All about Food Additives

Photo by LONDON SLUSH

Who doesn't find some of the components on a food label confusing? You could question whether cellulose gum, maltodextrin, soy lecithin, or carrageenan are good for you if you don't know what they are. Food additives are things that aren't usually found in food but are added to improve the taste, texture, or color. They also make things last longer by stopping bacteria from growing and spoiling.

The Complicated Truth About Food Additives

We're seeing more and more concern about the role additives in ultra-processed foods might play in health issues. The challenge here is that the research is thin. They don't have adequate, reliable "gold standard biomarkers" to measure the effect of these additives on the human body. It's also incredibly difficult to isolate the impact of a single additive, since ultra-processed items are essentially a cocktail of several, often alongside large doses of added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

What Does 'Generally Recognized as Safe' Actually Mean?

Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to rigorously review and approve any ingredient intentionally added to food. That is, unless the ingredient falls under the GRAS exemption.

GRAS stands for Generally Recognized As Safe. This is meant to cover ingredients with a history of safe use, like table salt, vinegar, and certain spices or common preservatives (think sodium benzoate or xanthan gum).

Here's the rub, and it's a big one: GRAS ingredients are not evaluated by the FDA before they hit the commercial market. The decision to classify an ingredient as GRAS and ensure its safety is left entirely up to the food manufacturers. They don't even have to report its use to the FDA.

Consumer advocates are quite critical of this arrangement. They say it's open to abuse because it lets companies label substances that could be hazardous as safe without anyone checking. The best historical example? Artificial trans fats. They were classified as GRAS until 2015, only to be banned from the food supply after overwhelming scientific evidence showed their significant harm.

Advocacy groups are now pushing for major changes, including requiring all GRAS notifications to be mandatory and public and preventing these classifications from being based on unpublished studies or made by experts with financial ties to the industry, a clear conflict of interest.

A Closer Look at Common Thickeners and Emulsifiers

Many of the most commonly discussed additives are polysaccharides (long-chain carbohydrates) used to improve texture and shelf life.

What is Carrageenan (From Red Seaweed)

A polysaccharide derived from red seaweed, used as a thickener, stabilizer, and gelling agent.

The Controversy: The concern stems almost entirely from a separate, acid-processed form called degraded carrageenan (or poligeenan), which is not approved for food use and is classified by the IARC as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2B) based on animal studies showing it can cause chronic intestinal inflammation, ulcers, and tumors.

The Scientific Gap: The key question of whether the food-grade version can convert into the harmful degraded form in the acidic human stomach—has not been supported by research. Human trials are too small and too short to draw any firm conclusions, making it difficult to determine if carrageenan itself is an issue or if it's just a marker for a generally unhealthy diet high in ultra-processed foods.

Cellulose Gum (Carboxymethyl Cellulose)

What it is: Derived from wood pulp and used as an emulsifier and thickener.

Health Notes: It's structurally related to the natural fiber found in all plants. It's known to act as a mild laxative and may help regulate blood sugar. However, animal research suggests it can increase intestinal inflammation and alter the gut microbiome, raising speculation about its effect on conditions like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). As with carrageenan, human data is scarce, and isolating its effect is practically impossible.

Guar Gum & Xanthan Gum

What they are: Both are thickeners, binders, and emulsifiers. Guar gum is a soluble fiber from guar beans; xanthan gum is made via the bacterial fermentation of sugar.

Health Notes: As soluble fibers, both can offer some benefits, like slowing digestion, which can moderate blood sugar spikes. Guar gum, in particular, has been shown in some trials to reduce total and "bad" LDL cholesterol and may help with constipation.

The Caveat: Both can cause digestive discomfort (gas, bloating) in those sensitive to high amounts of dietary fiber. Furthermore, like other thickeners, some animal studies on guar gum have flagged a potential for increased colitis risk, meaning we still need more robust human trials to fully understand their long-term impact on gut health.

Additives with a Direct Metabolic Impact

Maltodextrin

What it is: A highly processed powder derived from starches (corn, rice, and potato) used to improve flavor, texture, and shelf life.

Health Notes: Since it's rapidly broken down into glucose, it can cause a quick spike in blood sugar. This is a significant concern for people managing prediabetes or diabetes. Furthermore, similar to the gums, animal studies indicate it can negatively affect the gut microbiome and potentially increase intestinal inflammation.

What is Soy Lecithin

An emulsifier extracted from soybean oil, used to improve mouthfeel and texture.

Health Notes: The great news for those with soy allergies is that the allergenic protein is typically removed during processing, making soy lecithin safe for almost all individuals. Research is limited, but a few small studies hint at a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels, although more evidence is needed to confirm this.

The bottom line is that while many common food additives are legally deemed "safe," the current regulatory system has flaws, and the current research on their long-term, isolated effects on human gut health is playing catch-up. What are your thoughts on the GRAS system? Do You think manufacturers should be required to report all GRAS substances to the FDA?