formulation - a substance prepared according to a formula; the physician prescribed a commercial preparation of the medicine. preparation. cleaner, cleanser, cleansing agent - a preparation used in cleaning something.
A food additive is any chemical substance that is added to food during preparation or storage and either becomes a part of the food or affects its characteristics for the purpose of achieving a particular technical effect.
If the substance is not listed in the dictionary, then it is not a food additive. The legal definition of a food additive excludes common ingredients such as sugar and salt, vitamins, flavours, etc. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), for example, is commonly thought to be a food additive but is actually a flavour enhancer and is therefore not included in this dictionary.