Food Additives that are Good for You

For centuries, people enhanced the quality of the foods they consumed with naturally available flavorings, dyes, and preservatives. As modern food processing developed, and foods were transported over long distances, it became necessary to find ways to keep food products from spoiling until they reached their destination. Scientists began to create food additives to make our food more stabile, prevent spoilage, and make it more attractive to the consumer.

Over the years, many laboratory-created, chemical food additives have been banned with safety concerns, and we are warned to beware of certain food additives still in use, including hydrogenated fats, artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners, nitrates and nitrites, sulfites, MSG, and preservatives including BHA and BHT. With the wide range of foods available to modern consumers through supermarkets, restaurants, and specialty shops, and modern food processing technologies that give us more choice and convenience, we are expecting higher standards of safety and wholesomeness.

Not all food additives have the potential to cause harm, however, and some food additives may actually benefit us nutritionally. Natural food additives are often listed by their chemical designation on food labels, and may mislead the consumer into thinking the product is unsafe, or not living up to its organic label. Even organic foods are not necessarily free of additives; there are 29 additives that are allowed to be added to food that is labeled and sold as "organic."

While the amounts of beneficial vitamins and minerals added to some foods may be minuscule, the following additives have been proven safe and effective through years of use and rigorous testing: