food adÂ·diÂ·tives. Natural and chemical agents added to prepared foods to enhance some aspect of the food (e.g., shelf life, appearance, nutrition levels). food additives. Substances, numbered in thousands, added to food for purposes of preservation, appearance, flavour, texture or nutritional value. Without additives, much food would soon be spoiled and wasted. Common additives include vitamins, minerals and trace elements in bread, cereals, milk, margarine, table salt, fruit drinks and baby foods. Flavouring and colourings include sugar, salt, mustard, pepper, monosodium glutamate and tartrazine.
I make my own pasta dough frequently. Since my standard recipe makes around 40oz (1 kg) of dough, I always have leftover, so I've had plenty of experience with saving it. Even with eggs, pasta dough will be fine in the fridge for a week; the texture will be unaffected (if anything, it will be better). If you want to keep it longer than a week, it can be frozen for several weeks wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and more-or-less indefinitely if you vacuum-seal it.
To maximize the shelf life of cooked pasta for safety and quality, refrigerate the pasta in shallow airtight containers or resealable plastic bags. Properly stored, cooked pasta will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. How long can cooked pasta be left at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 Â°F and 140 Â°F; cooked pasta should be discarded if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. To further extend the shelf life of cooked pasta, freeze it; freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.