What is added to our food? Beware
Check your food labels. Eating a natural diet and making our own sauces is a safer option
Amines
These come from the breakdown of fermentation of proteins.
Found in: cheese, chocolate, wine & beer, some fruits and vegetables can be high too
Glutamate – is one building block of protein
Found In: MSG, additive 621, hight in tasty savoury foods such as tasty cheese, yeast extracts, soy sauce, gravies, tomato paste
Food additives you can be sensitive to
Artificial food colouring, preservations such as antioxidants, benzoates, and nitrates and flavour enhances additive 620 and 635
Arsenic
Yes its poison and is linked to many cancers and heart disease. It is found at alarming rates in US drinking water, crops and livestock feed to make meat appear pinker and fresher. It can also be found in bore water in New Zealand. Ins found at a high rate in Brown rice. Its banned in livestock feed in places like European Union, Japan
Artificial trans fats
Are made by pumping hydrogen into unsaturated oils such as soybean and corn oils to turn them into solid fats and they used to be in many processed foods such as margarine, snack foods and package baked goods.
Astaxanthin synthetic (made from petrochemicals)
Farm fish are fed an unnatural diet of grains and often pumped with antibiotics to make them bigger which turns them grey, and then they’re fed synthetic astaxanthin to make them pink. Australia and New Zealand have banned this use in farm raised salmon
Bisphenol A (BPA):
This chemical used to be found in the plastic container of many common foods and beverages and in the lining inside of metal cans for such as tomatoes. Studies have shown it leaches out and into the food. BPA levels have been found to be associated with wight gain, insulin resistance, etc
Most plastics and cans are now BPA free
Butylated Hydroxyanisole BHA & BHT butylated hydroxytoluene
Are the preservatives that keep food from going rancid. It is found in everything from cereal, nut mixes, gum to meat, butter and dehydrated products. The chemical is banned in the UK, Japan and many other European countries. It is linked to cancer and tumour growth.
Carrageenan
Derived from red seaweed, it acts as a thickener, and preservative in many different food products. Common in almond milk, cottage cheese, ice cream, coffee creamers, and dairy free products like vegan cheese it is believed to have a negatively impact on the digestive health and may be associated with the formation of intestinal ulcers and growths.
Coumarin in cinnamon
Coumarin is a toxic compound found in C. cassis, C. loureiroi and C. burmannii these are commonly found in grocery stores. A high doses, are linked to increase risk of cancer and liver damage. One study found that children who regularly sprinkled cinnamon on their oatmeal could have unsafe levels of coumarin intake.
Use cinnamon celled Ceylon cinnamon or true cinnamon from the Cinnamomum verum plant and it has much lower levels of coumarin.
DPA
When you see glossy fruit such as apples in the store in the USA, this comes from DPA, a mixture of chemicals that keep the fruit looking fresh. It’s a compound derivative of aniline that seals DPA in. European food safety authority has banned American apples treated with DPQ as the chemical is linked to various cancers.
Guar Gum
Is a long chain carbohydrate used to thicken and bind foods and used widely in the food industry. It is found in ice cream, salad dressings, sauces and soups.
Genetically modified fruits and vegetables
High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Made from corn and frequently found in soda, juice, candy, breakfast cereals and snack foods. It can cause serious health issues when consumed in high amounts. It is linked to weight gain and diabetes
Lactic Acid:
Lactic Acid is used as a preservation, curing agent and flavouring agent. Found in pickled vegetables, sourdough bread, beer, wine, sauerkraut, soy sauce, miso. It is not from an animal as it sounds as if it comes from Milk, but it actually occurs in the fermentation process.
It can cause brain fog, confusion, and short term memory loss as well as bloating and fullness
Maltodextrin:
Maltodextrin is used as a thickener, preservative, and alternative sweetener
It has a higher glycemic index than table sugar, which means eating it can cause a spike in blood sugar after eating foods that contain it. It can be dangerous for anyone with diabetes or insulin resistance. This can lead to insulin response, fat storage, or weight gain.
McDonalds’ fast food change
This chain has 37,000 restaurants worldwide. But some countries such as Bermuda, Iran, Macedonia, Yemen, Montenegro, Zimbabwe, Bolivia and Iceland have banned the fast food chain.
MSG
This is flavour enhance and in may processed foods.
Mercury in fish
Some fish such as King Mackerel and swordfish are extremely high in mercury and should be avoided. Choose fish such as salmon, pollock, hering and catfish which have a low mercury.
Pregnant women should be very careful. Mercury is a neurotoxin and can damage the brain and nerves. Young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women are at particularly high risk, since mercury can affect foetal and infant brain and nervous system development.
