Food & Chemicals
Most of us go about our busy lives, grabbing food on the go without thinking much about what's in it. We mistakenly assume that because it's sold on a shelf, it's regulated with healthy and consumable ingredients. In reality, you may be surprised at what kinds of additives and chemicals are legally allowed in some of the food you eat daily.
Every day people are exposed to a cocktail of chemicals in food that interact with each other in ways that are far beyond our understanding. This “chemical soup” is particularly dangerous when we include food chemicals in our diets.
Pre-packaged food must have a long enough shelf life to make it from the processing plant, to the store, to the consumer. Chemical preservatives keep the food fresh longer, and over 14,000 lab-made additives enhance its shelf appeal. Research estimates that the United States consumes 453,6 billion kilograms of chemical additives each year. While the use of these chemicals is kept as quiet as possible, for obvious reasons, they have been associated with a number of negative health and behavioral conditions.
Food additives don’t usually have nutritional value but are added to food for safety or to serve a specific function such as prolong shelf-life, delay quality deterioration or improve texture.). Importantly, every additive we find on our plate has been thoroughly tested and approved by the European Food Safety Agency, EFSA.
One assessment by the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark found that even small amounts of chemicals can amplify each other’s adverse effects when combined.
Food Additives
Food additives are any of various chemical substances added to foods to produce specific desirable effects. Additives such as salt, spices, and sulfite have been used since ancient times to preserve foods and make them more palatable. With the increased processing of foods in the 20th century, there came a need for both the greater use of and new types of food additives. Many modern products, such as low-calorie, snack, and ready-to-eat convenience foods, would not be possible without food additives.
Chemicals can end up in our food in various ways:
Some substances may be used during production, transport, or storage of food products. This includes pesticides, preservatives and colouring agents, veterinary drugs and substances in packaging materials.
Sometimes chemicals are used illegally in the food production process.
Some substances may occur naturally in the basic ingredients used in a food product, or in the food itself. Examples include heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, which are present in the soil. Or mycotoxins, a group of toxins that are produced by fungi.
Some substances are produced during the course of food production or preparation. For instance, acrylamide is produced when baking starchy foods at high temperatures, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are released when cooking meat on a barbecue.
A list of hazardous chemicals we can nowadays find in processed food and preferably be avoided when buying packaged food;
Artificial Flavoring: is a blanket term that refers to man-made chemicals created to taste the same as natural flavors, such as vanilla, strawberry, or lemon. Because it's cheaper to use in most products, it's very common. Studies suggest it may result in behavioral changes.
High Fructose Corn Syrup: this sweetener, made from corn, is popular with food manufacturers because it's cheaper and sweeter than cane sugar, and it maintains moisture, while preserving freshness. This additive is extremely common in processed food and is believed to contribute to heart disease, increases your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels, and contributes to the development of diabetes and tissue damage. In addition to accelerating the aging process.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): is made of components naturally found in our bodies of water, sodium and glutamate, but that doesn’t mean it's meant to be ingested. MSG is a flavor enhancer often used in seasonings, condiments, bouillons, and snack chips. Studies show that regular consumption of MSG may result in adverse side effects which include depression, disorientation, eye damage, fatigue, headaches, and obesity. MSG effects the neurological pathways of the brain and disengaged the "I'm full" function which explains the effects of weight gain. MSG may also be listed as “hydrolyzed soy protein” or “autolyzed yeast.”
Sodium Benzoate: is used as a preservative in both drinks and food products. When used in conjunction with food color, sodium benzoate may increase hyperactivity in children. It may also react with vitamin C to create a cancer-causing substance called benzene.
Aspartame: is an artificial sweetener commonly used in diet drinks and some food products. Aspartame has been controversial for years and has been reported to cause seizures, headaches, mood disturbances, and even cancer. It may be listed as a brand name such as Equal or NutraSweet.
Benzoic Acid: is an additive used in everything from chewing gum and ice cream to pickles and salad dressing. Benzoic Acid can contribute to asthma attacks and hyperactivity, as well as headaches and digestive issues.
Potassium Bromate: An additive banned in Europe, Canada, Asia, and Brazil, Potassium Bromate is an oxidizing agent that chemically ages flour, strengthening its elasticity. It has caused cancer in some animals, and even small amounts create a risk for humans. Consumers might also see it listed on a food label as bromated flour.
Sodium Caseinate: is a biochemical found in many dairy products. It's suspected to contribute to or cause many milk-based allergies, which result in reactions such as skin rashes, stomach upset, or respiratory arrest. Ingesting large quantities of Sodium Caseinate can also harm your kidneys.
BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisol): is a preservative frequently found in many foods such as butter, cereal, beer, baked goods, dessert mixes, and chewing gum. While it is “generally recognized as safe” by the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institute of Health categorizes it as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
Canthaxanthin: is a color additive used in foods that need a boost of yellow or red, like eggs or salmon. Studies have found that great quantities of Canthaxanthin can result in retinal damage.
Nitrates/Nitrites: are a synthetic food preservative often added to cured meat. When nitrates are exposed to high heat during the cooking process, they convert to nitrites. Nitrites combine with amines to form cancer causing nitrosamines.
Maltodextrin: is added to a number of foods like pudding, salad dressing, and sauces as a thickening agent. The side effects of Maltodextrin include unexplained weight gain, bloating, and allergic reactions such as asthma, rash, itching, and respiratory distress.
At a time when impeccable scientific research points to an alarming correlation between common chemical compounds and cancers, allergies, psychiatric disorders, and birth defects, among other serious health concerns, Beth gives us the tools to start protecting themselves and their families.
Olestra: is a fake fat additive designed to replace the regular oil in snack foods such as chips. Although it's often marketed as a miracle fat, allowing consumers to eat without guilt, Olestra reduces the body’s ability to absorb vitamins by causing stomach and gastrointestinal distress resulting in diarrhea.
