Ascorbic Acid, more commonly known as Vitamin C, is used in cured meats to help retain the red color and helps prevent the formation of cancer causing nitrosamines. Ascorbic Acid is also used to increase the vitamin content of fruit drinks as well as prevent their loss of color and flavor. Sodium Ascorbate is a more soluble form of Ascorbic Acid.

Large amounts of Vitamin C may help to reduce the severity of colds.

Calcium Propionate prevents mold growth on breads and rolls. Sodium Propionate is used in baked goods because calcium alters the chemical leavening agents.

These additives strengthen bread dough so it can be used in commercial bread-making machinery and help produce a more uniform grain and greater volume. They act as whipping agents in dried, liquid, or frozen egg whites and artificial whipping cream.

Citric acid is versatile, widely used, and safe. It is an important metabolite in nearly all living organisms and is especially abundant in citrus fruits and berries. It is used as a strong acid, a tart flavoring and as an antioxidant. Sodium Citrate, also safe, is used to buffer the acidity of desserts, jams, ice cream and candy.

Corn Syrup, which is comprised mostly of dextrose, is a sweet, thick liquid made when natural enzymes break down cornstarch into glucose. The glucose is heated and turned into what we call Corn Syrup.

Corn Syrup is almost exactly as sweet as the granulated sugar (sucrose) it often replaces. Corn Syrup contains no nutritional value other than calories and has been found to promote tooth decay.

Low levels of Diacetyl are added to butter to give it that buttery flavor. Higher levels are added to foods such as butter-flavored popcorn, margarine, and butter-flavored sprays and oils. At the levels found in foods, Diacetyl is perfectly safe. But extremely high quantities (such as the levels workers in a factory which uses Diacetyl can be exposed to) can lead to obstructive lung disease.

Fructose consumed in moderation is safe and does not increase blood glucose levels, making it attractive to diabetics. Large amounts do increase fat levels in blood and, consequently, increase the risk of heart disease. Regular ingestion of high levels of Fructose also affect levels of hormones such as insulin, leptin and ghrelin, which can result in weight gain and obesity.

Due to the fact that it is often cheaper to produce High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) than it is to produce sugar, our consumption has soared over the past few decades. HFCS is half fructose and half glucose, which are the same by-products our body create when they digest pure sugar.

While HFCS is safe, we consume way too much (77 pounds per year) of this calorie concentrated concoction and need to cut HFCS out of our diet as much as possible.

Lecithin is a common component of animal and plant tissues and is the source of the nutrient choline. It helps to keep oil and water from separating, works to prevent rancidity, and reduces spattering in the frying pan, among other things. The biggest natural sources of Lecithin are soybeans and egg yolks.

Makes bread softer, improves the stability of margarine, makes caramel less stick, and prevents the oil in peanut butter from separating out. Mono- and Diglycerides are safe.

Vegetable oil, usually a liquid, can be made into a semi-solid shortening by reacting it with hydrogen. In the process, trans-fats are created. Trans-fats are extremely harmful and promote heart disease, making Partially Hydrogenated Oil one of the most harmful ingredients in the food supply.

Phosphoric Acid acidifies and flavors cola beverages. Calcium and Iron Phosphates act as mineral supplements. Sodium Aluminum Phosphate is a leavening agent. Calcium and Ammonium Phosphates serve as food for yeast in baking. Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate prevents discoloration in potatoes and sugar syrups. While excessive consumption of phosphates can lead to dietary imbalances that might contribute to osteoporosis, only a small fraction of phosphates in a typical diet come from additives. Most come from meat & dairy products.

Polysorbate 60, along with Polysorbate 65 and 80, keep baked goods from going stale, keep dill oil dissolved in bottled dill pickles, help coffee whiteners dissolve in coffee, and prevent oil from separating out of artificial whipped cream.

Salt, at the levels present in most people’s diet throughout the world, is probably the single most harmful substance in the food supply. Salt is used liberally in processed and restaurant foods, with some meals containing more than the daily recommend level.

A diet high in sodium increases blood pressure in most people, thereby increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. While the FDA has continued to ignore the effects of salt, the British government has made salt reduction one of its top health priorities.

Sorbic Acid and Potassium Sorbate are naturally occurring chemicals and are safe for consumption.

Sorbitol is about as half as sweet as sugar and occurs naturally in various fruits and berries. It is used in non-decay causing chewing gum because the oral bacteria present in the mouth do not metabolize it very well. Some diabetics use Sorbitol sweetened foods because the body absorbs it slowly and does not cause their blood sugar levels to rise rapidly.

Moderate amounts are safe, but large quantities may have a strong laxative effect, to the point of causing diarrhea in select individuals. Foods with 50 grams or more of Sorbitol must bear this warning: “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.”

Starch, the major component in flour, potatoes, and corn, is used in many foods as a thickening agent.