How to Avoid Food Additives

A number foods available in the market contain different food additives and preservatives. But most of these compounds can be dangerous for our health. Artificial food additives and preservatives are often added to a variety of food products in order to enhance their flavor, visual appeal or shelf life. These chemical compounds help in preserving the freshness of the processed food items for a longer time. There are over 14,000 synthetically prepared chemicals that come under the category of food additives. Most of these chemicals are known to cause several adverse effects on children and adults. Most children are exposed to these harmful food chemicals right from infancy and can fall prey to several behavioral, health or learning problems. Food additives can also cause medical conditions such as hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, asthma and cancer.
Food Additives that should be Avoided
Here are some examples of harmful food additives to avoid.
Artificial Food Colors
Tartrazine
Quinoline yellow
Yellow 2G
Sunset yellow
Carmines
Amaranth
Azorubine
Patent blue
Indigo carmine
Brilliant blue
Red 2G
Erythrosine
Brilliant scarlet
Allura red AC
Acid brilliant green
Fast green
Brilliant black
Kipper brown
Chocolate brown HT
Artificial Food Sweeteners
Aspartame
Cyclamate
Cyclamic acid
Potassium acesulphame
Saccharine
Mannitol
Artificial Food Preservatives
Benzoic acid
Sodium benzoate
Potassium benzoate
Calcium benzoate
Calcium sulfite
Calcium hydrogen sulfite
Sodium metabisulfite
Potassium metabisulphite
Potassium sulfite
Potassium bisulfite
Orthophenyl phenol
Formic acid
Hexamethylene tetramine
Potassium nitrate
Sodium nitrite
Sodium nitrate
Glacial acetic acid
Butylated hydroxy-anisole
Propyl p-hydroxybenozoate
Sulfur dioxide
Diphenyl
Biphenyl
Calcium propionate
Potassium propionate
Sodium propionate
Ethyl para hydroxybenzoate
Artificial Flavor Enhancers
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Glutamic acid and all glutamates
Disodium guanylate
Disodium ribonucleotides 5
Disodium inosinate 5
Synthetic Antioxidants
Octyl gallate
Propyl gallate
Dodecyl gallate
Butylated hydroxyanisole
Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)
Butylated hydroxytoluene
Stannous chloride
Other Food Additives to be Avoided
Carrageenan
Acacia gum
Polyoxyethylene stearate
Polysorbate
Gelatin
Potassium ferrocyanide
Potassium bromate
Chlorine dioxide
Magnesium sulfate
Alginic acid
These were some examples of food additives to avoid. Now, that you are aware of the various types of harmful food additives, try and avoid consuming them as far as possible.
How to Avoid Food Additives?
Most of the processed foods available these days, contain different types of food additives and preservatives. Not all artificial food additives are harmful(for example: foodchem ). However, there is a large number of nasty additives in food to avoid. The best way to do so is to check the labels of the foods that we eat. A lot of coloring and flavoring agents, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, texture and processing agents can be included in the list of food additives to avoid. Try to avoid having foods that contain these additives by checking the ingredient list on the label. Avoid fruit juices and breads containing large amounts of preservatives. Organic vegetables and other food items are always a safe choice. Planning healthy meals and replacing the packaged snacks with homemade snack foods can help in avoiding food additives to a great extent. But for doing so, one must have an idea of the harmful additives.