EWG Releases Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives Processed foods almost always contain a number of questionable food additives. A staggering number of these additives are allowed in processed foods, which total in excess of 10,000! Additives can do many things to improve the appeal of processed food. Additives can extend shelf life, improve taste, improve aroma, change the texture, improve the appearance and also fortify the processed food with synthetic vitamins and minerals to replace the natural ones that were lost during processing. When the concentration of an additive is less than one part per million, it can be granted the “Generally Recognized as Safe” status, which is AKA as GRAS. Because this low concentration is considered harmless, the GRAS status can be obtained without ever being tested for safety! Unfortunately, many of these additives have been linked to health concerns. 12 Worst Food Additives to Avoid: To help you sort through the questionable compounds on food labels, The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released their Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives. A number of these additives have been banned or restricted in foreign countries. 1. Nitrites and Nitrates - Sodium nitrite is a synthetic preservative added to meats like hot dogs and deli meat to help them maintain that nice pink color. The problem is, in the presence of heat, especially high heat, nitrites can combine with amines in processed meat to form nitrosamines, and these are carcinogenic. Nitrosamines inflict cellular damage and have been linked to cancer, typically in your colon, bladder, stomach, or pancreas. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is currently considering listing nitrite in combination with amines as a known carcinogen. Nitrates are naturally present in many vegetables, such as beets, celery, lettuce, spinach and most other leafy green vegetables. This has lead to some confusion. Nitrites and nitrates are not inherently bad for you. In fact, they are the precursor to nitric oxide (NO), which lowers your blood pressure and exerts mild anti-inflammatory effects. Remember, the key is the nitrosamine formation, which is dangerous. Processed meats are far more prone to nitrosamine formation than vegetables, due to being higher in amines and intensively heat processed. 2. Potassium Bromate - You might not be aware of this, but nearly every time you eat bread in a restaurant or consume a hamburger or hotdog bun you are consuming bromide, an endocrine-disrupting chemical commonly used in flours. The use of potassium bromate as an additive in commercial breads and baked goods has been a huge contributor to bromide overload in Western cultures. Bromated flour is “enriched” with potassium bromate. Commercial baking companies use it because it makes the dough more elastic and better able to stand up to bread hooks. However, Pepperidge Farm and other successful companies manage to use only unbromated flour without any of these so-called “structural problems.” Studies have linked potassium bromate to kidney and nervous system damage, thyroid problems, gastrointestinal discomfort, and cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies potassium bromate as a possible carcinogen. Potassium bromate is banned for food use in Canada, China, and the European Union (EU). Look for bread that is free of bromates! 3. Propyl Paraben - Propyl paraben is an endocrine-disrupting chemical used as a food preservative. It’s commonly found in tortillas, muffins, and food dyes and may also contaminate foods via packaging. Research has shown that 91% of Americans have propyl paraben in their urine. Tests on beverages, dairy products, meat and vegetables found the chemical in about half of the samples. Propyl paraben has weak estrogenic activity, which makes it relevant when it comes to estrogen-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer. This substance has been found to accelerate the growth of breast cancer cells, impair fertility in women and reduce sperm counts and testosterone levels in men. 4. Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)- Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a preservative that affects the neurological system of your brain, alters behavior, and has the potential to cause cancer. It can be found in breakfast cereal, nut mixes, chewing gum, butter spread, meat, dehydrated potatoes, popcorn, chips, and beer, just to name a few. BHA is known to cause cancer in rats and may be a cancer-causing agent in humans as well. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Toxicology Programs 2011 Report on Carcinogens, BHA is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” The international cancer agency categorizes it as a possible human carcinogen, and it’s listed as a known carcinogen under California’s Proposition 65. BHA may also trigger allergic reactions and hyperactivity. BHA is banned from infant foods in the UK and is banned from use in all foods in certain parts of the EU and Japan. In the US, the FDA considers BHA to be a GRAS additive. 5. Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) - BHT is chemically similar to BHA and the two preservatives are often used together. While BHT is not considered a carcinogen like BHA, it has been linked to tumor development in animals. It’s also been linked to developmental effects and thyroid changes in animal studies, which suggests it may be an endocrine-disrupting chemical. In the US, BHT is given GRAS status. 6. Propyl Gallate - Propyl gallate is a preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling. It’s often found in sausage, frozen pizza, and other processed foods that contain edible fats. The National Toxicology Program reported that propyl gallate is associated with tumors, including rare brain tumors, in rats. 7. Theobromine - Theobromine is an alkaloid found in chocolate. It has effects similar to caffeine, and is the reason why chocolate is so highly toxic to dogs. In 2010, a company (Theocorp) requested that the FDA grant theobromine GRAS status so it could be added to bread, cereal, sports drinks, and other foods. The FDA raised several important questions, including whether reproductive and developmental effects seen in animals exposed to theobromine would apply to humans. They also estimated that human consumption could be up to five times higher than the company reported as safe. The company withdrew their GRAS request, but it was later granted GRAS status anyway, and now is used in foods “outside of FDA oversight.” 8. Natural and Artificial Flavors - What’s particularly alarming when you see a word like “artificial flavor” or even “natural flavor” on an ingredients label is that there’s no way to know what it actually means. It could mean that one unnatural additive is included, or it could be a blend of hundreds of additives. Strawberry artificial flavor can contain nearly 50 chemical ingredients. Most people assume that a natural flavor describes something like strawberries, garlic, or chili pepper used to naturally season food. In reality, most natural flavors are created in a laboratory, just like artificial flavors. The only difference is that natural flavors must be sourced from a natural product, whereas artificial flavors do not. 9. Artificial Colors - Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into US foods and that amount only factors in eight different varieties. As of July 2010, most foods in the EU that contain artificial food dyes were labeled with warning labels stating the food may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. The British government also asked that food manufacturers remove most artificial colors from foods back in 2009 due to health concerns. Nine of the food dyes currently approved for use in the US are linked to health issues ranging from cancer and hyperactivity to allergy-like reactions and these results were from studies conducted by the chemical industry itself. For instance, Red # 40, which is the most widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice, while also triggering hyperactivity in children. Blue # 2, used in candies, beverages, pet foods and more, was linked to brain tumors. And Yellow 5, used in baked goods, candies, cereal, and more, may not only be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals, but its also linked to hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, and other behavioral effects in children. Even caramel color, which is widely used in brown soft drinks, may cause cancer due to 4-methylimidazole (4-MeI), a chemical byproduct formed when certain types of caramel coloring are manufactured. 10. Diacetyl - The artificial flavoring called diacetyl is often used as a butter flavoring in microwave popcorn. It’s also used to flavor dairy products, including yogurt and cheese, and exists in some “brown flavorings,” including maple, strawberry, and raspberry flavors. Research shows diacetyl has several concerning properties for brain health and may trigger Alzheimer’s disease. Diacetyl has also been linked to respiratory damage, including inflammation and permanent scarring of the airways, in workers at a microwave popcorn plant. 11. Phosphates - Phosphates are added to more than 20,000 products, including fast food, baked goods, and processed meats. They’re used to reduce acid, improve moisture retention, and facilitate leavening. Phosphates have been linked to some concerning health conditions, including heart disease. The European Food Safety Authority is currently reevaluating adding phosphates to food, but the results of their study aren’t expected until the end of 2018. 12. Aluminum Additives - Sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium aluminum sulfate, and many other aluminum additives are found in processed foods as stabilizers. This metal can accumulate and persist in your body, especially in your bones, and animal studies show aluminum may cause neurological effects, including changes in behavior, learning, and motor response. A link between Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders and aluminum exposure may also exist. The bottom line here is to avoid processed foods and eat as close to what nature directly produces as possible.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 12:09:40 +0000
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