Food additives are compounds of natural or synthetic origin that are added to foods to perform a specific technological or sensory function, such as to prevent food from spoiling or being spoiled by bacteria, to add colour or restore colour, or to give meals flavour. These additives typically offer some sort of advantage to the person making, processing, or eating the food. As an illustration, acids that are added to food to prevent rotting may also reduce the growth of germs that might lead to foodborne sickness. Other chemicals are added indirectly through contact with packaging materials, such as the preservatives BHA and BHT on the inside of breakfast cereal packets, while some additives are directly added to food and ingredients. Oxalic acid, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrates, sodium citrate, and benzoic acids, in addition to sodium thiosulfates, are a few food additives that are consumed on a massive basis. However, these all-important preservatives serve multiple functions in both liquid and solid packaged food types and are also to blame for adversely affecting people's health. This article discusses certain food additives that are used often in India, their significance, and any negative consequences on human health.