What is a food additive?

A food additive is fundamentally defined as an ingredient added to foods to achieve specific functional benefits, primarily to improve characteristics like flavor, color, and texture. This encompasses a wide range of substances, including those designed to enhance taste, maintain freshness, or adjust consistency, which contributes significantly to the overall enjoyment and quality of the food product.

In contrast, other options focus on narrower aspects of food and do not encapsulate the broader definition of food additives. For instance, while preservatives are indeed additives used to prolong shelf life, they represent only a specific category within the vast array of food additives. Similarly, natural ingredients and nutrients found in organic food indicate components of the food itself, rather than substances added to modify or enhance its properties. Hence, option A accurately captures the essence of what food additives are, making it the correct choice.