Final answer:
Ingredients such as preservatives, vitamins, minerals, and enhancers like spices and sweeteners are added to food to improve safety, nutritional value, taste, texture, and appearance, catering to consumer expectations for quality and enjoyment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Three things that can make food an extra pertain to the reasons ingredients are added to food products. These include:
Maintaining or improving safety and freshness: Additives such as preservatives are added to food to extend shelf life and prevent spoilage or the growth of harmful bacteria.
Improving or maintaining nutritional value: Vitamins and minerals may be added to foods to enrich their nutritional value or to replace nutrients lost during processing.
Improving taste, texture, and appearance: Spices, sweeteners, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and colorants are commonly added to enhance the sensory attributes of foods, making them more appealing and enjoyable.
These ingredients ensure that food remains not only safe to eat but also desirable in terms of flavor, texture, and visual appeal, which greatly affects consumers' purchasing decisions.