What is a processing aid?

An example of a processing aid is enzyme(s) commonly used in beer production. A processing aid is any substance which is not consumed as a food by itself, intentionally used in the processing of raw materials, foods or their ingredients, to fulfill a certain technological purpose during processing and which may result in the unintentional but technically unavoidable presence in the final product of residues of the substance, provided they do not present any health risk and have no technological effect on the final product (the meat or fish). A processing aid accomplishes its task in the production process but has lost its function in the final product.