Food additives are substances intentionally added to industrial foods for technological purposes, such as coloring or preserving. Additives are found in many processed foods, including organic ones. Food additives are not considered dangerous, as long as a daily dosage defined by the authorities is respected. 

Before a food additive can be used in the European Union, it must be authorized, systematically based on an assessment of the risks associated with its use. This independent assessment is carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa). Some additives are considered by this authority to be riskier than others, and it is recommended to limit their consumption, including glutamate, parabens, nitrates, sodium nitrites and phosphate additives. EFSA has defined Acceptable Daily Intakes (ADIs), representing the estimated quantities of each additive that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without presenting any appreciable health risk, and manufacturers are required to comply with these quantities. At the same time, EFSA is setting up methods to study how humans are exposed to several pesticides and harmful substances at the same time. We speak of "chemical mixtures" and their effects, often referred to as "cocktail effects".
In conclusion, it's best to cook yourself with unprocessed foods to limit your exposure to additives and thus protect your health.

For further information, we recommend that you consult :

- List of authorized food additives

- European Food Safety Authority - Food additives
- Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty - All about food additives
- EFSA - ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake)
- European Food Safety Authority - Chemical mixtures