Many fast food chains, restaurants, and grocery stores are selling artificial ingredients in their food and produce. Examples are colorants – Red 3 & 40, Yellow 5 & 6, sweeteners – aspartame & aromatase, preservatives – BHA & BHT. These artificial ingredients are used to mimic color, mimic sweetness, and extend shelf life by manmade stuff, usually to maximize profits and gains for the company and are usually cheaper than natural ingredients because of mass production in factories.
How are these ingredients bad for your health?
Healthline says, “Some artificial food additives may be associated with a higher risk of certain types of cancer.” Healthline also states that cancer can be caused by the addition of nitrates and nitrites in food and overconsumption in foods that have a lot of these. Nitrates and nitrites can cause cancer via forming carcinogens called nitrosamines. Artificial additives can directly cause the increase in the number of nitrates found in food.
Synthetic food dyes are made in laboratories with raw materials derived from petroleum, crude oil, or formerly coal tar. Petroleum is heavily modified in order to be considered edible. A study from California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment linked major synthetic dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1 to hyperactivity and neurobehavioral issues, especially in teens and children with the condition of ADHD.
A lot of food dyes have concerns of carcinogens, but are not classified as a carcinogenic product. Even though it flags concern of causing cancer, it is still being actively studied and FDA approved for foods, drugs, and cosmetics for now.
Should you avoid this? What places do I avoid if I don’t want to eat synthetic dyes or eat anything with a risk?
A bunch of places have synthetic dyes, so proceed with caution and check ingredients if you’re trying to avoid this. Since synthetic dyes and unnatural ingredients are mass produced, it would be hard to avoid if you’re trying to buy from large named brands, but here are some places you should avoid if you want to prevent yourself eating synthetic ingredients.
1. In-N-Out
This restaurant may surprise some people, but In-N-Out is recognized as a “fresh” restaurant and some people may think that they use natural ingredients in their food, but ingredients like dimethylpolysiloxane, fry oil, carrageenan, and polysorbate 80 are very commonly found in In-N-Out’s products.
2. McDonald’s
While not recognized as a healthy restaurant, McDonald’s still serves items with artificial food dyes, synthetic ingredients, heavy chemical preservatives, and other synthetic ingredients meant for shelf life and texture.
3. Any supermarket/store. Not all are bad, but it usually depends on what products you want.
Almost all supermarkets, stores worldwide, and where countries have banned synthetic ingredients still continue to sell products with artificial ingredients. If the store you wish to buy from doesn’t have what you’re looking for, especially if you’re seeking a healthier option where there are fewer synthetic ingredients, consider stores that claim that they have healthier alternatives and less artificial ingredients. Also check the ingredients in what you buy.
Interviews Regarding the Ingredients Put in Our Food
I interviewed two students, David Soto and Jeremy Gomez, about the thoughts concerning the unnatural ingredients put in our food. They will be referred to as DS and JG.
Are you aware of the unnatural ingredients put in our food?
JG: “Yeah, but I don’t really mind it, why should I care? We only live once anyways.”
DS: “Yes, but I don’t care.”
Did you know that fast food companies can label some of their products as “healthy,” but it never really is?
JG: “Of course, I don’t buy my food for health, but because it’s tasty and keeps me not hungry.”
DS: “Yea, I don’t believe them, I thought it was common sense that people knew.”
What is your opinion on synthetic dyes in almost all processed foods?
JG: “I don’t really like it; if food corporations are getting this comfortable with putting this stuff in our food, who knows what they’re going to do in the next 10 years.”
DS: “I don’t care, as long as it taste good I’m good.”
Do you usually check ingredient labels before buying food? Why or why not?
JG: “No, I don’t care about what I eat and check that hard.”
DS: “Imagine checking everything before you eat, how would you even eat after doing all of that.”
What unnatural ingredient concerns you the most?
JG:” Red 40, I’ve heard about it on TikTok.”
DS: “Red 40, that’s all I know.”
Do you think artificial ingredients make food taste better or worse?
JG: “Obviously, that’s what that’s for right?”
DS: “Isn’t that the point? Yeah.”
Have you ever changed your eating habits after learning about certain food ingredients?
JG: “My mom once told me something about how this Mexican candy would cause cancer if I kept on eating it, so I completely avoided it. I’m still not sure if she was telling the truth or not, but that candy was pretty good and I’m kind of mad I stopped eating it.”
DS: “Nah.”
Do you think schools should limit foods with artificial ingredients?
JG: “For sure; I have seen to many fat kids here.”
DS: “Yeah, but they should also add more to the school lunch, even though it’s sometimes nasty.”
How much do advertisements influence the foods you buy?
JG: “Likely never, I just eat whatever I can buy, especially if I enjoy it.”
DS: “I just skip those ads, not gonna lie.”
Would you be willing to pay more for food with natural ingredients?
JG & DS: “That’s a waste of money dawg.”
Eating healthy is a choice, but it takes education and understanding to make the right choices.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23026007/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/artificialfood#potential-side-effects
