Firming agent

Firming agent is one of the markers Open Food Facts uses to classify a food as ultra-processed (NOVA group 4).

What it is and why it counts

Firming agents keep fruit and vegetable tissue crisp or firm through processing and storage.

Cosmetic additives

NOVA calls these additives "cosmetic": they change how a product looks, feels or tastes rather than keeping it safe to eat. Their presence is one of the two defining signs of an ultra-processed food.

Function

Firming agent: Firming agents are substances which make or keep tissues of fruit or vegetables firm or crisp, or interact with gelling agents to produce or strengthen a gel.

Functional class definitions from the EU food additives regulation, via Open Food Facts.

More about firming agent on Wikidata

Where it turns up

Firming agent appears in 313 of the 40,000 products on this site (1%).

Legumes and their products 19 of 1,285 products
Red beans 16 of 44 products
Meat analogues 12 of 511 products
White beans 11 of 42 products
Butter beans 9 of 25 products
Canned common beans 8 of 175 products

Products containing firming agent

Showing the 60 most popular of 313.

How the NOVA classification works