derived from the skin, tendons, ligaments, or bones of livestock. . 

Gelatin is a binder/extender and is only permitted in a few meat and poultry products. For example, it may be used 

in canned hams or jellied meat products.

HUMECTANT - substance added to foods to help retain moisture and soft texture. An example is glycerine, which 

may be used in dried meat snacks.

HYDROLYZED (SOURCE) PROTEIN - flavor enhancers that can be used in meat and poultry products. They are 

made from protein obtained from a plant source such as soy or wheat, or from an animal source, such as milk. The 

source used must be identified on the label.

MODIFIED FOOD STARCH - starch that has been chemically altered to improve its thickening properties. Before 

the starch is modified, it is separated from the protein through isolation techniques; therefore, the source of the 

starch used is not required on the label.

MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG) - MSG is a flavor enhancer. It comes from a common amino acid, glutamic 

acid, and must be declared as monosodium glutamate on meat and poultry labels.

PAPAIN - an enzyme that can dissolve or degrade the proteins collagen and elastin to soften meat and poultry 

tissue. It is derived from the tropical papaya tree and is used as a meat tenderizer.

PHOSPHATES - the two beneficial effects of phosphates in meat and poultry products are moisture retention and 

flavor protection. An example is the use of phosphates in the curing of ham where approved additives are sodium 

or potassium salts of tripolyphosphate, hexametaphosphate, acid pyrophosphate, or orthophosphates, declared as 

“phosphates” on labels.

PROPYL GALLATE - used as an antioxidant to prevent rancidity in products such as rendered fats or pork 

sausage. It can be used in combination with antioxidants such as BHA and BHT.
Food Safety Questions?

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

 Revised August 2014

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety 

purposes. However, the included image from PhotoDisc, used under license, is 

protected by the copyright laws of the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, and may not be 

saved or downloaded except for printing of this publication.

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

If you have a question 

about meat, poultry, or 

egg products, call the 

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline 

toll free at 

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854);

TTY: 1-800-256-7072.

The Hotline is open year-round 

Monday through Friday 

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

ET (English or 

Spanish). Recorded 

food safety messages 

are available 24 hours 

a day. Check out the 

FSIS Web site at www.

fsis.usda.gov. 

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

Additives in Meat and Poultry Products

RANCID/RANCIDITY - oxidation/breakdown of fat that occurs naturally causing undesirable smell and taste. 

BHA/BHT and tocopherols are used to keep fats from becoming rancid. 

SODIUM CASEINATE - used as a binder in products such as frankfurters and stews.

SODIUM ERYTHORBATE - is the sodium salt of erythorbic acid, a highly refined food-grade chemical closely 

related to vitamin C, synthesized from sugar, and used as a color fixative in preparing cured meats. (Note: 

Erythorbate is NOT earthworms. Perhaps the spelling or pronunciation has contributed to this misconception 

because the Hotline receives many calls related to this concern.) 

SODIUM NITRITE - used alone or in conjunction with sodium nitrate as a color fixative in cured meat and poultry 

products (for example, bologna, hot dogs, and bacon). Helps prevent growth of Clostridium botulinum, which can 

cause botulism in humans. 

SUGAR (SUCROSE) - used as sweetener in an endless list of food products.

TEXTURIZERS/STABILIZERS/THICKENERS - used in foods to help maintain uniform texture or consistency. 

These are substances that are commonly called binders. Examples are gelatin and carrageenan.

WHEY, DRIED - the dried form of a component of milk that remains after cheese making. Can be used as a 

binder or extender in various meat products, such as sausage and stews.

To obtain more information about food additives:

The more than 3000 total substances together comprise an inventory often referred to as 

“Everything” Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS).

www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/foodadditivesingredients/ucm115326.htm

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