Are You Really Going To Eat That? Food Additives That Are Banned Around The World

Are You Really Going To Eat That? Food Additives That Are Banned Around The World

By Kurtis Bright

Foul Foods Additives That Are Still Legal In The U.S. But Banned Around The World

Some things you can find on grocery store shelves that still are categorized as “food” are just disturbing. Of course there’s the self-parodically named “pasteurized processed cheese food product,” also know as American cheese.

There is nothing more quintessentially American: processed, designed for convenience, and designed for marketing.

But American “cheese” also tops the list of food items that are banned elsewhere but which Americans still happily gorge on. here’s why, along with a list of other so-called food items that should be avoided at all cost.

·        Processed, dyed food - Pasteurized processed American cheese-like product is just one item that is heavily treated with dyes, colorings, and preservatives to give it that unearthly orange glow and long shelf life. Among these dyes and preservatives are several that are thought to be cancer-causing, and also have been shown in studies to be linked to behavioral problems as well. You would do well to avoid things like boxed mac and cheese, Cheez-it crackers and brightly colored Jello as they do in Norway and Sweden, where these dyes are banned.

·        Arsenic-laced chicken - Animals are dosed with arsenic in order to make them grow faster, as well as making the meat appear more pink and fresh. One study found that out of the 9 billion chickens produced annually in the U.S., over 70 percent are treated with the arsenic-based drug Roxarsone. Arsenic exposure like the kind you could get from eating this tainted meat has been linked to anemia, skin lesions, headaches, low blood pressure, low IQ, kidney damage, increased risk of diabetes, and a host of problems for pregnant women. Although Roxarsone has been banned in the E.U. for years, and Pfizer agreed to stop marketing Roxarsone in 2011, there are still several other arsenic-based drugs in use today in the U.S.

·        Bread with potassium bromate - Used by bread manufacturers because they say it gives the dough more elasticity and makes it easier to work with, this chemical is ubiquitous in bread today. This, despite the fact that it has been linked to numerous problems, including nervous system damage, thyroid problems, gastrointestinal issues, and cancer. It is banned in China, the E.U. and Canada.

·        Olestra/Olean - If the words “Warning: may cause oily anal leakage” don’t make you run screaming from this product, then I don’t know what will. A fat substitute that was named by Time magazine as one of the 50 worst inventions ever, olestra is used in low-fat potato chips and fries, despite the disgusting warning above, along with the threat of diarrhea, cramps and other side effects. Although it is banned in the U.K. and Canada, apparently Americans can’t get enough of those leaky bowels.

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