Although it is important to eat as many whole, natural foods as possible, we are all going to consume some food additives in processed foods. According to the FDA, a food additive is any substance that becomes part of a food product either directly or indirectly during the processing, storing or packaging of a food. There are 3000 additives used in food today, and they are used to prevent spoilage, make foods tastier or more attractive, keep food safe over an extended period of time, maintain consistency and/or enhance the nutritional value of food. Additives have been used for centuries and they are not all harmful - salt has been used to preserve meat and fish, herbs and spices to enhance flavor and vinegars to pickle vegetables.
However, as with all things involving the government, the consumer needs to take responsibility for what he or she consumes. The Food Additives Amendment was passed in 1958, ostensibly requiring the food manufacturers to prove an additive's safety and require FDA approval before an additive can be used. However, the amendment exempted two groups of additives - those that were called "prior-sanctioned", or those deemed to be safe prior to the amendment, and those listed as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) based on their long history of use. GRAS items included salt, sugar, MSG, vitamins and cornstarch. Since then, some of these items have been banned or made to comply with strict labeling requirements, such as sulfites.
Color additives were tackled separately in 1960, with the Color Additives Amendment. At that time, all color additives were tested for safety and only 90 out of the original 200 remained in place after that testing. However, adverse reactions continue to be reported about the remaining 90 coloring agents. Dr. Benjamin Feingold did considerable research on children with Attention Deficit Disorder and found a strong correlation between the consumption of many of these coloring agents and children's behavior. His protocol calls for the removal of these items from the diet.
The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology states that yellow #5 may cause severe asthma attacks, and has been shown to cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to aspirin. Yellow #5 is the second most widely used coloring agent.
Red 40 is the most widely used coloring agent and is currently under investigation because it has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats.
Sulfites are additives to which many people have allergic reactions. They can be found on foods, and on the labels listed as sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, sodium and potassium bisulfite and sodium and potassium metabisulfite. They are most commonly used in processed potatoes, dried fruit, wine and processed or fresh-frozen seafood products. They are particularly dangerous for asthmatics.
The point is that these ingredients are still allowed in foods, in spite of concerns about their safety.
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