MSG
(Monosodium Glutamate) (certain people should avoid)
Flavor
enhancer. (Chips, frozen entrees, restaurant food, salad dressing,
soup.) MSG is the sodium salt of an amino acid that brings out the
flavor of certain foods. In the 1960s, researchers discovered that large
amounts of MSG fed to infant mice destroyed nerve cells in their brains.
Careful studies have shown that some people are sensitive to large doses
of MSG. Reactions include headache, nausea, weakness, and burning
sensations in the back of the neck and the forearms, as well as
more-serious reactions like change in heart rate and difficulty
breathing. It has also caused asthmatic reactions. If you're sensitive
to MSG, keep in mind that other ingredients (natural flavoring,
hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and tomatoes, for example) also contain
glutamate.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
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OLESTRA
(Olean) (everyone should avoid)
Fat substitute. (Chips, crackers.) Olestra-a synthetic fat that's used
to fry chips-can cause sometimes-severe and incapacitating diarrhea,
loose stools, abdominal cramps, and flatulence. It also reduces the
body's absorption of fat-soluble carotenoids (such as alpha- and
beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein) from fruits and vegetables. Those
carotenoids may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Olestra may
be sold more widely in the future.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
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(cut back)
Baked goods, fried restaurant food, margarine, shortening.) Vegetable
oil, which is usually a liquid, can be make into a semi-solid shortening
or margarine by reacting it with hydrogen. The process creates trans
fats, which act like saturated fats to promote heart disease.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
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(safe)
Acidulant,
buffer, chelating agent, discoloration inhibitor, emulsifier, nutrient.
(Baked goods, breakfast cereal, cheese, cured meat, dehydrated potatoes,
powdered food, soda pop.) Phosphoric acid acidifies and flavors many
cola beverages. Calcium and iron phosphates act as mineral supplements.
Sodium aluminum phosphate is a leavening agent. Calcium and ammonium
phosphates serve as food for yeast in baking. Sodium acid pyrophosphate
prevents discoloration in potatoes and sugar syrups. While excessive
consumption of phosphates could lead to dietary imbalances that might
contribute to osteoporosis, only a small fraction of the phosphates in
the diet comes from additives. Most phosphates come from meat and dairy
products.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
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POLYSORBATE 60
(safe)
Emulsifier. (Baked goods, frozen desserts, imitation dairy products.)
Polysorbate 60 and its close relatives, polysorbate 65 and 80, work the
same way as mono- and diglycerides, but not as much are needed. They
keep baked goods from going stale, keep dill oil dissolved in bottled
dill pickles, help coffee creamers dissolve, and prevent oil from
separating in artificial whipped cream.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
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(everyone should avoid)
Flour improver. (White flour.) It has long been used to increase the
volume of bread and to produce bread with a fine crumb structure. Most
bromate rapidly breaks down to form innocuous bromides. However, bromate
itself causes cancer in animals, and the tiny amounts that may remain in
bread pose a small risk. Bromate was banned in the United Kingdom in
1989, and it is little used in California (because products sold there
that contain it might have to carry a cancer warning).
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
PROPYL GALLATE
(caution)
Antioxidant,
preservative. (Chewing gum, chicken soup base, meat products, potato
sticks, vegetable oil.) It helps prevent fats and oils from spoiling and
is often used with BHA and BHT. The best long-term animal study hinted
that it might cause cancer.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
QUININE
(caution, certain people should avoid)
Alavoring.
(Bitter lemon, quinine water, tonic water.) As a drug, it can cure
malaria. It's also used as a bitter flavoring in tonic and a few other
soft drinks. There is a slight chance that quinine-which has been
relatively poorly tested as a food additive-causes birth defects, so,
just to be on the safe side, pregnant women should avoid it.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(everyone should
avoid)
Artificial sweetener. (No-sugar-added foods, tabletop sweetener [Sweet N
Low].) Saccharin is 350 times sweeter than sugar and is used in
no-sugar-added foods or as a tabletop sugar substitute. Animal studies
have shown that it can cause cancer of the bladder, uterus, ovaries,
skin, blood vessels, and other organs. It also appears to increase the
potency of other cancer-causing chemicals. In the best human study (done
by the National Cancer Institute), people who reported using artificial
sweeteners (saccharine and cyclamate) had higher rates of bladder cancer
than people who said they didn't use artificial sweeteners.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
SALATRIM
(cut back)
Modified fat. (Baked goods, candy.) It has the physical properties of
regular fat, but the company that developed it claims that it provides
only about half the calories. Eating small amounts of salatrim is
probably safe, but large amounts greatly increases the risk of side
effects like stomach cramps and nausea.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(Sodium Chloride) (cut back)
Flavoring, preservative. (Most processed foods.) A diet high in sodium
increases the risk or severity of high blood pressure, which increases
the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(safe)
Preservative. (Carbonated drinks, fruit juice, pickles, preserves.)
Manufacturers have used it for a century to prevent the growth of
microorganism in acidic foods.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(CMC) (safe)
Thickening and stabilizing agent. (Beer, candy, diet foods, ice cream,
icing, pie filling.) It's made by reacting cellulose with a derivative
of acetic acid (the acid in vinegar). Among other things, it prevents
sugar from crystallizing.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(everyone should avoid)
Coloring, flavoring, preservative. (Bacon, corned beef, frankfurters,
ham luncheon meat, smoked fish.) Sodium nitrite stabilizes the red color
in cured meat and adds flavor. Without it, hot dogs and bacon would look
gray. Sodium nitrate is used in dry cured meats like country ham,
because it slowly breaks down into nitrite. Nitrite also helps prevent
the growth of bacteria that cause botulism. Adding nitrite to food can
create small amounts of potent cancer-causing chemicals called
nitrosamines, particularly in fired bacon. Companies now add ascorbic
acid or erythorbic acid to bacon to keep nitrosamines from forming.
While nitrate and nitrite introduce only a small cancer risk, it's still
worth avoiding them.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(safe)
Prevents growth of mold. (Cake, cheese, dried fruit, jelly, syrup,
wine.) Sorbic acid occurs naturally in many parts.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(safe)
Emulsifier. (Cake, candy, frozen pudding, icing.) Like mono- and
diglycerides and polysorbates, it keeps oil and water from separating.
In chocolate candy, it prevents the discoloration that normally occurs
when the candy is warmed up and then cooled.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(cut back)
Maintains moisture; sweetener, thickening agent. (Diet drinks, no-sugar
added candy and chewing gum, shredded coconut.) It occurs naturally in
fruits and is a close relative of sugar, though it's half as sweet.
Because bacteria don't metabolize sorbitol well, it's used in
no-sugar-added chewing gum, which doesn't cause tooth decay. Some
diabetics use sorbitol-sweetened foods because it's absorbed slowly and
doesn't cause blood sugar to increase rapidly. Moderate amounts of
sorbitol may have a strong laxative effect, but otherwise it's safe.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(safe)
Thickening agent. (Gravy, soup.) It's the major component of flour,
potatoes, and corn and is used in many foods as a thickening agent. But
it doesn't dissolve in cold water, so chemists ,modify, it but reacting
it with certain chemicals (see Modified Starch).
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(safe)
Artificial sweetener. (No-sugar-added baked goods, frozen desserts, ice
cream, soft drinks; tabletop sweetener.) It was approved for use in the
U.S. in April 1998. Unlike aspartame, sucralose can be used in baked
foods.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(Sucrose) (cut back)
Sweetener. (Sweetened food, table sugar.) Sucrose (table sugar) occurs
naturally in fruit, sugar cane, and sugar beets. Sugar, corn syrup, and
other refined sweeteners make up 15 to 20 percent of the average diet,
but provide no vitamin, minerals, fiber, or protein. Sucrose and other
refined sugars can promote obesity, tooth decay, and-in people with high
triglycerides-heart disease.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
SULFITES
(Sodium Bisulfite, Sulfur Dioxide) (certain people should avoid)
Bleach, preservative. (Dried fruit, processed potatoes, shrimp, wine.)
Sulfiting agents prevent discoloration (in dried fruit, some fresh
shrimp, and some dried, fried, or frozen potatoes) and bacterial growth
(in wine). They also destroy vitamin B-1 and have caused fatal
reactions, especially in asthmatic.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
THIAMIN MONONITRATE
(safe)
Vitamin
B-1. (Enriched flour, fortified cereal.) It's perfectly safe (it adds
only minuscule amounts of nitrate to our food).
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
(safe)
Substitute for vanilla. (Baked goods, beverages, candy, chocolate,
frozen dessert, gelatin.) Vanilla flavoring is derived from a bean, but
vanillin, the major flavor component of vanilla, is cheaper to produce
in a factory. A derivative, ethyl vanillin, comes closer to matching the
taste of real vanilla.
Safe:
These appear to be safe, though a few people may be allergic to any
single additive.
Cut back:
These are non toxic, but large amounts may be unsafe or unhealthy.
Caution:
These may pose a risk and need to better tested.
Certain People Should Avoid:
These cause allergic or other reactions in some people.
Everyone Should Avoid:
These are unsafe in the amounts consumed or are very poorly tested.
TOP
