An antioxidant, as a food additive, protects food from oxidation: the reaction with oxygen that makes fats and oils go rancid and can dull colours. Snacks that are fried or made with oil are especially prone to it, which is why antioxidants often appear on chips, extruded snacks and seasoned nuts. They help a pack taste the same at the end of its shelf life as on the day it was made.
Common antioxidants on snack labels include BHA (INS 320), BHT (INS 321), TBHQ (INS 319), ascorbic acid or vitamin C (INS 300) and tocopherols or vitamin E (INS 306 and 307). Sulphites such as sodium metabisulphite (INS 223) also act as antioxidants in dried and pickled fruit; sulphites must be declared on labels in many countries because some people are sensitive to them.
On SeekSnack, the Lay’s cheese pizza flavours use BHA, Snack Jack pea snacks use BHT, and Doi Kham - Savoury Guava Chinese Apricot Flavor uses INS 223.
