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Artificial Ingredients in Food

Artifical food additives can cause sensitivites in some people and concerns in others. Some ingredients lists are full of one unfamilar substance after another that are difficult to pronounce and more difficult to feel comfortable eating. Understanding why companies include ingredients and learning how safe those ingredients are can help you decide what you would like to consume or not.

  1. Artificial Sweeteners

    • The staple of diet soda, artificial sweeteners are used in many reduced-sugar candies and desserts. Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame-K are widely used, but Splenda is used most commonly. Saccharin is also known as Sweet'N Low and has a mixed history. Until 2000, it was listed as a cancer-causing substance by the World Health Organization. Aspartame, otherwise known as Nutrasweet, should not be used in baked goods because its sweetness deteriorates. Found in Jell-O and gum, acesulfame-K is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and was approved for public use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1998. Sucralose, seen as Splenda, is advertised as being made from sugar. Although it sounds natural, the end product of Splenda actually has a chlorine molecule attached.

    Coloring

    • Artificial coloring and dyes adds vibrancy to cereals, baked goods and candies. According the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the two most widely used foods dyes are Red 40 and Yellow 5: they both may cause allergy-like hypersensitivity reactions. When used artificially for color, even naturally sourced coloring can be problematic. Carmine is a pinkish coloring gained from beetles and is clearly labeled on labels for vegans or those who suffer from allergies. Caramel coloring often used in soda is made from a solution of sugar, but is sometimes produced with ammonia.

    Preservatives

    • Calcium Propionate is found naturally but is produced artificially to be a mold inhibitor. Heptyl Paraben is a preservative used in alcohol and Propyl Gallate is used to slow down the spoilage of fats and oils. Sodium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrite are used widely in the meat industry, but this use has been decreased since some cancer-causing compounds in cooked meat have been observed. Sulfites are used to prevent discoloration in dried fruit, shrimp and potatoes, while being used to prevent bacterial growth in wine. They may trigger sensitivities and also destroy some of the B-1 nutrient content when included in foods. Sodium Benzoate and Sodium Chloride are more natural preservatives.

    Antioxidant

    • When oxygen mixes with the fat in products, the color and taste of the product can deteriorate while the fat can go rancid. Antioxidants act to keep those problems from happening. Adipic Acid, Ascorbyle Palmitate, BHA, BHT, Erythorbic Acid, Sodium Erythorbate and tartaric acid may all be added to keep color and flavor intact. Alpha Tocopherol is Vitamin E, while Sodium ascorbate and Ascorbic acid are forms of vitamin C; all are used as antioxidants.

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