to make them taste better — salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sweeteners like aspartame (200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet colas... and supected by some to be toxic) to make them look better — colourings to make them keep longer — longer sell-by date. These additives are preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilisers and antioxidants

All additives have numbers (E numbers in Europe) so you can find out what they are. Some additives such as tartrazine (E102, a vivid yellow colouring) could trigger allergic reactions in people who suffer from asthma and eczema. It may also cause hyperactivity (you know, screaming and yelling and being 'naughty') in certain children.

Over the last few years, people have made quite a fuss about additives in food so many manufacturers now state on their packages that they contain no additives. If some additives are harmful to kids' health, it seems crazy to use them. The main reason some (like colourings) are used is to try and make a product more attractive than a rival one. To be fair, many are to stop the food going bad which could be far more damaging to people's health.

Follow these links to find out more about additives:

E-numbers, additives
Food additive information
Aspartame information