Emulsifiers keep emulsified products stable, reduce stickiness, control crystallization, keep ingredients dispersed and help products dissolve more easily. Their chemical structure attracts fats on one end and water on the other, helping substances combine more easily. Common emulsifiers include lecithin, alginates and diglycerides. Flavors are another common food additive. Gums provide thickness to foods and help form gels in products such as frozen desserts, salad dressings and whipped toppings.
Preservatives can be antioxidants, antimicrobials or both.
As antioxidants, they keep foods from becoming rancid and turning brown. By reading the label on food products, consumers can see which food additives are present. As consumers we constantly make decisions about products available on the market. The water we drink is one of those decisions. A study conducted in Ohio and published in the Archives of Family Medicine March 2000 finds tap water offers more health benefits and is likely to be more pure than most brands of bottled water.