Food additives refer to chemically synthesized or natural substances added to food to improve its quality, color, aroma, and flavor, as well as for preservation and processing needs. Many food additives are toxic, some even highly toxic. Sun Baoguo, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, explained: "The use of food additives is an objective necessity for improving food quality and developing healthy foods. However, the standard for determining whether any food additive or any other substance will cause harm to the human body is the exposure level." Due to the rapid development of the food industry, food additives have become an important component of the modern food industry and a significant driving force for technological progress and innovation in the food industry.
In the use of food additives, in addition to ensuring that they perform their intended functions and roles, the most important thing is to ensure food safety and hygiene. To regulate the use of food additives and ensure their safety, the National Health and Family Planning Commission, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China," formulated and promulgated GB2760, "National Food Safety Standard - Standard for the Use of Food Additives." This standard specifies the types of additives permitted for use in food and details their scope and dosage. As of September 11, 2025, market supervision departments at all levels had investigated and handled 7,756 cases related to food additives, and transferred 279 cases to public security organs.
