Food additives, for preservation of foods, have been used for centuries. Before refrigeration, salt preserved meats, fish and poultry to prevent spoilage. Over the years the food industry has extended additives' purpose, making convenience foods a part of daily life in the United States. Although most of these products could not exist without them, additives could be negatively affecting public health.
Additives are defined by the Food and Drug Administration as any substance that may be directly or indirectly added to foods to affect the characteristic of a food. Food additives function as emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners. They are used to modify taste, texture, color, nutritional value, as well as improve flavor and prevent spoilage.
Additives to Avoid
There are more than 3,000 substances used as food additives that can either be natural or synthetic. To ensure safety standards of any substance added to food, manufacturers must prove to the FDA their product is safe before it is put on the market. Although, additives are pulled from the market when proved to be a health threat there are many additives worth avoiding.
Artificial Sweeteners
Acesulfame potassium is a non-caloric sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, so only a little is needed to get a sweet flavor. Tests done in the 1970s indicated that acesulfame potassium may cause tumors in rats.
Artificial Colors
Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, and Yellow 6 are all suspected carcinogens. They can be found in a wide range of products to include beverages, baked goods, candy, gelatin, certain cereals and sausage. There is concern that insufficient testing has been done on these additives. Use of artificial colorings in beverages indicates that natural ingredients or real fruits are not used.
Preservatives
Sodium nitrite is used to preserve meats and can be found in lunch meats, bacon, hot dogs and canned meats. Sodium nitrites pose a concern because when they mix with stomach acids, they are converted to nitrosamines which have carcinogenic properties.
Butylated hydroxyanisole, or BHA, is used in many processed foods such as potato chips, chewing gum and certain cereals. This preservative is used to prevent oil from becoming rancid. BHA has been shown to cause cancer in mice and rats and also seems to affect sleep and appetite.
Fat and Fat Substitutes
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is used in many baked goods, margarine, crackers, snack foods, salad dressings, fried foods and microwave popcorn. Trans fat is formed when vegetable oil is converted into a solid by adding hydrogen. The newly created trans fat raises cholesterol levels. Trans fats are also associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer and atherosclerosis.
Oxidizing Agents
Potasium bromate is an oxidizing agent used in the bread-making process to make the bread stronger and more elastic. Bromate has been shown to cause cancer in animals and has been banned in several countries to include Canada and the European Union. In California a warning label is required when bromated flour is used.
Conclusion
Many food additives are used purely for cosmetic reasons and several throughout time have been shown to be toxic or carcinogenic. Although the FDA sets safety standards to determine whether a substance is safe for its intended use, it is still wise to avoid foods containing nonessential additives. The only way to truly avoid additives is to stay away from processed foods.
Eating fresh, unprocessed foods is the best option; shop the perimeter of the grocery store where whole foods are found. If you can't pronounce an ingredient on the food label it is probably a chemical additive and it is best to avoid it.
References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration:Food Ingredients and Packing Terms
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Everything Added to Foods In the United States
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Chemical Cuisine
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: FDA Urged to Prohibit Carcinogenic "Caramel Coloring"
- Healthy Eating Politics: Alternative Views on Food and Health
- Food Democracy: The dirty dozen - 12 foods/food additives to avoid and why
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