What are other additives?
This category encompasses food additives that do not fit neatly into other defined ingredient categories, including processing aids, glazing agents, propellants, sequestrants, humectants, and miscellaneous functional ingredients. Examples include glycerin (a humectant), shellac (a glazing agent), propylene glycol (a solvent and humectant), carnauba wax (a coating agent), and various processing aids that facilitate food manufacturing. While individually minor, many of these additives serve industrial manufacturing functions that have no equivalent in traditional cooking, and their presence typically indicates a higher food processing level in classification systems like NOVA.
53,066 products in our database contain other additives. 32,754 of them (62%) are Level 4, the most processed of our four levels.
Which foods contain other additives?
These additives are found across all food categories: glazing agents on candy and fresh produce, humectants in soft snacks and energy bars, propellants in aerosol whipped cream and cooking sprays, sequestrants in canned goods and dressings, solvents in flavor extracts, and processing aids in refined oils, sugars, and beverages.
Apple Cinnamon Sweetened Toasted Oat Cereal
Margarita & Lime White Corn Tortilla Chips
Deli Fresh Chipotle Seasoned Chicken Breast
Ripe Strawberry Premium Ice Cream Wrapped in Sweet, Pillowy Dough Mochi Ice Cream, Ripe Strawberry
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Garlic Bread Loaf, Garlic
Kodiak Wheat Bread
Almond Cherry Protein Bar
Sweet Mango Premium Ice Cream, Sweet Mango
Ripe Strawberry Premium Mochi Ice Cream Wrapped in a Sweet, Soft Dough, Ripe Strawberry
Coffee Double Energy Drink, Coffee
100% Whole Wheat Tortilla Wraps
Mocha Double Energy Coffee Drink, Mocha
Vanilla Double Energy Coffee Drink, Vanilla
Thick Sliced Texas Bread
Denali White Bread, Denali White
Premium Chicken Breast with Rib Meat Chunk in Water
Hormel, Premium Chicken Breast in Water
Great Value, Chunk Chicken Breast with Rib Meat in Water
Food Lion, Coffee Creamer, Original
Dutch Licorice Coins
Chicken Breast Meat with Rib Meat in Water
Chicken Breast with Rib Meat in Water
Premium Chicken Breast Chunk in Water with Rib Meat
Delifresh Smoked Turkey Breast, Smoked
Nausea Relief Ginger Gum
Honey Smoked Turkey Breast, Honey Smoked
Oscar Mayer
Smoked Turkey Breast, Smoked
Oscar Mayer
Cracked Black Pepper Turkey Breast, Cracked Black Pepper
Oscar Mayer
Deep Dish Pie Crust, Deep Dish
Kroger
Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water
Wellsley Farms
Superior Iodized Salt
Sal Bahia, Iodized Sea Salt Fine Crystals
Shoprite, Iodized Salt
Salo Bahia, Iodized Sea Salt Fine Crystals
Everyday, Iodized Salt & Pepper Set
Iodized Salt
Chaokoh, Quail Egg in Brine
Center Cuts Chops Thick Pork
Iodized Sea Crystals
Sicilian Black Fig Jam
Robust & Firm Chopped Ocean Clams
Boneless Herring Fillets, Seafood Snacks
Bai, Antiwater Super Purified Water
Sun & Dragon, Young Coconut Juice with Pulp
Tasco, Young Coconut Juice with Pulp
Shoprite, Plain Salt
Salt
Plain Salt
Kroger, Wild-Caught Boneless & Skinless Flounder
Farmed Cooked Tail-On Shrimp
Chef's Choice, Coconut Milk
Wild Pink Salmon Fillets
Mct Oil Powder
Delicate Wild Ocean Perch Fillet, Delicate
Chicken Wings First & Second Wing Sections, Chicken
Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat
Blue Decorating Sugar, Blue
Rooibos Moringa Organic Superfood Tea
Seedless California Mandarins
Ahold
Also known as
Other Additives can appear in ingredient lists under several names. If you see any of the following, this is the ingredient family you are looking at:
Function
Other additives serve diverse specialized functions in food manufacturing. Humectants like glycerin and sorbitol retain moisture and prevent drying in soft candies, marshmallows, and baked goods. Glazing agents like shellac and carnauba wax create shiny protective coatings on candies, fruits, and pharmaceutical tablets. Propellants like nitrous oxide dispense whipped cream from aerosol cans. Sequestrants like EDTA bind metal ions that would otherwise catalyze oxidation and discoloration. Anti-foaming agents prevent excessive foam during industrial processing of oils and beverages.
Sources
These additives come from diverse sources. Glycerin is obtained as a byproduct of soap and biodiesel production from vegetable oils or animal fats. Shellac is a natural resin secreted by the lac bug (Kerria lacca) on trees in Southeast Asia. Carnauba wax is harvested from the leaves of the Brazilian carnauba palm. Propylene glycol is synthesized from propylene oxide, a petrochemical derivative. EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is produced through chemical synthesis. Each additive has its own distinct production pathway reflecting its unique chemical nature.
Health considerations
These additives are regulated individually by the FDA, each with specific permitted uses and maximum levels. Propylene glycol is a distinct compound from ethylene glycol (antifreeze) and has separate FDA classification for food use. Glycerin is a naturally occurring compound found in fats. EDTA is poorly absorbed from the digestive tract. Shellac and carnauba wax pass through the body without being digested. Each additive has undergone individual FDA review for its intended applications.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
Regulatory
Miscellaneous additives are regulated under various FDA provisions depending on their function and classification. Some are GRAS, others are approved food additives with specific usage limits. Processing aids that are removed or insignificant in the final product may not require ingredient label declaration. The EU maintains a comprehensive positive list of all permitted food additives with E-numbers, maximum usage levels, and specific permitted applications for each compound.