What They Do: Used to form or maintain a uniform emulsion of two or more phases in a food, impart a particular food texture through the formation of a gel, or increase the viscosity (thickness) of a food. In plain language, this means that it keeps food mixed together equally, particularly when they would normally separate (like oil and water, for example), and will maintain a particular 'thickness' to things like pudding.

Some of these types of items could be classified as real food. Some are artificial, laboratory concoctions.

An example of a potentially real item would be the use of eggs in a cake. The eggs react with some of the other items, and will keep the food item intact, so it does not crumble apart.

Many artificial items have been developed as cheap alternatives to real food items. When this is done, it is taking real food out of a product, and reducing the food quality. Many of these items are also harmful to humans, and contribute to significant unwellness in humans.

Click underlined ingredients to learn more, and find out more about what each item does in specific types of foods.

Found used in these foods to help them maintain the desired consistency:

• Cakes
• Chocolate
• Dairy products
• Dressings
• Frozen desserts
• Jams & jellies
• Margarine
• Peanut butter
• Pudding and gelatin mixes
• Salad dressings
• Sauces

Examples of emulsifiers, etc., added to foods:

• Carrageenan
• Corn starch
• Egg yolks
• Gelatin
• Guar gum
• Isolated soy protein
• Modified corn starch
• Mono- and diglycerides
• Pectin
• Phosphoric acid
• Phosphoric acid potassium salt (1:3)
• Polysorbates
• Potassium chloride
• Potassium orthophosphate
• Potassium phosphate
• Sodium citrate
• Sodium phosphate
• Sorbitan monostearate
• Soy lecithin
• Tribasic
• Tribasic potassium phosphate
• Tripotassium monophosphate
• Tripotassium-o-phosphate
• Tripotassium orthophosphate
• Tripotassium phosphate
• Tripotassium salt
• Trisodium phosphate
• Whey
• Xanthan gum

How it may be described on a label:

• Binder
• Bodying agent
• Clouding agent
• Colloidal stabilizer
• Crystallization inhibitor
• Density adjustment agent (flavoring oils in beverages)
• Dispersing agent
• Emulsifier
• Emulsifying salt
• Emulsion stabilizer
• Foam stabilizer
• Gelling agent
• Melding salt
• Plasticizer
• Stabilizer
• Stabilizer synergist
• Surface active agent
• Suspension agent
• Texturizing agent
• Thickener
• Thickener synergist