Olestra/Olean
It’s a synthetic fat meant to replace cooking oil, so that you can have calorie-free, fat-free chips and fries. It is linked to gastrointestinal diseases in children, violent diarrhoea in adults and an increase in appetite. Olestra is banned in Canada and the UK
Palm oil:
Palm Oil is bad for your heart and can drive up cholesterol. It is used because it is cheap and stays solid at room temperature, but melts when heated like margarine. A study also found that the more often the oil gets heated the worse it is for you.
Potassium Bromate
This is a dough strengthener and riser used by bakers. It is linked to cancer, kidney and nervous system damage, thyroid problems. American hamburger and hot dog buns, wraps, rolls, breadcrumbs, bagels, flatbreads all commonly use Potassium Bromate. It is banned in European Union, China, Canada, and other countries.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
When meat is grilled or smoked at high temperatures, fat drips onto hot cooking surfaces, producing PAHs that can then seep into the meat. Red meat is perhaps worst than grilled chicken and fish PAHs are also found in many types of processed foods. They are toxic and research has linked to an increased risk of breast, kidney, colon, and prostate cancer. It is best to use other methods of cooking such as braising or slow cooking. If you are grilling minimize smoke and quickly remove drippings.
Ractopamine-tainted meat
USA – much of the meat sold at grocery stores contains a cocktail of additives, preservatives and food colouring. Ractopamine, is fed to livestock to unnaturally boost their growth. Linked to cardiovascular problems and hyperactivity both in animals and humans, the use of this drug is totally banned in Russia, China, Taiwan, European Union and other countries
Sodium Benzoate
Is a preservative often added to carbonated drinks and acidic foods like salad dressings, pickles, fruit juices and condiments? It is believed that when combined with vitamin C, it can also convert into Benzene, a compound that may be associated with cancer development.
Sodium Nitrite
Frequently found in processed meats, as a preservative to prevent the growth of bacteria, while also adding a salty flavour and reddish pink colour. When it is heated it turns into nitrosamine and has a negative effect on our health increasing risks of stomach cancer, breast and bladder cancer etc
Vegetable refined and seed oils such as corn, sunflower, safflower, soybean and cotton seed oils
These oils must be extracted through a process that involves using chemical compounds such as Hexane. They are highly processed
They are high in calories and fat.
When these oils are heated, they can produce potentially cancer-causing aldehydes,
Xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is used as a thickener or as a stabilizer or emulsifier and in many gluten free products
It may cause inflammation and anyone with sensitive stomach, etc.
Licorice
Even a small amount of licorice you eat can increase your blood pressure a little bit. The problem is glycyrrhizic acid, found in black licorice and in many other foods and dietary supplements containging licorice root extract. It can cause dangerously low potassium and imbalaces in other minerals called electrolytes and have a huge effect on the heart.
Eating as little as 60grams of black licorice a day has been known to cause a heart rhythm problems especially in folks over 40 (the US food and Drug administration.
Its more than licorice sticks, it can be found in jelly beans, licorice teas and a lot of things over the counter. Even some beers, like Belgian beers have this compound.
Salicylates
Found in many fruits and vegetables, some higher than others, also in nuts, honey, tea, coffee and wine & beer
Synthetic growth hormones rBGH & rBST
These are approved for use in cows by US FDA despite the fact that they’re bad for both cows and people, causing infertility, weakened muscle growth and cancers. The hormones are totally banned at dairy farms in dairy product in European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and Japan.
Colourful foods with artificial dyes
Food dyes like Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 Blue 2, and Red 40 are often used in children’s food and are made from chemicals derived from petroleum and have links to cancer and hyperactivity. And it’s not only in candy, juice, and cereal, also in salmon, mac and cheese, ice cream and salad dressings. The USA FDA approved additives are banned in Norway, inland, Austria, France, UK. Kraft has removed its Yellow 5 & 6 dyes from its iconic orange macaroni cheese and since 2015 opt for natural colouring agents such as paprika and annatto.
Soft drinks with brominated vegetable oil – BVO
The chemical that makes food dye stick to liquid and is used in flame retardant, is an additive in American soda. It is linked to birth defects and major organ damage. Over 100 countries, do not allow this additive. In 2014 coca-cola and PepsiCo both vowed to remove BVO from their ingredients lists. But Mountain Dew still has it.
Yoga Mat chemical (ADA)
Known as the yoga mat chemical, is used as a bleaching agent and dough conditioner makes bread dough light and strong (USA FDA approve) just as it does for yoga mats!! It has been linked to asthma and other diseases. It is also found in boxed pasta mixes, frozen dinners, packaged baked goods and 500 common grocery foods. It is banned altogether in Europe, Australia and Singapore