5 Food Additives to Watch Out For

Phosphorus, a mineral you need for healthy bones and teeth, is naturally present in lots of foods, especially meat and dairy. It’s also added to packaged foods as phosphates, used as preservatives and for other purposes. More than 85 percent of food products sold in the U.S. contain them. Because of their widespread use, we may take in nearly three times more phosphorus than we need daily, studies suggest.

These are used to help ingredients blend together and give foods thickness or texture. "Emulsifiers have been shown to alter the composition and function of gut bacteria in a way that can promote chronic inflammation and metabolic diseases in animals," says Benoit Chassaing, PhD, an associate professor at Institut Pasteur in Paris who studies food additives and their effect on the gut. He says initial data suggest possible similar effects in people. There are approximately 170 emulsifiers approved for use in the U.S. Two common and concerning ones are carrageenan, derived from red seaweed, and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), which comes from cellulose or wood pulp. Recent research suggests that carrageenan may be linked to a higher risk of heart disease and breast cancer. A 2023 BMJ study found that CMC was associated with a moderately increased risk of heart disease.

Where you find them: Carrageenan and CMC are widely used, especially in dairy products, plant milks, condiments like mayonnaise, baking mixes, and salad dressings.

You may know it as a sunscreen ingredient, but a different form of the chemical is used to whiten foods or brighten their colors. The European Commission prohibits its use as a food additive because it might cause genetic damage. It also may affect the immune, nervous, and digestive systems. CR and other advocacy groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), have called on the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of titanium dioxide in food.

Where you find it: Titanium dioxide is typically found in baked goods, chocolates, puddings, frostings, sauces, dressings, and coffee creamers, according to the CSPI. It isn’t required to be named on ingredients lists—it can appear as just "artificial color," for example.

Due to concerns about the health risks of added sugars, food manufacturers are using alternative sweeteners—such as acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), sucralose, and stevia—to replace some or all of the sugar in their products. But research suggests that a higher intake of certain sugar substitutes may raise the risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and possibly depression. Like some other additives, they may alter gut bacteria in a way that disrupts metabolic health. Sugar alcohols, such as erythritol and xylitol, have also been linked to an elevated risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Where you find them: These sweeteners are in diet sodas, iced teas, and other beverages, but you’ll find them in a surprising variety of other foods, from light breads and yogurts to baked beans and tomato sauces.

This chemical is added to flour to strengthen it and to help make bread and other packaged baked goods rise more quickly. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies potassium bromate as possibly carcinogenic to humans, and it’s banned in numerous countries. California recently enacted a law, which CR co-sponsored, prohibiting it in the food supply starting in 2027 (other states are enacting similar laws). CR has called for it to be banned in the U.S.

Where you find it: You might find potassium bromate on the ingredients lists of breads, rolls, baked goods, and crackers, as well as dumplings and frozen foods.

Ultraprocessed foods such as sugary beverages, processed meats, and ready-made meals tend to have more additives—and often not just one but several. In addition to concerns over individual additives, researchers believe that in combination, they may have harmful effects, says researcher Chassaing. Though you may not be able to completely eliminate additives from your diet, these tips can help reduce the amount you eat.

• Enjoy more whole, plant-based foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains, says McWhorter. It will reduce the need to scrutinize ingredient labels and up your fiber intake, which is key for healthy gut bacteria.

• Choose packaged foods that have fewer ingredients—and fewer unrecognizable ones.

• Compare brands. Some products may contain additives, while the same type of food by the same or another brand may have fewer or no additives.

• Check organic packaged food ingredients, too. For example, O Organics Unsweetened Original Organic Soymilk contains carrageenan and tricalcium phosphate (Silk Organic Unsweet Soymilk has neither).