• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HealthyHappyLife.com logo

  • about
  • RECIPES
  • LIFESTYLE
  • BLOGGING
  • VIDEO
  • SHOP
  • Cookbooks
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • My Books
  • Videos
  • About
  • holiday
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » This and That » On My Bad List: Food Additives to Avoid. (And One’s to Keep.)

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Mar 19, 2020 · published: Jan 24, 2009 · About 3 minutes to read this article. 4 Comments

    On My Bad List: Food Additives to Avoid. (And One’s to Keep.)

    Ever since the Jett Travolta death and the controversy over carpet cleaning chemicals, I have been re-inspired to investigate the chemicals and food additives that are in the foods I eat and products I use.

    Chemicals and food additives are everywhere. I was chugging a lemon-lime Gatorade and stopped dead in my gulp as I read the list of thirteen letter words in the ingredients: Sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, glycerol ester of rosin, yellow 5.

    What are all these words I am chugging???

    My overall mantra: go natural. It’s like that old Breyers ice cream commercial where the little kids are trying to read the long chemical words on the brand-x ice cream. Then they read the Breyers ice cream label ingredients easily, and it’s basically “cream, sugar, milk, chocolate, etc.”
    Keep reading for my food additives to avoid (and keep) list….

    So if you don’t know the word, it’s probably best to stay away right? Well not always. There are a lot of long-lettered words that stand for basic safe ingredients. For example, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, is just a dough strengthener found in breads, but considered safe to ingest. But on the other end, a lot of those long words are harsh additives and can be dangerous to our bodies.

    So I’m here to help. I made a list of safe (good) and unsafe (bad) food additives to watch out for.

    Artificial colors, preservatives and thickeners are in everything from drinks and bakery goods to makeup and household cleaners. And I want to cut back on the chemicals I expose myself to. Not a new idea, but an important wellness goal to remind ourselves about once in a while. Especially in this economy when ‘healthy, all-natural’ foods seem to cost more than their less-healthy counterparts.

    I first became passionate about staying away from food, personal care and household goods chemicals and additives when I read Marilu Henner’s Total Health Makeover. She had a great chapter on chemicals. Then later she published Healthy Life Kitchen, which goes more in depth into how to live and eat chemical free.

    FOOD ADDITIVES TO AVOID:

    ACESULFAME-K
    Artificial sweetener: Baked goods, chewing gum, gelatin desserts, diet soda.

    ARTIFICIAL COLORINGS: BLUE 1, BLUE 2, GREEN 3, RED 3, YELLOW 6.
    Found in a variety of foods.

    ASPARTAME
    Artificial sweetener: “Diet” foods, including soft drinks, drink mixes, gelatin desserts, low-calorie frozen desserts, packets.

    BUTYLATED HYDROXYANISOLE (BHA)
    Antioxidant: Cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, vegetable oil.

    PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (Trans fat)
    Fat, oil, shortening: Stick margarine, crackers, fried restaurant foods, baked goods, icing, microwave popcorn.

    POTASSIUM BROMATE
    Flour improver: White flour, bread and rolls

    PROPYL GALLATE
    Antioxidant preservative: Vegetable oil, meat products, potato sticks, chicken soup base, chewing gum.

    SODIUM NITRITE, SODIUM NITRATE
    Preservative, coloring, flavoring: Bacon, ham, frankfurters, luncheon meats, smoked fish, corned beef.

    CHEMICALS TO AVOID:

    See a very comprehensive list here, Chemical to Avoid.

    Not all food additives with crazy spelled names are dangerous.
    (Although you may be allergic to certain additives.)

    Here is a list of food additives that appear to be SAFE, from CSPI:

    -ALGINATE
    -ALPHA TOCOPHEROL (Vitamin E)
    -ASCORBIC ACID
    (Vitamin C)
    -BETA-CAROTENE
    -CALCIUM PROPIONATE
    -CALCIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE
    -CARRAGEENAN
    -CITRIC ACID
    -DIACYLGLYCEROL
    -EDTA
    -ERYTHORBIC ACID
    -FERROUS GLUCONATE
    -FUMARIC ACID
    -GELATIN
    -GLYCERIN (Glycerol)
    -GUMS: Arabic, Furcelleran, Ghatti, Guar, Karaya, Locust Bean, Xanthan
    -HIGH MALTOSE CORN SYRUP
    -INULIN
    -LACTIC ACID
    -LECITHIN
    -MALTODEXTRIN
    -MONO- and DIGLYCERIDES
    -NEOTAME
    -OAT FIBER, WHEAT FIBER
    -OLIGOFRUCTOSE
    -PHOSPHATE SALTS
    -PHOSPHORIC ACID
    -PHYTOSTEROLS and PHYTOSTANOLS
    -POLYSORBATE 60, 65, 80
    -POTASSIUM SORBATE
    -PROPYLENE GLYCOL ALGINATE
    -SODIUM ASCORBATE
    -SODIUM CARBOXY-METHYLCELLULOSE (CMC)
    -SODIUM CITRATE
    -SODIUM PROPIONATE
    -SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE
    -SORBIC ACID
    -SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE
    -STARCH and MODIFIED STARCH
    -SUCRALOSE
    -THIAMIN MONONITRATE
    -TRIACETIN (GLYCEROL TRIACETATE)
    -VANILLIN, ETHYL VANILLIN
    -VEGETABLE OIL STEROL ESTERS

    More recipes you may enjoy

    • Smarter Starter? Soup or Salad?
    • Superfood: Goji Berry Secret!
    • The Depressingest Day of the Year is….
    • Spain: On the Road Again. I Love this Show!

    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

    Vegan Linzer Cookies

    5 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Pie

    Vegan Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping

    Vegan Oatmeal Cookies, Lunchbox-Ready

    Primary Sidebar

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    newsletter:

    Trending

    my cookbooks

    my cookbooks

    Disqus Latest Comments

    1. s

      s: Absolutely one of the best things I've ever baked. Used dairy butter…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    2. JanetS

      JanetS: Neither of those non-grain flours will substitute for oats or wheat. As…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    3. disqus_LfP7ofaP87

      disqus_LfP7ofaP87: Earth Balance brand HAS PALM OIL, as do most of the vegan…

      Commented on: Sticky Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

    about kathy

    kathy patalsky

    featured: peach coconut water smoothie

    browse recipes

    Breakfast  |  Entrees  |  Desserts  |  Smoothies  |  Sandwiches  |  Salads  |  Beverages  |  Soups |  Appetizers |  Snacks  |  Sauces  |  Sides   /  Cooking Videos  |  Round-Ups  |  Fan Favorites  |  Holiday  /  All the Recipes

    browse:

    • reviews
    • travel
    • vegan topics
    • people
    • videos
    • beauty
    • wellness
    • Mom Life

    my ttc + baby journey

    Footer

    BROWSE BY:

    Category:

    DATE:

    looking for something?

    contact   |   about   |   kathy’s cookbooks  |  press  |  findingvegan  |  meal plans  |  shop  |  vegan recipe index  |  privacy policy  | start a blog

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Services | Work with me