- something that is added, as one substance to another, to alter or improve the general quality or to counteract undesirable properties: an additive that thins paint.
- Nutrition.
- a substance added directly to food during processing, as for preservation, coloring, or stabilization.
- something that becomes part of food or affects it as a result of packaging or processing, as debris or radiation.
- characterized or produced by addition; cumulative: an additive process.
- (of a function) having the property that the function of the union or sum of two quantities is equal to the sum of the functional values of each quantity; linear.
- characterized or produced by addition; cumulative
- any substance added to something to improve it, prevent deterioration, etc
- short for food additive
