Do you understand food Labels----Identify Safe Food Additives

 Food additives (artificial and natural) are those substances or mixture of substances, other than the basic food stuffs, which are present in food as a result of any aspect of production, processing, storage, or packaging (not including chance contaminants). There 8,600 food additives approved for use with varying safety and toxicity level whether synthetic or natural for the purpose of improving nutritional value in attempt to replace nutrients lost in processing but rarely does it make food more nutritious than it would have been in its whole state without processing (with the exception of certain breakfast cereals), it is also used to enhance  quality or consumer acceptability, improve product storage life,  to help in food preparation and to make food more readily available. But unfortunately, the names of many additives do not identify whether their source is natural or synthetic, it is often impossible to know from reading label if a food contains artificial additives.

 Food additives are regulated by the Food and Drug administration (FDA) under the food Additives amendment containing Delany clause, which states that “no additive shall be deemed safe if it is found to induce cancer when ingested by man or animal”. Exempt from regulation are those additives Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS).

One good example of a food additive is SULFITE;--Sulfite is a food additive used primarily to reduce or prevent spoilage and discoloration. Sulfites can be found on product labels as sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, sodium and potassium bisulfate, and sodium and potassium metabisulfite. They are commonly found in dried fruits, shellfish (fresh, frozen, canned or dried), soups, vegetables (fresh, peeled, frozen, canned, or dried), packaged lemon juice, salad dressings, sauces and gravies, corn syrup, avocado dip, potatoes (fresh, peeled, frozen, dried, or canned), maraschino cherries, meat products especially in fruit beverage like wine vinegar, alcoholic wines & beers and it is not always listed on the label.  Sulfites are also used in restaurants to keep food fresh to cover up the fact that it is not fresh. Sulfites are frequently used in salad bars, on fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood, cooked vegetables dishes, precut potatoes and bakery product without informing customers. And sulfite is a harmful substance and can trigger severe allergic reactions in sulfite-sensitive individuals. Asthmatics are greatly at risk and it is estimated that 10% of asthmatic are sulfite sensitive and suffer sulfite reactions like wheezing, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, unconsciousness, abdominal pain, cramps, hives, breathing difficulties and in some cases, anaphylactic shock can result leading to death. But since FDA considers this addictive to be safe for consumption by the general public, it is not banning its use, and so therefore it is your responsibility to control your intake or avoid it.

Nitrates is another harmful substance added to approximately 60 to 65 percent of all pork produced in the united states, as well as some other meats, poultry, fish, and cheese. It is especially common in processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats, and hot dogs, to preserve the pink color and inhibit growth of the bacteria that cause botulism food poisoning. Nitrates are toxic to our health because when it combines with amines in the food, they form carcinogenic nitrosamines that cause cancer. Also, food additives can have a synergistic effect and become more harmful when they combine. This has been clearly demonstrated in a study by Dr. Benjamin Ershoff at the institute for nutritional studies in California. Rats were given different combinations of three common food additives: sodium cyclamate, Red Dye No.2, and polyoxylethelene sorbitan monosterate.  At first the rats were fed only one of the three additives, and nothing happened. Then the laboratory animals were given sodium cyclamate and Red dye No.2; they stopped growing, lost their hair, and developed diarrhea. When the rats finally were given all three additives they lost weight rapidly and died within two weeks. Researchers suggest that a primary contributing factor to many modern diseases is linked to eating processed, low-fiber, low-nutrition foods packed with food additives that encourages obesity, heart disease and cancer such as high fructose corn syrup, sulfites, MSG etc. One additive by itself might not react by itself but when other food additives and ingredients are added they may interact and this is the real issue with consuming food containing several additives. Generally, if the label says “artificial’, or if you don’t recognize an ingredient as a food, or if it doesn’t say ‘natural’ (as in ‘natural flavor” or “natural color”), you probably shouldn’t buy it. However, the best way to minimizing your exposure to added harmful additives or toxic food ingredient/substances is to consume more fresh whole diet like fresh raw dried, and home-cooked vegetables and fruits, whole grains and legumes, eggs from free range organic farms, organic wild honey and other natural sweetener such like stevia.  Avoiding more metal and plastic canned foods as well as reading the labels will help you make sure you are avoiding those harmful ingredient in food product before you purchase them especially if you are more concerned about eating to maintain optimal health-----to protect your cells. We have already listed some toxic food additives and finally we have also listed some safe food additive for you below.

• Acetic acid is another name for plain vinegar
• Agar-agar, carrageenan, dulse and alginates gotten from seaweed
• Annatto
• Beta-carotene gotten from carrots
• Citric acid is another name for vitamin C gotten from citrus fruits
• Guar gum
• Gum tragacanth
• Lactic acid made by fermentation of whey, corn-starch, potatoes, and molasses
• Pectin I gotten from lemon or orange rinds
• Lecithin is isolated from eggs, soybeans, and corn

writer:
 Onyinye A is a freelance writer who specializes in nontoxic self improvement, green & Eco-friendly living, nontoxic lifestyle (preventing cancer, illness and toxicity) and everything related to organic living. Her work has been published by nontoxiclifestyle.org, Ezine.com, and other online and print publications.