Food Additives and

Their Risks
A Research Paper Created by Group HKK-128

Introduction: -
In a modern-day consumer society, it is no surprise
that there is a huge selection of goods to purchase.
Amongst these on-sale goods is, of course, food.
Food nowadays is commonly found in two forms-
Packaged and fresh. We can purchase these foods
from anywhere, from supermarkets, grocery stores,
school canteens and open markets. For this reason,
it is important for us to monitor what we consume
and the positive and negative effects of that.
With packaged foods, comes a need for longer shelf
life in certain foods. Not only that, but there also
comes a need for a more attractive look. Alas, Food
is now not only aesthetically pleasing and long
lasting, but it also needs to have a wonderful taste
as well. For this reason, nowadays we find lots of
packaged foods in stores that are absolutely full of
unhealthy chemicals. We consume these foods on a
daily basis, regardless of whether we wish to or not.
Foods like these are so commonly available now it is
more difficult to find fresh foods. So, we have
decided to conduct research on these foods to truly
see what’s hiding behind the colorful packets and
shiny labels.

The Chemicals that Are

Commonly Used

There are certain chemicals and preservatives which

are mandatory for the shelf life of any consumer
food, such as the preservative Formalin. This is
essential in the preservation of fish, especially for a
time period of longer than a few days. When used in
moderation, these are not only beneficial, but in a
way essential for our foods. However, with the
power to add whatever we like into our foods comes
misuse. People have begun to add an excessive
amount of these chemicals into our foods, an amount
so high that they are borderline lethal to human
beings if consumed too much.
Chemicals are added to our food for various reasons,
but the general rule of thumb is that the chemicals
make the food appear more appealing to the average
consumer of the good. Simply put, it makes the food
look attractive.
We have compiled some of the most commonly used
Chemicals, and described their properties as well as
where they are used-
Sodium Nitrate: -
Sodium nitrate is an inorganic nitrate salt of an
alkali metal with the chemical formula NaNO3.
Sodium nitrate features an ionic bond between one
Na+ ion and one NO3– ion. The structure of a
NaNO3 molecule is illustrated below.

This is used as a preservative in processed meat like

bacon, sausage, hot dogs and excessive consumption
has been linked to an increased risk of cancer,
particularly colorectal cancer

Trans Fats: -
Trans fats are a form of unsaturated fat associated
with a number of negative health effects. Artificial
trans-fat is created during hydrogenation, which
converts liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid
partially hydrogenated oil.
This is found in partially hydrogenated oils used in
many processed foods, trans fats cholesterol levels
(LDL) and lower good cholesterol levels (HDL)
increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type
2 diabetes

Artificial Sweeteners: -
Aspartame is the primary
nonnutritive sweetener used in carbonated soft
drinks. It is a low-calorie and intense sweetener that
is ~200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It
is used in a variety of foods and beverages including
drinks, energy-reduced diets, and as a tabletop
sweetener.
While they provide sweetness without the calories of
sugar, some of artificial sweeteners like aspartame,
saccharine and sucralose have been linked to health
issues such as headaches, digestive issues, an even
cancer in animal studies however research on their
affect in human is still not well known yet.

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate): -

Monosodium Glutamate is a white or off-white color
crystalline compound with a slight odor like
peptone. Monosodium Glutamate imparts a meat-
like flavor and hence is used in the food industry as
a flavor enhancer. Monosodium Glutamate is found
in vegetables like grapes, cheese, tomatoes, and
mushrooms.
Used as a flavor enhancer in any processed foods,
MSG has been associated with symptoms like
headaches, sweating and numbness in some
individuals although conclusive evidence of any
harm is lacking.
High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): -
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as
glucose–fructose, Iso glucose and glucose–fructose
syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch.

Used as a sweetener in many processed foods and

beverages, excessive consumption of HFCS has been
linked to type 2 diabetes and heart diseases due to
its high -fructose content which can lead to insulin
resistance and fat accumulation in the liver.

Artificial Colors: -
Artificial Colors are added to make foods look more
aesthetically pleasing and appealing to a consumer.
These are most commonly found in foods such as
Sodas, Chips, Bubblegum and Candy. Some foods
are artificially colored with natural substances, such
as beta-carotene or carmine. Just because they are
natural does not mean that they are entirely safe.
Carmine, for example, can cause severe allergic
reactions.

