food additive

NOUN

something added to processed food

Synonyms

STRONGEST

preservative

WEAK

artificial additive artificial coloring artificial flavoring preservative medium

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As reported in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the key to preventing organoids from clumping was xanthan gum, a widely used food additive.

From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2025

This wasn’t the first case of the FDA banning a food additive it considers safe to comply with the Delaney clause.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2025

The type of bacteria added to the plastic is Bacillus subtilis, widely used as a food additive and a probiotic.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2024

It is banned as a food additive in Australia, the United States and several other countries.

From Salon • Jul. 26, 2023

Yeast itself is considered to be a valuable food additive.

From History of Phosphorus by Farber, Eduard