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This article is about ingredients in general. There is also an American soul and R&B group called The Main Ingredient.
An ingredient is something that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, a recipe will specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commerical products contain a secret ingredient that is purported to make them better than competing products. In the pharmaceutical industry, an active ingredient is that part of a formulation that yields the effect required by the customer.
National laws usually require prepared food products to display a list of ingredients, and specifically require that certain additives be listed.
Formulation is the process of devising a recipe or formula for a product, i.e. deciding what quantities of what ingredients should be added in what sequence, and what processing steps should be taken to provide the final product. This recipe is then termed a formula or a formulation.