The continuous availability of food, as a very basic requirement of life, has
always been a difficult aspect due to food contamination and decomposition. It is a
difficult task for food scientists to make food products available in good condition after
harvest and/or processing, storage and transportation to other places from their place of
origin. The use of food additives allows food products to maintain their quality during
storage as well as improve shelf-life and maintain their palatability and nutritional
quality. The role of stabilizers as food additives is becoming crucial in controlling the
pH of the product as well as stabilizing the product texture and its structure. These
stabilizers are becoming more popular and widely used in various food products and
are chosen based on different criteria. Their origin, either natural or synthetic, is one of
the most important criteria regarding consumer acceptability. Various physiological
and toxicological profiles of these stabilizers have also been studied. This chapter
describes the general aspects of food stabilizers and their application in various food
products. Further research is necessary to widen their applications and consumer
acceptability as well as to determine possible toxicological effects.
Keywords: Food additives, pH control agents, Safety, Stabilizers.