Soy Lecithin: a byproduct of soybean oil production, is an emulsifying additive found in many foods from candy bars and bakery items to tea bags and cough drops. In high doses, Soy Lecithin can cause rashes, headache, weight gain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock or death.
Coloring Additives: are found in almost every kind of processed food and drink. Artificial food coloring is widely thought to contribute to increased hyperactivity in children. In the 1970’s Red #2 was banned when it was proven to cause cancer in lab rats, followed closely by Orange #1. While Yellow #1, #2, #3 and #4 have been made illegal, Yellow #5 is undergoing tests for links to anxiety, migraines, hyperactivity and cancer. Yellow #6 has caused adrenal tumors in animal testing, and occasional hypersensitivity reactions.
There's a science to making addictive food, a practice that convinces us to eat food that's bad for us because it tastes so good.
Animal Products
Chemicals such as pesticides, antibiotics and hormones are used in plant and animal farming to boost production and ensure adequate food supply. In animal farming, drugs such as antibiotics and hormones are used to boost growth and cut down on feed requirements. Residues of these drugs can also be hazardous to humans. The level of harm from exposure to pesticides, animal antibiotics and hormones is dose related, meaning the more you consume, the greater the potential risk.
Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria. They are used in animal farming to keep animals healthy, promote growth and cut down the amount of feed required. The over-use of antibiotics may increase the possibility of breeding antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. There are some concerns that antibiotic residues in milk can make people who are already susceptible to an allergic reaction, much more sensitive to penicillin.
The most widely-used treatments are combinations of sex hormones (androgens and oestrogens) for use in beef cattle, growth hormones for milk production in cattle and growth in pigs and adrenal hormones (beta-agonists) which increase muscle in pigs and cattle.
Early onset of puberty, increasing incidence of twin births and reproductive problems have all been blamed on the hormones in meat. Opponents to hormone use suggest that these growth hormones are linked to cancers, such as breast and uterine cancer, and developmental problems in children. The FDA denies that the microscopic amount of hormones in consumed meat can cause any health problems such as these.
Health Risks
Fruits and vegetables that contain pesticide residues can be a health risk for people of all ages. Research is shown that exposure to organophosphate’s may contribute to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. A combination of the pesticides and the herbicides can increases risks of Parkinson's disease, especially in young people, according to research by scientists at the University of California.
Preservatives increase your health risk. Nitrites are common preservatives used in processed meats and fish to prevent bacterial growth. Your body converts nitrites to carcinogenic substances called nitrosamine’s. An increased nitrosamine consumption from processed meat increases the risk of stomach cancer.
Artificial colors increase consumer appeal but may also increase your risk of disease. Some reports showed that caramel coloring used in many popular cola soft drinks contains two chemicals called 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimadazole that cause cancers of the lungs, liver and thyroid and leukemia. Food colorings such as Yellow No. 5, 6 and 10 and Red No. 40 can increase the risk of or exacerbate hyperactive behavior in children.
Finally, industrially produced fats and sweeteners have tremendous effects on human health. Manufacturers use trans fats -- which increase your risk of coronary artery disease -- in breads, cookies, margarine and microwave popcorn. High-fructose corn syrup can increase your risk of obesity and diabetes.
Food doesn’t last. In days, sometimes hours, bread goes moldy, apple slices turn brown, and bacteria multiply in mayonnaise. But you can find all of these foods out on the shelf at the grocery store — hopefully unspoiled -- thanks to preservatives. But what exactly are preservatives? How do they help keep food edible? And are they safe?
Solutions
If you wish to be health conscious, you should start by educating yourself on what goes into much of the food you purchase. Ingredient labels can be a mire of long and unfamiliar words, but a little research goes a long way. Acquainting yourself with what substances to avoid can be the first step on the path to purer food and better health.
A broken system
The Food Additives Amendment of 1958 gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of chemicals added to our food directly as ingredients and those that end up in food as contaminants from production, processing and packaging.
FDA or the EU is in charge of keeping our food safe, but it doesn't have the tools or the authority to do its job.
To make safer food available to all we must:
End secrecy: The Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) loophole allows companies to secretly decide on the safety of chemicals in our food — without FDA's review or the public's knowledge. Congress needs to create a more streamlined, public process for FDA to make safety decisions and encourage innovation.
Use modern science: When FDA reviews chemicals in our food before they are used, it makes our food supply safer. But the agency needs to use the most modern science to do the best job.
Ensure existing chemicals are safe: Thousands of chemicals were approved by FDA decades ago, when we had far less understanding about their impacts on human health. FDA needs to reassess their safety. Congress needs to provide FDA with the tools so the agency can get the information it needs to set priorities and make decisions about the 10,000 chemicals in our food.
Read Food Labels
Packaged foods must have the ingredients listed on the box or bag. Look for artificial food colorings and dyes that have a number, something like FD&C Green No. 3. Other food additives you might see on the label include BHT and BHA, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin.
Go organic
Organic crops are grown without chemical pesticides or herbicides so organic fruits and vegetables won't have the chemical residues that regular produce has.
Eating a balanced diet of fresh produce and whole grain foods will go a long way towards keeping additives away. Organic packaged foods have little or no added synthetic colors or preservatives.
Choose products that are labeled “preservative-free.”
Be wary of labels that claim “no added preservatives.” These products may still contain ingredients that were already preserved prior to inclusion in the final product. Almost all lard (used in baked goods) is treated with BHA or BHT.
What do you do regarding making more sustainable food choices? By tagging us with #theconsciouschallenge you can share your ideas!
Want to contribute to our Ecological Footprint Bible? Submit us your scientific articles! Mail us at info@theconsciouschallenge.org
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