Why Are Food Additives In My Food?

Written by Hyun Kyung Lee



This article states that food additives and preservatives are in foods that we eat everyday. On the back of people's canned or boxed foods, are multitudes of unknown ingredients, but that information is usually neglected. What is the purpose of these food additives and preservatives? Some reasons include a cheap process to keep food from spoiling while maintaining visual appeal. As a consumer, purchasing these products will help in managing a low budget. However, this may not be so beneficial to one, especially in the long run. Some food additives and preservatives attempt to replenish nutrients that may be considered low or deficient in an average diet. Potassium, calcium, and more are commonly added to processed foods and labelled "fortified" afterwards, meaning that the nutrients are usually in synthetic form and are unable to be properly utilized by the body, which can create more nutritional stress in the body. In addition, food additives and preservatives have been linked to several issues such as behavioral problems in children, hyperactivity, anxiety disorders, asthma, allergies, digestive disorders and even cancer.