Food additives are substances that are added to food to preserve or improve its safety, freshness, taste, texture, or appearance. Food additives can be natural, synthetic, or derived from plants, animals, or minerals. Product labels can provide consumers with the information they need to make better eating decisions. Labels must include nutritional information about pre-packaged foods. Food labels contain a lot of information, and it can be difficult to know what to look for and what it all means. However, if you want to improve your diet and make healthier choices, you must learn to read labels.