there’s a lot of artificial in our food. the FDA currently maintains a list of ingredients called Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS), which features more than 3,000 items and counting. while, most EAFUS ingredients are benign, but a few of them do have potentially harmful effects. most of the things on this list i don’t buy so the main thing i would have to watch out for is the caramel coloring in my coke.
Scary Ingredient #1: Olestra
A fat substitute synthesized by Procter & Gamble. Because human digestive enzymes can’t break down the big molecules, Olestra contributes 0 calories to your diet.
ex: Lay’s Light chips, Pringles Light chips
Olestra can cause “loose stools” and also appears to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb some crucial nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene. To counteract the effect, processers add some nutrients back, but it’s unlikely that all the blocked nutrients are adequetly replaced. Fake fats like Olestra may cause more weight gain than real fat.
Scary Ingredient #2: Caramel Coloring
An artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.
ex: Colas and other soft drinks, La Choy soy sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix
Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it’s relatively benign. But when produced with some chemicals, it may have been linked to cancer in mice. Unfortunately, companies aren’t required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you’d be wise to avoid it as much as you can.
Scary Ingredient #3: Saccharin
An artificial sweetener discovered by accident in the 1870s.
ex: Sweet ‘N Low, TaB cola
The FDA required warning labels on all saccharin-containing foods but in 2000, the agency allowed saccharin to be sold without warning labels. But that doesn’t make it entirely safe. A study found that replacing sugar with saccharin in rats’ diets made them gain more weight, proving once again that you should be aware of these faux fat foes.
Scary Ingredient #4: Potassium Bromate
A compound that conditions flour and helps bread puff up during baking.
ex: Johnny Rockets Hoagie Roll
Potassium bromate causes thyroid and kidney tumors in rats, and it’s banned from food use in many countries. In California, products containing potassium bromate are required to carry a cancer warning. Fortunately, negative publicity has made the additive relatively rare, but until the FDA banishes it, you should remain on the lookout.
Scary Ingredient #5: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives.
ex: Goya lard, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Orbit gum
The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals aren’t even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.
Scary Ingredient #6: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
A semi-solid fat created when food processors force hydrogen into unsaturated fatty acids.
ex: McDonald’s McChicken, Long John Silver’s Broccoli Cheese Soup
Partially hydrogenated fats are the principle sources of trans fat in the American diet, and they are beginning to slowly retreat from our food. Progressive jurisdictions like New York City are starting to restrict the allowable amounts in restaurants, and many chains are switching to healthier frying oil. Still, the battle isn’t over. According to the American Heart Association, 2 grams is about the maximum you should consume in a single day.
Scary Ingredient #7: Sulfites
Preservatives that maintain the color of food, and by releasing sulfur dioxide, prevent bacterial growth.
ex: Wine, Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit, Jolly Ranchers, Fig Newtons
Humans have used sulfites to keep food fresh for thousands of years, but some people – especially asthma sufferers – experience breathing difficulties when exposed. Restaurants can no longer soak fresh ingredients in sulfites. If you’re among the majority of people not sensitive to sulfites, consumption won’t hurt you. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor for a test.
Scary Ingredient #8: Azodicarbonamide
A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner
ex: Dunkin’ Donuts bagels, McDonald’s burger buns
This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. The World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. Avoid it.
Scary Ingredient #9: Carrageenan
A thickener and emulsifier extracted from seaweed.
ex: Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Creamsicles
Seaweed is actually good for you, but carrageenan is a mere seaweed byproduct. Through animal studies, it has been linked to cancer, colon trouble, and ulcers. It isn’t certain that carrageenan harms humans, but avoiding it is clearly the safer option. Most studies examined degraded forms of the additive, and carrageenan could be degraded through the normal digestive process.
Scary Ingredient #10: Ammonium Sulfate
An inorganic salt that occurs naturally near active volcanoes and is used commercially to nourish yeast and help bread rise.
ex: Nature’s Own bread, Subway rolls
This nitrogen-rich compound is most often used as fertilizer, and also appears commonly in flame retardants. Thankfully, the ingredient only sounds scary – a 2006 Japanese rat study found the additive to be non-carcinogenic. Both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the FDA deem it safe.
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read article from Yahoo! Health By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding from Eat This, Not That! 2011: Top 10 Scariest Food Additives
Palatable Palette 