There are thousands of chemicals that are added to our food. This here is just a tiny excerpt of problematic and sometimes even dangerous substances. Whenever possible, I would avoid foods with such ingredients. E-numbers are used as labelling in Europe, INS numbers worldwide. There are apps like Codechek that make it easy to read the declarations on the packaging. You can use them to check in the shop whether you would be better off using a different product. Even if a substance occurs naturally, this does not mean that it is safe. The industry is constantly developing synthetic variants that are similar enough to natural substances to be sold under the same name. But they are not 100% identical. Humans can not copy nature, only imitate it.
| Code | Substance | Function | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| E100/INS100 | Curcumin | Yellow-orange dye | Organic curcumin, which is extracted from turmeric, is probably harmless, but the synthetic version is problematic. Thyroid problems have been observed in pigs. May contain aluminium compounds from manufacture. Why they have to add synthetic curcumin to a curry as a colouring agent is beyond me. One could simply use natural turmeric. |
| E171/INS171 | Titanium dioxide | White dye | Contained nanoparticles may be hazardous to the intestine and possibly carcinogenic. May contain aluminium without being declared. Concerns about genotoxicity could not be dispelled so far. [^1] Has now been banned in food, but is still allowed in other products such as cosmetics and medicines. |
| E173/INS173 | Aluminium | Silver grey dye | Aluminium can be absorbed by the body in contact with acids. It can cause severe brain and nerve disorders and disrupt the hormone balance. In impaired kidney function and in dialysis patients, it leads to progressive encephalopathy (memory and speech disorders, listlessness and aggressiveness) through the destruction of brain cells and to progressive dementia, to osteoporosis (arthritis) with bone fractures and to anaemia. It is also suspected of causing cancer and Alzheimer's disease. |
| E214/INS214 E215/INS215 E218/INS218 E219/INS219 |
PHB ester PHB ethyl ester sodium salt PHB methyl ester PHB methyl ester sodium salt |
Preservative Flavouring agent |
Hormone-like substances (parabens). Inhibit the growth of fungi and bacteria. Have a local anaesthetic effect. Extremely toxic to carnivores such as dogs and cats. Apparently often added without declaration via other ingredients. |
| E220/INS220 | Sulphur dioxide | Preservative Disinfectant Antioxidant Enzyme inhibitor Colour stabiliser |
A naturally occurring gas. Destroys vitamin B1 (thiamine). May cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, asthma and allergic reactions. |
| E320/INS320 E321/INS321 |
Butylhydroxyanisole (BHA) Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) |
Antioxidant | Decomposition products are accumulated in fat, breast milk and the foetus. In animal studies, changes to the immune system, blood, thyroid and liver have been observed and stomach ulcers have been found. BHA can cause drowsiness. |
| E338/INS338 | Phosphoric acid | Acidifier Acidity regulator Dissolving agent Solvent carrier Complexing agent |
Raw material for rust remover, fertilizer, detergent. Used as a corrosion inhibitor and pesticide. An endogenous substance which, if consumed in excess, acidifies the stomach/intestines, destroys tooth enamel and affects calcium metabolism. May contain residues of arsenic, cadmium and uranium. Contained in large quantities in Coca Cola, for example. |
| E520/INS520 E521/INS521 E522/INS522 E523/INS523 |
Aluminium sulphate Aluminium sodium sulphate Aluminium potassium sulphate Aluminium ammonium sulphate |
Stabiliser Fastener Precipitant Foam guard |
Aluminium salts of sulphuric acid. See aluminium E173 |
| E541/INS541 | Acidic sodium aluminium phosphate | Acid regulator Baking agent |
See aluminum E173 and phosphoric acid E338 |
| E554/INS554 | Sodium aluminium silicate | Separating agent Filler Dye |
Suspected of causing cancer. See also aluminium E173 |
| E555/INS555 | Potassium aluminium silicate | Separating agent Filler |
See aluminium E173 |
| E586/INS586 | 4-Hexylresorcinol | Antioxidant Colour stabiliser Enzyme inhibitor |
Prevents staining of crustacean shells. Dewormer for animals, kills parasites. Hormonal effects observed already from smallest quantities. Strong allergic reactions possible. |
| E620/INS620 | Glutamic acid | Flavour enhancer Cooking salt substitute Flavouring agent |
Better known as glutamate. Basically a neurotransmitter, but does not occur naturally in free form. Reproductive disorders, learning difficulties, increased appetite and obesity have been observed. Apparently causes the Chinese restaurant syndrome. |
| E621/INS621 E622/INS622 E623/INS623 E624/INS624 E625/INS625 |
Monosodium glutamate Monopotassium glutamate Calcium diglutamate Monoammonium glutamate Magnesium diglutamate |
Flavour enhancer Cooking salt substitute Flavouring agent |
Chemical compounds of glutamic acid. See glutamic acid E620 |
| E951/INS951 | Aspartame | Sweetener Taste enhancer |
Highly toxic chemical substance made from aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. About 200x sweeter than sugar. Aspartame breaks down into its original components in the body and is therefore dangerous for people with phenylketonuria. Foods must therefore be labelled with a warning. Can cause premature puberty, cancer, neurological damage and numerous other health disorders. |