The Chemicals that Are

Commonly Used
We have conducted a Survey on typical consumers
of these goods. We have surveyed people from
various age groups and wealth classes, in order to
get a variety of information. The people given the
foods consume on a daily basis, alongside a normal
diet.
Conducting survey an average consumers
 SurveyResults
Name Ag Any Food they Any issues Which
e illness take caused by wealth
/medication which are those items group
packaged they
are
from
Rockyfun 44 Obesity, Packaged Higher BMI, Middle-
Nesa High Blood Sauces Increased Class
pressure BP
Tariqul 51 Diabetes, Soft Drinks High Blood Upper
Alam Fatty Liver Sugar Class

Afra Anika 18 Autism, Potato Increased Upper-

Hyper- Chips, Hyper Middle
activeness Candy activeness, Class
High Blood
Sugar
Aklima 68 Kidney Bubblegu Light- Lower-
Begum Disease m headedness Middle
Class
Ikhlas 34 Asthma Packaged Increased Middle
Mahbub Sauces Weight Class

Tasnuva 07 Premature Potato High Blood Lower

Bibi Diabetes Chips, Sugar Class
Candy
Azharul 63 Recovering Packaged He does not Upper-
Islam from A Sauces, face any Middle
Stroke fruit juices issues Class

Adnan 24 No Medicine Soft Drinks Tired Middle

Sami Ibn or illnesses sensation, Class
Islam Stomachach
e

Jolly Hasan 17 Anemia, Soft Nutrient Lower-

Iodine Drinks, Deficiency Middle
deficiency Packaged Class
Sauces

Tia Moni 36 No Medicine Bubblegu She does not Middle

or illnesses m face any Class
issue

Habib 04 Hyperactive Baby Food, Nutrient Upper

Chowdhur Chocolates deficiency, Class
y early signs
of Anemia
Kazi Faruk 40 Digestive Dark Vomiting Middle
issues Chocolate Class

Rabiya 38 No Medicine Dark Nausea, Middle

Akhter or illnesses Chocolate, Sickness Class
fruit juice

Warisa 13 No Illnesses/ Fruit Juice, He does not Upper-

Abdullah Medicine Chips face any Middle
Khan needed issues Class

Subyta 12 Obesity, Fruit Juice, High Blood Middle

Hasan premature Chips Sugar, Class
Warsi Diabetes Increased
weight.

Marzia 36 Lung Chocolate, Nutrient Upper-

Sultana Disease, Cookies, deficiency, Middle
Stomach Bubblegu headaches Class
Tumor m

Kalimullah 06 No Illnesses/ Packaged Nausea, Lower

Ahmed Medicine Sauces, Sickness Class
needed Juices
MD. Rabiul 45 Regularly Bubblegu High Blood Middle
Islam takes m Sugar Class
Steroids

Mohamma 34 Was in a Car Soft Light- Lower

d Abu accident, Drinks, headedness Class
Hanif recovering. Sauces,
Chips

Mina 13 No Illnesses/ Fruit Juice, Upper-

Khatun Medicine Chips, Middle
Sultana needed Candy Class

Kamarul 56 Early stages (Used To) Nutrient Middle

Islam of Alzheimer Consumes deficiency. Class
Chips

Survey Observations
From our survey, we found that consumption of
packaged food can be a direct reason for someone’s
preexisting illnesses to become worse. It is
especially harmful for the young children. Children
who consume only baby food have a huge nutrient
deficiency and show signs of anemia. Older people
with preexisting medical issues report that their
medical issues gradually worsened. Premature
diabetes is more common nowadays than ever, all
because of packaged foods. Another observation is
that the people below lower class are usually more
reliant on Packaged foods for its cheap price and
convenience. They are also the ones impacted the
most, because they also are not able to afford
medical care.

We have also conducted some experiments on

certain popular foods that we have gathered from a
local supermarket. We have purchased a variety of
things but have chosen not to mention which brand
we purchased. We got the most popular and widely
available goods, so our experiment could be as fair
as possible.

