Additives and Preservatives – All You Need To Know

Often, we hear that we should avoid all foods with additives and preservatives (aka chemicals). Let’s be clear. This is virtually impossible, because: a) all food contains chemicals b) we as humans are made entirely of chemicals; and c) we require chemicals to function!

 Are food preservatives bad for you? - Eleanor Nelsen

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?

 What’s the go with Preservatives?

Preservatives are a hot topic right now. There is everything from preservative free beer and wine to preservative free dog food making its way to the market. So why the growing interest in this previously unquestioned area of our food intake? Let’s start by saying - we’ve all eaten preservatives so don’t let this article stress you out.

Beyond the Label

What do those additives in your Doritos and Twinkies actually look like? See what really ends up in the food you eat.

Food Preservation: Necessity Methods

Food preservation involves preventing the growth of bacteria, fungi (such as yeasts), or other micro-organisms as well as retarding the oxidation of fats that cause rancidity. Preservatives expands the shelf life of food and lengthen the time long enough for it to be harvested, processed, sold, and kept in the consumer’s home for a reasonable length of time. Maintaining or creating nutritional value, texture and flavor is an important aspect of food preservation.

Food Preservatives

Foods with preservatives are more-processed, less-nutritious foods to begin with - not exactly health foods. So, even if you don’t mind preservatives, you probably should cut down on these kinds of foods, anyway.

Hyper Kids? Cut Out Preservatives

Parents who suspect that artificial ingredients in food are affecting their children's behavior can now point to some cold, hard proof. A carefully designed study released Thursday in The Lancet, a leading British medical journal, shows that a variety of common food dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate — an ingredient in many soft drinks, fruit juices, salad dressings and other foods — causes some children to become more hyperactive and distractible than usual.

Researchers Warn: Preservative Used in Hundreds of Popular Foods May Harm the Immune System

TBHQ is a preservative that is pervasive in processed foods. It has been used in foods for many decades and serves no function besides increasing a product’s shelf life. Using new non-animal test results from ToxCast, EWG found that TBHQ affected immune cell proteins at doses similar to those that cause harm in traditional studies. Earlier studies have found that TBHQ might influence how well flu vaccines work and may be linked to a rise in food allergies.

So What Are These ‘Artificial Preservatives’ That McDonald’s Is Nixing?

Preservatives keep food from oxidizing (going rancid), growing bacteria and going through other natural chemical processes, according to an article written by Louisa Dalton for the American Chemical Society’s Chemical and Engineering News publication back in 2002. Some chemicals even prevent food from changing color. These preservatives are all non-toxic in small quantities, but some folks have concerns about the long-term effects.

The 411 on Preservatives

More and more people are talking about preservative. Well what is a food preservative and are they bad for us? Food preservatives play a role in keeping food safe and protecting it from going bad.

The Harmful Effects of Preservatives on your Health

Artificial or Chemical preservatives which are used to delay the contamination of foods are the ones that lead to health problems. These preservatives are artificially produced and synthetic in nature. These are often labeled as additives on food labels.

The key differences between natural and artificial food preservatives — and what it means for your health

Artificial preservatives generally use different chemicals to keep packaged and fresh food from spoiling. These artificial preservatives are deemed safe in the amounts they are currently used. The bigger issue is that they are often associated with processed, pre-packaged foods that are generally less healthy than whole, minimally-processed foods.

Top 5 Worst Food Preservatives in Processed Food

Processed ingredients and preservatives like trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial colors and flavors, nitrates/nitrites and BHT to name a few really just should not be in our food supply. Their only purpose is to either extend the shelf life of foods by preventing the growth of bacteria and mold, or by preventing certain fats from becoming rancid.

What you Need to Know about Preservatives

Some preservatives come from natural sources like salt, sugar, vinegar and citrus juice. Other preservatives are human-made or synthetic.