Food Additives Are Everywhere — Here Are 5 Harmful Ones to Avoid

Food ingredient lists are long and full of chemicals that are hard to pronounce - let alone understand. And with all the conversation about processed foods, you might be wondering which food additives to avoid.

Not all food additives are harmful. For example, ascorbic acid is just another name for vitamin C. And some chemicals are added to reduce growth of harmful pathogens. We've dug into the science to separate the good from the bad. And came up with five food additives that are most important to avoid for your health.

How are harmful food additives regulated?

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates food additives. But there's a loophole. When food companies add new ingredients to their products, they can monitor and report their own safety data. When this happens, the additive is labeled as "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS.

Certain places - like Europe and California - are more strict with food additives. If the research on a specific ingredient is inconclusive, they might still ban it. But this isn't the standard in the U.S. The FDA only bans an additive if there's solid evidence to suggest it's harmful.

You may wonder why it takes so much to ban an ingredient from U.S. products. The benefit or harm of a specific additive isn't always straightforward. For example, consider caffeine. There's ample evidence that it can raise your heart rate and blood pressure. But this doesn't mean it should be banned from all drinks in the U.S. For most adults, some caffeine is safe to consume.

Some food additives - like folic acid or calciferol (vitamin D) - provide important nutrients that are often lacking from the typical U.S. diet.

So how do you know which additives are most harmful? We did the research for you and found five ingredients that are best to avoid.

1. Brominated vegetable oil

You may remember bromine from your high school chemistry class. It's a naturally occurring element with an orange-brownish color and a bleach-like smell. When combined with the unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, it creates brominated vegetable oil (BVO).

This additive was once classified as GRAS, but its approval has recently been banned. Food manufacturers have a year to comply with the new regulation and remove it from their products.

How it's used

BVO is used to maintain the citrus flavoring in fruit sodas and drinks. Look for it in citrus, pineapple, strawberry, or other flavored drinks and sodas. On a food ingredient label, it can be listed as:

• Brominated vegetable oil

• Brominated soybean oil

• Brominated sunflower oil

Health impact

Research in rats shows that BVO is stored in fat. This means it's not easily flushed from your body and may impact many different systems over the long term. For example, research has shown a significant impact on thyroid function.

2. FD&C Red No. 3

Bright red food often contains artificial food dye. FD&C Red No. 3 (red dye 3) - also known as erythrosine - is an approved color additive for foods and drugs sold in the U.S. This additive has been reviewed and approved by FDA multiple times for safety. But it has been added to the banned list in California and a few other states.

How it's used

This color additive is mostly used to improve the appeal of red-colored foods. It's found in bright red, orange, or pink foods like:

• Candy

• Drinks

• Desserts

• Canned cherries

Health impact

Research in rodents suggests that high doses of red dye 3 can disrupt thyroid hormone production. It has also been linked to thyroid cancer in animal studies. It's important to note that the doses used in the study were very high for a small animal.

Some people claim that artificial food dye has been associated with hyperactivity in children. Research on this topic is complex because foods with artificial colors often also have high levels of sugar and low levels of nutrients. Both of these things can also promote hyperactivity. The California Office of Environmental Health conducted an in-depth review of the research. They concluded that artificial food dye causes hyperactivity in some children.

3. Potassium bromate

Potassium bromate is a food ingredient often added to bread and flour products. It increases dough volume, shortens the amount of time bread needs to rise, and bleaches the dough. The European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) have banned potassium bromate in flour. The FDA reports that they worked with the American Bakers Association to reduce levels of bromate in bread products.

How it's used

Potassium bromate is used in a wide range of products, including:

• Flour and bread products

• Baked goods

• Drinks

• Sauces

• Snacks

• Cosmetics

• Drugs

Health impact

When potassium bromate is added to flour and the baking temperature isn't high enough, the chemical doesn't break down. This can lead to digestive issues like stomach pain and diarrhea. Repeated exposure to potassium bromate may also be a possible carcinogen. This is based on research in animals exposed to high levels.

4. Propylparaben

Propylparaben is an antimicrobial agent that the FDA labels as GRAS - along with other parabens. It prevents the growth of bacteria in products and increases their shelf life. California and Europe have banned it because of its negative impact on the endocrine (hormone) system.

How it's used

Propylparaben is preservative found in:

• Snacks

• Candies

• Tortillas

• Baked goods

It's also used in cosmetic products, like creams and lotions. This is why you may now see many cosmetics labeled as "paraben-free."

Health impact

Parabens are considered endocrine-disrupting chemicals. This means that, at certain concentrations, they can behave similarly to hormones in your body. Researchers are specifically looking into whether they can affect thyroid function and reproductive health. But so far, a lot of the research has been done in the lab or in animal models. So more research in humans is needed to fully understand the potential health risks.

5. Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide is an artificial color and whitening agent used in many food products. The FDA requires that manufacturers either list "artificial color" or "colored with titanium dioxide" on the ingredients label. So, it can be hard to avoid when it's simply labeled as an artificial color.

How it's used

Titanium dioxide is primarily used to improve the look and appearance of a food by making it whiter and brighter. It may be added to:

• Candy

• Coffee creamer

• Salad dressings

• Baked goods

• Cheese dips

• Sauces

• Snack mixes

• Soups

These are just some common examples. Titanium dioxide can be found in many different types of food products.

Health impact

In 2023, the safety of titanium dioxide was reevaluated by an international committee made up of the WHO and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. They determined that titanium dioxide was safe, given most foods contain low levels of it. The available research didn't explicitly find safety concerns.

But not everyone agrees with this conclusion. The European Food Safety Agency banned titanium dioxide in 2020 due to concerns about its effects on DNA. This effect on DNA means it could be a possible carcinogen. And it's possible that repeated ingestion can lead to a buildup in your body. So, there are still unanswered questions surrounding its safety.

Tips for avoiding food additives

If you're worried about harmful food additives, you don't have to rush to throw out all the foods in your pantry. And you don't have to only shop at certain stores to avoid them. Like most things when it comes to diet, awareness is the first step. It's more important to be mindful of your overall food balance rather than feel pressured to completely cut out certain foods.

Below are some tips for how to avoid harmful additives without missing out on your favorite foods:

• Consider the Dose: Food additives are unlikely to be harmful if you consume them on occasion. Negative health effects are more likely with daily ingestion over a long period.

• Make Swaps: Many retailers now carry products that are copycats of their competitors' but with better ingredients. Visit your favorite retailer's website to see which ingredients they don't allow in their store.

• Snack on fruits, veggies, and nuts: Whole, natural foods come without the worry of processing or food additives. Sometimes, getting back to basics is easier than reading food labels.

• Prepare food at home when possible: Cooking can be time-consuming. But meal prepping can help you get nutritious meals on the table during a busy week. When you make meals at home, you're less likely to consume harmful food additives.