Quiz
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1. What does an E-number tell you?
That the additive has passed an EU safety review; the hundreds digit roughly gives its job (Figure 1).
2. How are additives shown on a US label?
By name, such as “sodium benzoate,” not by E-number (Figure 2).
3. Where does most added citric acid come from?
Fermenting sugar with a mold, Aspergillus niger (Figure 2).
4. Which additive did the EU ban in 2022, and why?
Titanium dioxide, E171, because harm to DNA could not be ruled out (Figure 3).
5. What does the E200 range do?
Preserves food against microbes (Figure 4).
6. Why is sodium nitrite (E250) in cured meat?
It stops the botulism bacterium and gives the pink color and cured flavor (Figure 4).
7. Who needs to watch for sulfites?
People with sulfite-sensitive asthma; US labels must declare 10 ppm or more (Figure 4).
8. What do BHA and BHT do?
They stop fats from going rancid (Figure 5).
9. What is pectin made of, and where does it come from?
Chains of galacturonic acid, from apples and citrus peel (Figure 6).
10. How does an emulsifier keep oil and water mixed?
It has a water-loving head and a fat-loving tail (Figure 6).
11. What is E621, and which whole foods are rich in the same compound?
Monosodium glutamate; tomatoes, parmesan, mushrooms, soy sauce, kombu (Figure 7).
12. How does sucralose differ from sugar?
Three OH groups of sucrose are replaced by chlorine, making it about 600 times sweeter (Figure 8).