| E952/INS952 | Cyclamate | Sweetener | About 35x sweeter than sugar. The metabolite cyclahexamine leads in high doses to DNA damage, bladder cancer, growth arrest and central nervous system disorders. The recommended maximum amount is already reached at the equivalent of the sugar content of a single yoghurt. |
| E954/INS954 | Saccharin | Sweetener | About 500x sweeter than sugar. Possibly causes bladder cancer. Data somewhat unclear. Detectable in breast milk. |
| E955/INS955 | Sucralose | Sweetener | About 600x sweeter than sugar. Alters the metabolism. Toxic chloropropanols are formed under heat. There seem to be no useful studies. Observed leukaemia and the destruction of beneficial intestinal bacteria, which did not recover even after longer abstinence. |
| E961/INS961 | Neotame | Sweetener | Synthetic substance similar to aspartame. About 10,000x sweeter than sugar. See aspartame E951 |
| E962/INS962 | Aspartame-acesulfame salt | Sweetener | Compound of aspartame and acesulfame. About 350x sweeter than sugar. See aspartame E951 |
| E969/INS969 | Advantam | Sweetener Taste enhancer |
Synthetic product made from isovanillin and aspartame. About 2,000x sweeter than sugar. No independent scientific research or long-term studies available. See also aspartame E951 |
| E1521/INS1521 | Polyethylene glycol (PEG) | Solubiliser Carrier Humectant Foam retainer Coating agent |
Synthetic Polymer. Makes membranes in the body more permeable to harmful substances. Used in vaccinations to introduce modified genes into the cell nucleus. Consists mainly of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic petroleum derivative. The production process can produce dioxane, another carcinogenic solvent which is practically non-biodegradable and rapidly accumulates in the blood. Residual occurrences must be expected, as impurities are difficult to measure. |
The substances described here are not permitted in all foods. In part, they are also only permitted for a very specific purpose, such as colour coatings on cakes, sweets or chewing gum. Exact information can be found in the EU database of food additives. After all, stricter rules apply to baby food than to children's and adult food. But what is the point if we ban aluminium compounds in baby food and then inject it directly into our children's blood in large quantities as vaccinations? That makes no sense at all. It looks more like the existing laws are only meant to calm down the rightly concerned population. As always, the industry's profit is more important than our health. If you want to avoid this poisonous cocktail, you have to prepare all your food yourself and be scrupulously careful to obtain all ingredients from trustworthy sources. But who can do that? Clean food can be expensive and hard to come by.
Please note the group of sweeteners. These are often used in diet and light products. Experience shows that these products not only do not lead to weight loss, but can also be harmful to health. Which is not surprising when you know that the body uses fat as a garbage dump. Harmful substances are stored in fat until they can be broken down. This is the reason for the frequent yo-yo effect in people who pedal away in the training centre. If the toxins are not removed from the body, it will store them again at the next opportunity and also create a buffer, so that the organism is not flooded with junk during the next training session. The usual white sugar is not a good thing either, but it is still better than turning the body into a chemical landfill.
The whole thing shows how important it is nowadays to detoxify our bodies regularly. Such chemicals are not only found in food. We also find them in cosmetics, toothpaste, medicines, cleaning agents, detergents, toys, packaging, clothing, etc. If they only serve a purely technical aspect, they do not even have to be declared. This includes, for example, substances that are used to facilitate machine processing. According to the law, these should no longer be present in the end product. However, complete removal is not possible. Residues always remain. This is not really controlled. That is left up to the respective manufacturer. Controls are rarely carried out by the authorities. Studies on the toxicity of the chemicals used are usually only carried out by the manufacturers themselves, if there are any at all. How trustworthy the results of these studies are is anyone's guess. If there are independent studies that report something negative, they are immediately fought against and the results are hidden from the public. That says it all.
Lexikon der Lebensmittelzusatzstoffe by Marion Schimmelpfennig
Food additives database by DR. WATSON
List of food additives on Wikipedia
The information published here is based on my current knowledge at the time of publication. This is preceded by years of research and personal experience. I make no claim to the completeness and correctness of the information provided. It is intended for informational purposes only and is meant to show the reader options. What is written does not serve as a diagnosis or therapy and can in no way replace a visit to a qualified medical professional. If you take measures independently, you do so at your own risk. Let the naturopath or doctor of your choice advise and accompany you. Inform yourself further, research, exchange ideas with other affected people. If you find something that you think belongs in this article, please let me know. Thanks!