Experimentation on Some Foods

Name of Weight Daily Number Health Extra
items per Consume of Issues amount
packag r additive create of
e s per by those additiv
packag additive e
e s
1
Packaged
baby food
2
Package
Fruit
Juice
3
Package
sauces
4 Soft
drinks

5 Bubble
gum

6
Chocolat
es
7 Tomato
Tango
chips

Healthier Alternative Food

Options
From our experimentation, we see that the vast
majority of consumer foods are riddled with harmful
chemicals and problematic ingredients. This leaves
the average consumer with very little choices
regarding what they should or should not consume.
In an average grocery store, there are not many
choices for people to buy food. And, in the limited
choices, the majority are not the best for a person’s
health. It can oftentimes be difficult, or
overwhelming to go shopping for foods without
knowing what is best for oneself. In the following
examples, we have described the foods we did
research on, as well as providing some advice on
what to consume, and some healthy alternatives to
otherwise dangerous foods.

Packaged Fruit Juice: -

A Commonly found food in grocery stores is
packaged fruit juice. This is usually consumed by
young children, oftentimes as part of school tiffin or
as a snack. Packaged fruit juice is targeted towards
youngsters, but it is consumed by older people as
well. But this juice is equally harmful for all ages,
because of all the harmful chemicals found within it.
Packaged fruit juice has a lot of preservatives,
artificial sweeteners, flavor enhancers, sugar and
thickeners which are harmful for our body. This is
especially harmful for people that are too young, as
it can directly lead to hyper activeness or diabetes.
As for elders, it can be a factor in worsening their
preexisting diabetes. The healthier alternative
option in the case of fruit juices can be homemade
juices. However, doctors prefer eating raw fruit
because it is healthier, it has more fiber and easier
to consume. Aside from that, fresh fruit is also
confirmed to be free from any chemicals whatsoever,
as such, it acts as the superior option in this case.
Fruit Juices, ones that use false advertising and are targeted towards youngsters.

Tomato Tango Chips: -

By far the most popular and easily accessible snack
food in the market is potato chips. These are easily
found in any supermarket and at any small corner
store. As such, it is widely consumed by people of all
ages and in extreme cases, cancer. Their cheap
prices make it relatively easy to purchase and
consume as well. But their low prices often force the
companies to use lower quality ingredients and
various filler chemicals. A common characteristic of
chips is that they are excessively oily. Sodium
bisulfate is often added as well, which is harmful for
our body. Other food colorings, artificial flavors and
miscellaneous chemicals might be added to this
snack as well. It is a superior choice to avoid potato
chips at all costs, but if anyone does wish to
consume potato chips, they can eat homemade chips
which are less harmful but too much consumption
can lead to obesity and stomach fat. Certain potato
chips can be purchased which specifically advertise
themselves as ‘Low-Fat’ or as ‘Healthy Alternatives’.
One may consume these as well, but still in small
amounts.
Potato Chips, Ones that are commonly found in stores

Packaged Baby Food: -

Baby Foods are a common type of food that can be
purchased at Supermarkets. These are usually more
expensive than purchasing normal, fresh food that
babies can consume. These foods have a gooey, soft
consistency, which makes it easier for babies to
consume. Usually, these foods are ravaged by false
advertising. We can see writing on the labels
mentioning all the hypothetical benefits that a baby
may get from consuming these foods, but the vast
majority of those are lies. This is because baby food
is processed food. It is a universal truth that when
any kind of fresh food is processed and converted
into something that has a longer shelf life, it will
lose many, if not all of its nutritional benefits.
Many baby foods may have added nutrients as well,
but if it is possible for a baby to get those nutrients
by other means, he should do so. Baby food is also
riddled with preservatives, such as PFC, Perchlorate
and more. As such, we advise that babies should be
fed pre-packaged baby food as little as possible.
Babies can indeed be fed Baby Food, but only
alongside other food. They should be fed only this on
rare occasions when fresh food isn’t available, or if
medically advised to by a pediatrician.

Baby Formula, which is commonly fed to infants and toddlers.

