Food Additives 101: What Am I Eating?

On our farm in Rochester, New York, we take pride in eating only the freshest possible foods. The word additive never has and never will be part of our vocabulary. Okay, who are we kidding? We don’t have a farm. In fact, we basically live in the frozen food section at Wegmans. And when we’re not there, we’re by the chips. So without further ado, this is what we’ve learned about all those food additives we’re consuming.

 

Brief Overview

To start, what exactly is a food additive? Well, it’s technically any substance that is added to food.

And why are food additives used? A lot of reasons. One is preservation, as in slowing the spoilage that can be caused by bacteria, mold, air, etc. Another is nutrition, as in providing vitamins and minerals that help avoid malnutrition. The enhancement of flavor can, of course, be a goal, as can the improvement of appearance (think food coloring). Finally, the alteration of texture (using things like emulsifiers, stabilizers, and thickeners) can be a desired outcome.

Such substances can occur naturally or be synthetically produced (although there’s overlap as natural substances can also be synthesized if desired). They can be considered direct additives—added intentionally to serve one of the aforementioned purposes—or indirect additives that enter food in trace amounts via things like packaging. Many are notorious for long names that evoke lukewarm memories of high school chemistry lab.

 

Common Examples

In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved thousands of food additives. If you’re inclined to research the topic further, you may notice that these substances often have something called an E number, referring to a numbering system used in Europe to keep track of approved compounds. We’ll briefly highlight a few random examples that you’re likely to come across. (Here is a much more thorough list.)

Aspartame

This artificial sweetener is really sweet and found in all sorts of stuff.

Citric Acid

This acid is pretty versatile, finding use as a preservative, flavoring agent, and even emulsifier.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

It’s generally accepted that this sweetener made from corn starch is probably not the best thing to binge upon.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

If you’re a fan of savory food, there’s a good chance this flavor enhancer has been a part of your life.

Pectin

You can thank this plant-based agent for making your jams and jellies seem like…jams and jellies.

Potassium Sorbate

Take a look—you’ll find this preservative all over the place.

Sodium Benzoate

Refer to potassium sorbate.

Sodium Chloride

Yes, old-fashioned salt is an important preservative as well.

Sodium Nitrite

This one finds a welcoming home in processed meats, contributing to flavor, color, and perhaps preservation.

Sulfites

Made famous by wine, this group of compounds acts to maintain flavor and freshness.

Trans Fat

Such fat is important for product shelf life and consistency, though there are probably healthier snacks to be had.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

No introduction necessary. A deficiency is bad. A surplus may or may not be helpful, depending on whom you ask.

Xanthum Gum

You have this thickening agent and stabilizer to thank for preventing your store-bought salad dressing from separating into its component parts.

Yellow 5

As one of the most commonly used food dyes, this petroleum-derived product shows up a lot. You didn’t think Mountain Dew’s color was natural, did you?

 

Upsides

Our fast-paced, modern world doesn’t exactly lend itself to growing and processing all our own food. You’re more likely to be yelling at the car in front of you to pull up a little more at the drive-thru. We’re referring, as you might imagine, to convenience.

Fortunately, convenience is not always detrimental to your health. Although additives can get a bad rap, many are perfectly harmless. To take it one step further, as indicated above, some are specifically added for their nutritional value.

 

Downsides

Various substances have been implicated in undesirable outcomes such as cancer, allergic reactions, and hyperactivity. While the data behind such claims can often be murky, the concept that added substances could potentially have side effects is not.

For those looking to maintain some degree of vigilance regarding what they ingest, labels are required to list all ingredients in order of decreasing quantity. Unfortunately, the exact amount of the ingredients used is not readily available.

Finally, given the proliferation of additives, many have not gone through a rigorous review by the FDA. While such substances may receive a generally recognized as safe categorization, this claim can come straight from the company using a given substance, leaving the door open to—let us say—impurities in the system.

 

Even though we indicated on our About page that we wouldn’t share recipes, we decided to make one exception. It’ll be quick. Open the freezer and find a rectangular cardboard box. Identify the heating instructions, taking great care not to note the nutrition facts or ingredients. Heat the contents of the box in the nearest microwave, and remove any plastic barriers to ingestion. Then kick back, relax, and enjoy your ComposeMD stew.