You might not realize that many of the snack foods you buy are filled with thousands of different chemical additives, some of which could be harmful to your health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not monitor additives in our food. Rather, our government, unlike European governments, allows companies to include additives in their foods without reviewing their safety, reports Paris Martineau for Consumer Reports.
Our government also allows companies to keep the research they undertake on the safety of their foods secret. Even when regulators know about chemical additives, our government allows them in quantities far higher than what is considered safe according to public health experts. Sometimes, the FDA does not establish a maximum additive quantity, even when the additive could be harmful. And, sometimes, the FDA does not adjust limits even though the science shows that the limit set can cause harm.
Consumer Reports studied 40 popular grocery items for eight additives and two contaminants. And, it found that ten of these snack foods had very troubling quantities of additives, which could be unsafe if eaten regularly. It further found that 13 of the snack foods studied had either harmful levels of additives or contaminants, which get into food indirectly when it is being manufactured. More than 25 of the foods tested had enough of at least one additive to increase the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes for people eating them.
What’s particularly concerning is that the foods tested are likely to seem harmless to most people. Donettes, Mini Donuts from Hostess, as well as Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies, contained both high levels of cancer-causing contaminants and high levels of titanium dioxide, which is banned in Europe because it is likely to cause chromosomal damage.
Consumer Reports also found high levels of contaminants and additives in Crunchy Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Takis Fuego, and grape-flavored liquid Kool-Aid. These contaminants and additives can cause neurobehavioral harm or DNA damage.
The FDA has never done a satisfactory job of looking into the chemical additives used in our food supply. But, the FDA now says it plans to do more. Let’s see.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Live longer, avoid ultraprocessed foods
- Skip the keto diet, go Mediterranean
- Change your diet, improve your health
- Forever chemicals take big toll on our health
- To stave off dementia, change up your diet
