Additives are used to enhance food's appearance, texture, and flavor

On most packaged food items there's a label on the back which gives you a list of the ingredients used in the product. Some of the main ingredients like sugar, flour, water, and oil have chemical names listed after them. Some of these added chemicals can contain non-food additives. Some of these additives are: colors, bleaching agents, thickening agents, texture modifiers, and flavor enhancers.
Colors and bleaching agents of course just act to change the food or beverage to whatever color the consumers are expecting. Some food colors were found to be carcinogenic and have been banned, but there are still 7 certified colors used in the United States. Thickening agents are used in products such as bread and ice cream, while texture modifiers are used more in candy and cakes. Flavor enhancers such as MSG are used in lots of Chinese foods and soups. "MSG is the sodium salt of the naturally occuring amino acid glutamic acid" (386). Some people experience headaches after consuming food containing MSG. Some other food enhancers are used to enhance the flavor of meat, for example, allowing the producer to use less meat, or lower quality meat, without losing flavor.

Unknown Terms: cellulose derivatives, MSG

Baird, Colin. Chemistry In Your Life 2nd Edition. New York: W. H. Freeman and Co., 2006. (p 385-386)