• 1 – Sustainable Agriculture
  • 2 – Nutrients and Plant Health
  • 3 – Water
  • 4 – Economy
  • 5 – Land Use & Geography
  • 6 – Careers
  • 7 – Technology & Innovation
  • Antibiotics & Hormones
  • Chemicals
  • Food Waste
  • GMO
  • Health Standards
  • Pests & Diseases
  • Population Growth
  • Productive Land

Agricultural Resources

J2_Welcome_LogoBlue Food Additives

Humans have been adding substances to food for thousands of years to make food last longer or improve taste. Historians have found records indicating salt was used to preserve meat as early as 3000 BC!

sandwich meat

What is a food additive?

A food additive is any chemical substance added to food during preparation or storage that either becomes part of the food or affect its characteristics for specific purposes.

Reducing food waste and food additives

One reason food additives are used is to improve the “keeping quality” and reduce food waste. For example, calcium propionate is added to bread to keep it from molding; BHA or BHT is added to food products to keep oils or fat from going rancid.

See Our PDF to Learn More: DownloadPrint

SnapAg:
What are GMOs and are they okay to eat? What does organic farming look like? How are animals like chickens or cattle raised?

snapAG is a series of resources that invite students to explore the hot topics affecting the agriculture industry today. Topics range from organics, biotechnology, GMOs, livestock, and more.

Explore what’s trending in agriculture in Canada by browsing the topics here.

Sources available at: https://aitc-canada.ca/en-ca/learn-about-agriculture

snapAg is brought to you by Agriculture in the Classroom Canada and partners.