Take a quick look inside your pantry and fridge, and you'll most likely find a variety of processed foods for you and your family to eat. But there is growing concern about the safety of the additives inside some processed foods.
These additives are usually included to alter the taste, color, and shelf life of the items we buy. To understand the current debate, we must go back to 1958 when the Food & Drug Administration created the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) List. It includes hundreds of additives the FDA allows in food products.
"The GRAS list is saying, 'we've used these additives for years, there's no problem, you don't have to do any testing,'" said Vicky Getty, dietetics director at Indiana University.
Lawmakers in California, though, recently proposed legislation that would ban five specific additives on that list:
- Red Dye #3, used to color many popular candies, including Skittles;
- Titanium dioxide, which gives foods a smooth texture and whiter appearance;
- Potassium bromate, usually added to baked goods to strengthen and rise dough;
- Brominated vegetable oil, used in some beverages to help prevent citrus flavors from separating;
- Propylparaben, which aids in preventing quick spoilage
Getty explains that studies show some of the ingredients on that list can cause harm to humans, including cancer.
"The problem comes down to amount," said Getty. "Back in the '50s when that GRAS list first came out, most Americans made most of their own food. They weren't eating that much in processed foods."
What can be done to keep people safe? Beyond possible government restrictions, dieticians say it comes down to the consumer revamping their own diets.
"Substituting 10 percent of processed foods with minimally-processed foods decreased the risk of quite a number of cancers," observed Getty. "If you eat a variety of foods, then you're not getting too much of one thing that might be harmful."