Packaged sauces: -
Condiments are a staple at grocery stores. It is often
consumed alongside dry foods with less flavor, to
add a bit more taste and to make it more delicious.
This need for tasty condiments birthed the modern-
day examples of packaged sauces. The need to have
a delicious, appetizing taste removed the need for
nutrition in these foods.
As such, packaged sauce is more often than not full
of preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
Depending on what flavors of sauces are being
made, there may be flavor enhancers as well. To
increase the volume of the product being made in a
cheap but unhealthy way, thickeners are used as
well. Artificial colors are added as well, to make the
food more attractive to the human eye. Artificial
sauces are filled with these harmful chemicals which
can directly lead to diabetes, hyper activeness, and
in extreme cases, Cancer.
Packaged sauces are also riddled with false
advertising, often labelling themselves as ‘100%
Natural’ or ‘Free from Chemicals’, when the
statement stands true that all packaged foods,
especially those that contain ‘Fresh Ingredients’,
need at least some portion of chemicals to be able to
have a shelf life of longer than a few days. As an
alternative to packaged sauces, we can try to
consume homemade sauces instead of packaged
ones. However, as with most foods, it is okay to
consume packaged sauces, but only in a small
amount daily.

Bubblegum: -
One of the cheapest and most widely available
consumer snacks is bubblegum. It is commonly
found at school canteens and grocery stores for
prices as low as 2 takas. As such, there are very few
snacks as widely accessible to everybody as
bubblegum. Bubblegum is chewed by people for
various reasons. Some people chew it as a mouth
exercise, others chew it to keep focus. But the
majority chew it to savor the delicious flavor.
But this flavor does not come without a cost.
Bubblegum gets its signature taste because of
artificial sweeteners. If bubblegum has a fruity
flavor, that may come from artificial flavors as well.
They are Preservatives are also added to
bubblegum, to increase its shelf life up to many
years. Food dye is added in excessive quantities as
well, to make the gum look more attractive to a
consumer’s eye.
Gum is usually made up of very cheap ingredients,
making it quite harmful. One can chew normal gum,
but in small quantities on a daily basis. If one wants
to chew gum, and it is in their price range, they can
switch to gums that are free from sweeteners or
artificial colors, but these include miscellaneous
chemicals which can also be harmful for a person to
take too much of.

Soft drinks (Soda): -

In every grocery store, we will see a section of the
store dedicated to cold drinks. One of the most
common drinks in this aisle is soft drinks. Soft
drinks, or sodas, are typically carbonated drinks
with some added flavoring.
These drinks have a sweet, addictive flavor that
people love. When consumed, they give your throat
a unique sensation that many people enjoy. As such,
Sodas are extremely popular around the world. But
this delicious, icy treat does not come without its
flaws. They are full of artificial sweeteners which
gives it an addictive taste. Flavor enhancers are also
added for the sake of taste. Preservatives are also
commonly added to increase shelf life. To act as
fillers, thickeners are added in large amounts.
Stabilizers are another common ingredient in
concoction. And, as a final touch, a load of food
coloring is added to give Sodas a signature color.
Sodas are beyond harmful for our bodies, because
they are nothing more than an addictive, sugary
liquid that almost rivals hard liquor in terms of
dangerousness. Sodas should only be consumed in
tiny amounts, and preferably, not be consumed at
all. There is no direct alternative to sodas, but one
can consume homemade fruit juice as an alternative
way to get a sweetness-overload.
An example of colorful, popularly consumed soda.
 Conclusion
Food that we can purchase at consumer markets are
not always the ideal choices for health. They are
often riddled with harmful chemicals which can be a
direct threat to someone’s health. For this reason, it
is important we take our time and understand
exactly which foods are good for us, and what is
harmful for us to take. But, as a matter of truth, one
thing stands clear within all of our research-
‘Most packaged foods are okay to consume, as long
as it is done in moderation.’
This is not in any way to justify the harmful
ingredients in most packaged foods, but purchasing
expensive, healthy alternatives is not always
possible for the average consumer. For this reason,
we should remember that we can indeed eat these
‘Unhealthy Foods’, but we should do so in a limited
and reasonable amount. And, if it is possible for us,
we will invest in healthy alternatives. We only have
one life to live, and it is up to us to make sure that
we can live this life as comfortably and healthily as
to our ability.

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