One such additive is 1) titanium dioxide, a whitening agent often added to American flour, bread, candy, boxed macaroni and cheese, canned soup and prepackaged baked goods.
In May 2021, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) determined that titanium dioxide could be genotoxic, meaning it has the potential to impair DNA or chromosomes.
Titanium dioxide also breaks down into nanoparticles that can trigger inflammation, pulmonary damage, fibrosis and lung tumors in rodents – and is "possibly carcinogenic to humans," according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
2) Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are two other additives found in U.S. food but not European food. These two chemical preservatives, which prevent oils from being oxidized, trigger immune effects and are potentially carcinogenic.
Another big one is 3) synthetic food colorings. While most other countries seem to use natural food colorings, the U.S. allows petroleum-based food colorings in food such as Yellow No. 5 and Red No. 40, which are linked to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children.
4) Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is used in U.S. beverages as an emulsifier, though it was successfully removed from Coca-Cola in 2012 following a massive petition campaign that generated more than 200,000 signatures.
BVO is banned in Europe, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) thinks it is just fine for Americans, even though BVO has been shown to cause neurological disease and reproductive harm.
(Related: Another food "additive," of sorts, to be concerned about is mRNA from COVID-"vaccinated" animal meat.)
Watch out for tainted U.S. flour and bread products
Many American flours, breads and other baked goods are infused with 5) azodicarbonamide (ADA), a bleaching agent that animal studies have shown is an organ and cellular toxin, and that can also cause respiratory complications in humans.
The European Union (EU) prohibits ADA as a food additive there, but here in the U.S. it is used in all sorts of things, despite causing "significant behavioral changes" in rats fed a diet containing it.
6) Potassium bromate is another flour, bread and baked goods additive that contains small amounts of bromate, a known carcinogen that has been banned in all European countries. California banned potassium bromate in October, though this will not take effect until 2027.
Animal studies show that potassium bromate triggers the formation of tumors, while other studies show that cancers of the thyroid, kidneys and other organs are also tied to consumption of this toxin.
"Despite the significant evidence of potassium bromate's harmful health effects, the food industry has long argued that it is of no concern in baked products," commented the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Finally, 7) recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is another food additive, this one used in milk and dairy products, that is prohibited in the EU but allowed in the U.S.
While many milk and dairy producers in the U.S. voluntarily avoid the use of rBGH in their animals, others do not, which is a problem since rBGH has been linked to increased blood levels of growth hormone that can trigger hormone-related cancers such as breast and testicular.
"It causes a huge number of side effects in cows themselves and potentially has health risks for humans consuming these cows," warns Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana.
"Overall, the EU takes a more precautionary approach in banning this substance to prevent impacts on human health, while the United States takes the approach of waiting until we see harmful effects before regulating."
The latest news about America's toxic food supply can be found at Ingredients.news.
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