We consume an estimated 140 to 150 pounds of food additives annually. More than 2,800 food additives have been approved. Nutritive food additives help maintain or improve the nutritional quality of food. Many foods are fortified with vitamins and minerals that might be missing or deficient in a person's diet or that might have been lost during milling and processing. Iodine is added to salt.
Vitamin D is added to milk.
Iron is added to cereal. Calcium can be added to orange juice. Manufacturers use colorings, flavorings, sweeteners, spices and when cooking to change or improve the flavor and appearance of foods and beverages. Colorings have neither nutritional value or flavor, yet they are very important in terms of marketability and acceptability. Without natural and synthetic colorings, for example, colas wouldn't be brown, margarine wouldn't be yellow, and mint ice cream wouldn't be green.