Food Additives as anticaking, free flow agents and antioxidants

Food Additives as anticaking, free flow agents and antioxidants
These are compound that are added to dry ingredients such as salt, powdered sugar and finely ground spice blended to keep the product free flowing during storage and use.

The compound added, such as calcium stearate, has the ability to preferentially tie up moisture, therefore maintaining the free flow properties of the dry product and minimizing the problems of caking, lumping and agglomeration.

While for antioxidants traditionally, these food additives have been added to fats, oils, and fat containing foods to prevent oxidation from occurring , which in turn can result in product rancidity.

Both naturally occurring compounds such as vitamins A and C as well as synthetic antioxidants typified by butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) have been utilized due to their ability to tie up free oxygen before it can react with the unsaturated portion of fatty acids.

Due to potency of some synthetic antioxidants, maximum usage levels are enforced. It should be noted that antioxidants are intended to retard but not to prevent product deterioration and discoloration.
Food Additives as anticaking, free flow agents and antioxidants