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How many chemical additives and preservatives are safe to eat?
How many chemical additives and preservatives are safe to eat?
How many chemical additives and preservatives are safe to eat?

Chemical additives and preservatives are used in food production, but their use level is safe for human consumption. It's bad to eat anything too much. For example, high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (water) and sodium chloride (salt) are harmful.

How many chemical additives and preservatives are safe to eat?

How many chemical additives and preservatives are safe to eat?

Chemical additives and preservatives are used in food production, but their use level is safe for human consumption. It's bad to eat anything too much. For example, high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (water) and sodium chloride (salt) are harmful.

The only evidence that cancer related additives are nitrite and nitrate, which are used as preservatives in processed meat such as ham, bacon and pepperoni. Eating processed meat is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. (Note: "processed meat" refers to meat cured, smoked, pickled, pickled or added with chemical preservatives).

So, it's all about quantity. That's why the Food Standards Agency strictly controls the amount of additives in food. In addition, any additive, if it plays a role, such as discoloring food or maintaining its shelf life, must be listed in the ingredient list (by weight).

Due to various reasons, food contains a lot of chemical additives and preservatives. They can be natural or synthetic. They are not only important for killing or slowing down the growth of harmful bacteria, but also can be used as gelling agents, thickening agents, shortening agents, emulsifiers, sweeteners, yeast foods, etc.

So, should you still eat foods with chemical additives and preservatives?

Because it's the amount of intake that matters, it's important to focus on the quality of your overall diet. If your diet contains a lot of processed foods that use additives and preservatives, you may miss fresh fruits and vegetables rich in important vitamins and minerals, or fresh whole grains.

However, if you use a can of mixed pasta sauce and a can of fresh vegetables and whole grain pasta, a small amount of additives in the sauce jar will not be a problem.

Basically, unless you only eat freshly picked fruits or vegetables, you are likely to eat foods containing chemical additives and preservatives. It's about thinking about your overall diet and balancing the consumption of fresh produce and processed products. You can eat your apple and your apple cake.