Chemicals are added to food for (i) their preservation, (ii) enhancing their appeal, and (iii) adding nutritive value in them. Main categories
of food additives are as follows:

(i) Food colours

(ii) Flavours and sweeteners

(iii) Fat emulsifiers and stabilising agents

(iv) Flour improvers - antistaling agents and bleaches

(v) Antioxidants

(vi) Preservatives

(vii) Nutritional supplements such as minerals, vitamins and amino acids.

Except for chemicals of category (vii), none of the above additives have nutritive value. These are added either to increase the shelf life of
stored food or for cosmetic purposes.

Which is the first artificial sweetning agent?

Saccharin

o-sulphobenzimide,also called saccharin, is the first popular artificial sweetening agent. It has been used as a sweetening agent ever since it was discovered in 1879. It is about 550 times as sweet as cane sugar.