Most of us know that processed foods are not ideal for our health and that we should cut down on them, eat more fruits and vegetables and prepare our own food. However, with our busy lives we need to rely on food that can be prepared fast. Most food additives that are in these processed foods are considered safe but there are a few we need to be cautious of and those we should avoid all together.
The go to source for food labeling is an organization called the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Their website has a great guide on food additives, which ones are safe, those we should cut back on and those we should avoid all together.
http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm
Some of the food additives we should avoid, according to this organization, are trans fats, food coloring, nitrites and high fructose corn syrup just to name a few. Most food additives are needed to improve the safety and freshness of our food or improve or maintain the nutritional value, however there are some that can cause problems for some people. What is interesting about those food additives we should avoid is that the foods they are in have little to no nutritional value anyway and there are healthier alternatives to these foods. I encourage you to check out the above website and find out for yourself which food additives are safe and which ones to avoid.
Melissa Merrick, RD, LD