A Systematic Review of Natural Additives for Product Safety and Nutritional Value
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58812/wsa.v3i01.1716Keywords:
Natural additives, Food safety, Nutritional value, Antimicrobial activity, Clean-label foodAbstract
The utilization of natural additives in food processing has gained significant attention due to growing consumer demand for safe, nutritious, and clean-label products. This systematic review analyzed 30 studies from the Scopus database to evaluate the types, functions, and impacts of natural additives on food safety and nutritional value. Findings reveal that plant-based, animal-derived, and microbial-derived additives demonstrate strong antimicrobial, antioxidant, and nutrient-enhancing properties. Natural additives such as polyphenols, essential oils, and bioactive peptides effectively improve product safety by inhibiting microbial growth, reducing oxidation, and mitigating mycotoxins. They also contribute to nutritional fortification and functional health benefits. Despite challenges such as cost, regulatory compliance, and sensory acceptance, the adoption of natural additives presents significant opportunities for sustainable and health-focused food innovation. This review underscores the importance of further research to optimize extraction methods, develop synergistic formulations, and enhance consumer education.
References
L. Maddaloni, L. Gobbi, G. Vinci, and S. A. Prencipe, “Natural Compounds from Food By-Products in Preservation Processes: An Overview,” Processes, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 93, 2025.
S. M. Geelani, R. A. Bhat, and F. M. P. Tonelli, Advances in Natural Dyes for Environmental Protection: Degradation and Remediation. CRC Press, 2024.
M. Tan, M. Jin, M. Daglia, E. Capanoglu, and A. M. Abd El‐Aty, “Perspective on Current Advances and Future Directions in Food Safety and Health,” Food Saf. Heal., 2025.
B. BK, S. Debnath, and S. N. Mudliar, “Advanced Computational Tools for Enhanced Food Quality and Safety,” Eng. Asp. Food Qual. Saf., pp. 207–247, 2023.
K. Leicht, C. Okpala, and M. Korzeniowska, “Connecting polyphenols and myofibrillar proteins with their bioactive potentials: a terse review,” Ann. Anim. Sci., 2024.
M. Lavanya, S. K. R. Namasivayam, and A. John, “Developmental formulation principles of food preservatives by nanoencapsulation—fundamentals, application, and challenges,” Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., pp. 1–31, 2024.
R. Abedi-Firoozjah and M. Tavassoli, “Functionality of food additives,” 2024.
J. K. Quansah and F. K. Saalia, “Chemistry of Food Additives: Preservatives,” in Food Additives-From Chemistry to Safety, IntechOpen, 2024.
A. S. Monsef, M. Nemattalab, S. Parvinroo, and Z. Hesari, “Antibacterial effects of thyme oil loaded solid lipid and chitosan nano-carriers against Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli as food preservatives,” PLoS One, vol. 19, no. 12, p. e0315543, 2024.
C. E. Afam-Ezeaku, H. N. Eze, W. C. Anyanele, and N. Ajah, “Antimicrobial Activity and Antioxidant Activity of Clove (Syzygium aromatium) and Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) Traditionally used as Food Packaging against Foodborne,” 2024.
P. Prajapati and R. Sharma, “Advances in food fortification: Ensuring a healthier humanity, types, and analytical methods,” Curr. Trends Pharm. Pharm. Chem., vol. 6, no. 3, 2024.
H. Wazzan, “Fortification of dairy products using plant-derived bioactive compounds,” Curr. Res. Nutr. Food Sci. J., vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 561–571, 2024.
D. Chitara, A. Verma, P. Kumar, and V. K. Sidhu, “Nutraceuticals and Human Health,” in The Nature of Nutraceuticals, Apple Academic Press, 2025, pp. 33–72.
L. Das, E. Bhaumik, U. Raychaudhuri, and R. Chakraborty, “Role of nutraceuticals in human health,” J. Food Sci. Technol., vol. 49, pp. 173–183, 2012.
M. Bhattacharyya et al., “Exploring the Evidence: A Systematic Review of Nutraceuticals and its Application,” J. Nat. Remedies, pp. 2355–2369, 2024.
M. A. Althubyani and A. F. Alrefaei, “Protective and Therapeutic Effects of Medicinal Plants Against Food Additive-Induced Toxicity,” Pak. J. Biol. Sci., vol. 27, no. 9, pp. 439–446, 2024.
L. Li, X. Li, D. J. McClements, Z. Jin, H. Ji, and C. Qiu, “Recent progress in the source, extraction, activity mechanism and encapsulation of bioactive essential oils,” Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr., pp. 1–19, 2024.
D. Topi and J. Risto, “MEDICINAL PLANT EFFLUENTS, A SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN PROCESSED FOODS,” Int. J. Chem. Mater. Sci., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 13–21, 2024.
Т. В. Бойко, Ю. Е. Любых, and К. Н. Камалтинова, “Биологически активные вещества кормовых добавок для молочного животноводства и современный ассортимент продуктов на их основе,” Международный вестник ветеринарии, no. 3, pp. 162–176, 2024.
A. E. Cedillo-Olivos, M. F. Juárez-Chairez, M. S. Cid-Gallegos, X. Sánchez-Chino, and C. Jiménez-Martínez, “Natural preservatives used in foods: a review,” Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr., pp. 1–17, 2024.
F. Ullah et al., “Potential role of plant extracts and phytochemicals against foodborne pathogens,” Appl. Sci., vol. 10, no. 13, p. 4597, 2020.
W. Ferreira Rabêlo, P. R. Barros Gomes, J. Batista Reis, R. Dermondes Souza, M. Alves Fontenele, and V. E. Mouchrek Filho, “ATIVIDADE ANTIBACTERIANA DO ÓLEO ESSENCIAL DO CRAVO DA ÍNDIA (SYZYGIUM AROMATICUM) FRENTE À CEPAS ESCHERICHIA COLI, PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA, SALMONELLA SSP.,” Periódico Tchê Química, vol. 21, no. 46, 2024.
A. Bibow and W. Oleszek, “Essential oils as potential natural antioxidants, antimicrobial, and antifungal agents in active food packaging,” Antibiotics, vol. 13, no. 12, p. 1168, 2024.
M. Samilyk et al., “Devising a technique for improving the biological value of A2 milk by adding carrot powder,” Eastern-European J. Enterp. Technol., vol. 6, no. 11, p. 120, 2022.
A. Vignesh, T. C. Amal, A. Sarvalingam, and K. Vasanth, “A review on the influence of nutraceuticals and functional foods on health,” Food Chem. Adv., p. 100749, 2024.
N. Mirza et al., “Health Implications, Toxicity, and Safety Assessment of Functional Food Additives,” in Food Additives-From Chemistry to Safety, IntechOpen, 2024.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rissa Megavitry, Ismi Irfiyanti Fachruddin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Facebook 
Instagram 
Twitter 
Youtube 
+62 821 1557 5700
westscience.journals@gmail.com