These toxic additives are super easy to identify AND avoid.

Honestly, these toxic additives should NOT be invading our foods in the first place.
***Just because it's on the shelf at the grocery store it doesn't mean that it is safe*** 

FOOD DYE / ARTIFICIAL COLORS = Most are created synthetically and/or derived from petroleum, a known carcinogen. Artificial colors have been linked to increased hyperactivity in children. Beyond behavioral problems, some dyes are known or suspected carcinogens.
For example, FD&C Red No. 3 was recognized by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs, BUT is still allowed in food and internal drugs. In the past fruit and vegetable juices or spices were used to color food. How and why was this process allowed to be manipulated in such an unnecessarily toxic way?!

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS) = HFCS is neither sugar, corn or corn syrup. This laboratory-synthesized sweetener is used as a cheap substitute for sugar in a wide variety of processed foods. HFCS has been identified by researchers as a major contributor to the current epidemics of obesity and diabetes. It is also linked to heart ailments, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, pancreatic cancer, asthma and cognitive problems. These sugars have been chemically stripped of their minerals. As a result your body becomes more acidic b/c sugars devoid of minerals are acid-forming. It is well known that an acidic body is prone to disease, whereas an alkaline body will avoid disease. 

ASPARTAME / ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS  = Aspartame could technically be considered a drug. Consumers have reported dozens of adverse reactions to aspartame, from headaches to memory loss to seizures. Aspartame is believed to cause oxidative stress and neurodegeneration (destruction of brain cells). Not surprisingly, it is classified as an "excitotoxin," a type of neurotransmitter that can kill certain brain cells when consumed by children and neurologically vulnerable older people. Excitotoxins make food irresistible to eat but can cause stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, obesity, migraines, fatigue, and depression. 
Artificial sweeteners have been linked to weight gain. They interfere with satisfaction signals causing us to crave even more sweet foods and are believed to promote surges in insulin, which can cause you to hold on to fat. Who would want that?!

NITRATES and NITRITES = Among the worst of the preservatives used in meats to prevent bacteria growth and maintain color. Toxic to the brain, nitrates are linked to Alzheimer's disease and many types of cancer. The World Health Organization has declared them to be probable human carcinogens.
These two common preservatives are most commonly found in cured meats such as bacon, salami, ham, sausage, hot dogs, bologna, pepperoni, and other deli meats.

BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) = Banned around the globe, except for the United States! BHA and BHT are petroleum derivatives used to preserve fats and oils. At a minimum, they have been linked to a weakened immune system, at worst, they have been linked to disrupting the nervous system, the endocrine system, and behavior. Similar to artificial colors, these petroleum-based preservatives have been identified as probable perpetrators of the ADHD epidemic and often results in dosing kids with unsafe and unnecessary drugs.
BHA and BHT are most commonly found in beer, butter, cake, chips, cookies, gum, meat, microwavable dinners, sausage, and vegetable oil.

tBHQ (tert-Butylhydroquinone) = Cheap, toxic and unnecessary petroleum-based preservative used in processed foods ranging from cooking oil to candy, such as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Recently  Michigan State University has been investigating a possible link between tBHQ and the recent rise in food allergies. Research is showing that tBHQ causes T cells, a key component of the body's immune system, to release proteins capable of triggering allergies to such foods as nuts, eggs, milk, wheat, and shellfish. Crazy!

ANTIBIOTICS = Always buy antibiotic-free meat and dairy or opt for organic which should always be antibiotic-free. The widespread use of antibiotics in animal feed has given rise to new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could threaten the entire human population. Antibiotics are routinely given to livestock to make them fat. Antibiotics kill off healthy bacteria in the gut - beneficial bugs call probiotics that influence how we absorb nutrients, burn off calories, and stay lean. Scientists have found that lean people have more good anti-obesity bacteria in their guts, compared to people who are overweight.
Antibiotics in food are hard to escape. Unless a package is labeled accordingly, you can pretty much guarantee that antibiotics have been used to produce meat and dairy products such as cheese, milk, sour cream, and ice cream. 

rBHG and/or rBST = These are growth hormones. in 1993, the FDA granted approval to Monsanto for it's genetically engineered recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), brand-named Posilac, for use by the nation's dairy farmers. It increases milk production by about 10 % over a cow's life cycle. However, more and more cancer specialists are apprehensive, because it may increase the risk for breast, colon, and prostate cancers in humans. The U.S. is one of the only industrialized countries that still allows their animals to be injected with growth hormone. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and the entire European Union have banned rBHG and rBST b/c of the dangerous impact on human and bovine health.
Look for organic, grass-fed, and/or pasture-raised meat, poultry and dairy. If organic isn't an option, look for a label that states the product is rBHG-free and/or rBST-free.

PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS / TRANS FATS = Used to give processed foods a longer shelf life, these sources of artery-clogging trans fats have been blamed for shortening the lives of thousands of American consumers. 
Don't always believe the "No Trans Fats" label due to an FDA loophole. Look at the list of ingredients! If anything starts with 'partially hydrogenated' it doesn't deserve to be edible. In November 2013, the FDA finally issued a statement that there was enough evidence to suggest that no amount of trans fat is safe for human consumption, but it may take a while before they're finally phased out and no longer listed as an ingredient in numerous products.

CARAMEL COLOR =  This coloring agent is created by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure, a process that produces a cancerous substance called 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI). If you're a soda drinker, be aware that your favorite soft drink may contain high levels of 4-MEI that are not regulated by the FDA.

CARRAGEENAN = This thickener is proven to be unsafe, however it's still allowed to lurk in some organic foods, such as nondairy milks. It is a seaweed-derived additive that is used as a substance to keep liquids from separating. Seaweed? Sounds safe right? This additive is an inflammatory agent found in a bunch of products from desserts to toothpaste. It has been implicated by a sizable body of research as a cause of gastrointestinal problems that can result in serious illnesses from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to colon cancer.

By reducing and/or eliminating your family's consumption of foods containing these pernicious substances, you'll not only be helping yourself and your children to steer clear of the various afflictions that plague our society, from diabetes and heart disease to cancer and Alzheimer's, but also help force food manufacturers into using healthier and safer ingredients.

By sharing this information with relatives, friends and neighbors (that are willing to listen and believe that we are being poisoned for profit) we can become part of a resistance movement to help reform an industry that has been allowed to compromise the health and well-being of the American public for far too long.



References:
Marlowe, Maria The Real Food Grocery Guide. Beverly: Fair Winds Press, 2017. (Awesome book for quick, easy and frequent reference!)
Hari, Vani The Food Babe Way. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2015.
Bonvie, Linda and Bill Badditives! New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017.