Additives

Additives are not new. Additions to food have been made since pre-historic times, mainly to help preserve food and make it safer to eat. Salt, vinegar and sugar are traditional methods of preservation. In today's kitchen we use many flavourings and colours, including cream of tartar and baking powder - but seldom recognise that these are food additives. Many substances used as additives also occur naturally in foods, e.g. citric acid in fruits.

Without additives it would be impossible to feed modern urban populations. There would be a dramatic reduction

in the number and variety of foods available and there would be a significant increase in food poisoning outbreaks and food borne diseases.
The most common additives are ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and in some cases alpha amylase. The latter occurs naturally in wheat but at variable levels. A quantity may be added to adhere to standard levels in flour.

Newly milled flour without further treatment does not always make good bread. Flour treatment agents may be used to mature the flour and 'smooth out' compositional variations. This gives the flour a more uniform appearance and increases the tolerance and handling qualities of the dough under a wide range of fermentation conditions.

Consumers nowadays want fewer and fewer additives in their food. The baking industry has responded by developing bread making techniques which reduce additives to a minimum. Before they can be used for food production, additives must pass rigorous approval procedures at national, European and international level. They must be shown to be both necessary and safe. Because they undergo such stringent testing, more is known about their biological, physiological and toxicological effects than about many of the natural foods we commonly eat. Consumers can therefore be confident that approved additives are safe and serve a useful purpose.

Bread, as our staple food, has always been very closely governed by law. The Bread and Flour Regulations (1998) govern the use of additives as well as requiring the addition of certain nutrients.

The Food Labelling Regulations require that all additives (except flavourings, which are not used in bread) be individually listed in ingredient lists. Bread wrappers carry a full list of ingredients, including additives. The provision of nutritional information is voluntary but bread wrappers will always include this on the label.

The following additives would normally be included among the ingredients list on bread wrappers:
Processing Aids- Various enzymes and processing aids are also permitted for use in bread making. They are destroyed by the baking process and therefore do not need to be listed on the label.

Flour Treatment Agents - These are used to ensure good loaf volume and improve the crumb structure, softness and colour. Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, (E300) is the most common flour treatment agent used in bread making.

Emulsifying Agents - These are used to provide dough stability and tolerance in addition to improving loaf volume and crumb structure and maintaining softness.

• E471
• E472(E)

Preservatives

The most common form of preservative used is vinegar. This adjusts the acidity level (pH) of the loaf to prevent the development of mould spores and other spoilage organisms. Vinegar is a natural ingredient and is not regarded as a food additive.

Calcium Propionate (E282) inhibits the growth of mould spores and bacteria directly. It is not widely used in the bakery sector but may feature in some long life brands.