This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

I think by now we all know the food industry in the United States is a joke. Everything, including your water, is processed! The chemicals in our plastic containers easily contaminate our food. Even the freshly grown crops you buy are filled with pesticides. In other countries thousands of chemicals are banned and yet the FDA has only banned/restricted 11 in the US. Here are some chemicals still allowed in the US that you should try to steer clear of.

Acesulfame Potassium

This is a chemical found in foods and beverages labeled diet or sugar free. It’s essentially a substitute for sugar. In 1996, the Center for Science in Public Interest pushed for the FDA to allow better testing of the chemical after two rat studies found traces of cancer. Nothing about this issue was done and it was then allowed into sodas. There is also proof that the sweetener can cause thyroid issues and is found in the breast milk of pregnant women.

Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)

Sorry Mountain Dew lovers, this one’s for you. This chemical is no longer listed as safe, but it is not banned, which has allowed PepsiCo to use it even though in 2013 they agreed to take it out of their products. They did take it out of most, but it still remains in Mountain Dew. The product was found to be left behind in body fat and fat in the liver, brain and other organs. It can also be found in breast milk. Some severe effects are heart lesions, fatty liver disease and impaired growth and behavioral development.

Ginkgo Biloba

This is a supplement that can be found in drinks. It is known to cause blood clotting, but in 2013 it was also linked to liver and thyroid cancer. The supplement is known for “helping dementia” but there is a lack of evidence to support the statement.

Potassium Bromate

This is a substance found in bread that can cause cancer. Thankfully, many bakers have stopped using it and it is banned in every country except the United States and Japan. In 1999, the Center for Science in Public Interest urged the FDA to ban it, but as usual, that did not happen.

Saccharin

The story behind this one is absurd. The FDA wanted to ban this substance (this is what Sweet ‘N Low is), but Congress blocked it, and by 2000, it was taken off of the list of cancer-causing chemicals. Shortly after this decision, all warnings were able to come off as well. This substance is a sugar substitute that is 350 times sweeter than sugar. It causes urinary cancer and is also linked to cancer of the uterus, ovaries, skin, blood vessels and more. It also passes into breast milk.

Sodium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrite

This one made me sad because I just found out bacon is actually grey and the red is a coloring. To make it even worse, this coloring is a substance that is linked to causing cancer. Anyways, the food industry tries to pass this off as a preservative, but in reality, freezing/refrigeration does the same thing. Some companies try to get away with saying “no added nitrite” but most still contain celery juice which has 10 times more nitrate than normal. You can find this in typical meats such as bacon and hotdogs.

Sucralose

Sorry mom, the splenda has to go. Just as the other artificial sugars, can you guess what this can cause? That’s right, cancer. It was found to be linked to leukemia and blood cancers. Negative impacts to the gut have also been found that lead to effects on blood sugar, weight regulation and inflammatory bowel disease.

Sources:

Chemical cuisine ratings. Center for Science in the Public Interest. (2022, February 10). Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.cspinet.org/page/chemical-cuisine-ratings

International laws. Safe Cosmetics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/regulations/international-laws/

Contributors, W. M. D. E. (2021, June 22). Acesulfame potassium: What is it and is it healthy? WebMD. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-acesulfame-potassium

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, November 18). Ginkgo. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-ginkgo/art-20362032

What Are You Actually Eating? 7 Chemicals to Start Watching Out For