At any point throughout the product development process, the company may decide to stop and cut their losses. Product Commercialization A series of new challenges arise when going from the preparation of small amounts of a product in your home for immediate consumption to producing large volumes of the product for storage and sale to many consumers. By combining methods, the severity of an individual method can be reduced which generally improves the quality of the product. Assistance from food scientists or food microbiologists is important when using combined or hurdle methods. While consumers are somewhat wary of food additives, it is important to recognize that additives are used to help food maintain safety and quality over its durable life.
Regulations govern the levels of additives and the specific foods to which each can be added.
These are strictly regulated and are established at levels proven to be safe for consumption. They are not used to mask inferior quality but are used to maintain quality over the life of the food. All additives must appear in the list of ingredients on the label. Food Additives fall into a range of classes listed below, depending on their specific function. Examples in each class are provided for your information but are in no way comprehensive.