ʼFood additiveʻ mean any substance not normally consumed as a food in itself and not normally used as a characteristic ingredient of food, whether or not it has nutritive value, the intentional addition of which to food for a technological purpose in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packaging, transport or storage of such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result, in it or its by-products becoming directly or indirectly a component of such foods.1 Food additives are substances that are not normally consumed as food itself but are intentionally added to food for a technological purpose described in Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives, such as the preservation of food.2 The adjective of food suggests that additives are used exclusively in food production unlike other additives used in the manufacture of plastic masses, cosmetic products, washing and cleaning agents, lubricants for the automotive industry and similar. According to Article 4 of the Ordinance on Food Additives (Official Gazette 62/10), the following substances are not considered as additives: a) monosaccharides, disaccharides or oligosaccharides and foods containing these substances used for their sweetening properties, b) foods, whether dried or in concentrated form, including flavourings incorporated during the manufacturing of compound foods, because of their aromatic, sapid or nutritive properties together with a secondary colouring effect, c) substances used in covering or coating materials, which do not form part of foods and are not intended to be consumed together with those foods, d) products containing pectin and derived from dried apple pomace or peel of citrus fruits or quinces, or from a mixture of them, by the action of dilute acid followed by partial neutralisation with sodium or potassium salts (liquid pectin), e) chewing gum bases, f) white or yellow dextrin, roasted or dextrinated starch, starch modified by acid or alkali treatment, bleached starch, physically modified starch and starch treated by amylolitic enzymes, g) ammonium chloride, h) blood plasma, edible gelatin, protein hydrolysates and their salts, milk protein and gluten, i) amino acids and their salts other than glutamic acid, glycine, cysteine and cystine and their salts having no technological function, j) caseinates and casein, j) inulin. The use of additives in the Republic of Croatia is regulated by the Act on Food Additives, Flavorings and Food Enzymes (Official Gazette No. 39/13) issued on March 27, 2013, the Ordinance on Food Additives (Official Gazette 62/10) of 1 March 2010 with Amendments to the Ordinance on Food Additives (Official Gazette No 79/2012), adopted on 20 June 2012, by which the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives (OJ L 354, 31.12.2008), were adopted and which replaces and puts in force many acts including the Ordinance on sweeteners for use in foodstuffs (94/35/EC), Ordinance on colors for use in foodstuffs (94/36 / EC) and Ordinance on food additives other than colours and sweeteners (95/2/EC). If a substance is planned to be included in a food additive, it is necessary to perform a toxicological evaluation or an evaluation of the additive. They are labeled with E number that is a confirmation of toxicological evaluation. Additives categories include colours, sweeteners and other additives, and a great attention is devoted to aspartame from the sweetener category which is one of the most tested food additives in history.