We recently got back from a wonderful trip to Europe. What food is enjoyed every day, many times a day in Europe? Bread. All kinds of bread from delicious croissants in France to many different kinds of breads in Germany and Netherlands. One morning in France, we talked to a woman walking her dog and later saw her with a bag from a bakery and she held it up and said, “My breakfast”. We found the bakery she had gone to and went in and the shelves were half empty. Puzzled the store clerk said they had sold out all those baked goods that morning. We bought a baked roll and the store clerk gave us a fresh croissant. It was one of the best croissants I had ever eaten. Why does the bread in Europe seem so good compared to the bread we eat in the USA? One reason is that many of the preservatives used in breads made in the US are banned in Europe. Europeans buy their bread fresh every day because their bread has no preservatives.
Europe not only bans some preservatives commonly used in the US, it also bans some food colorings and other ingredients.
What food preservatives are banned in Europe but not in the US?
- BHT or butylated hydroxytoluene, is a preservative used in some cereals in the US. Why? BHT “preserves” the cereal, so it lasts longer on the shelf. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says BHT is safe. However, some animal studies have shown BHT to be a carcinogen and is linked to thyroid and kidney problems. Because of these health concerns Europe and Japan have apparently banned this preservative. What cereals have BHT? Post Honey Bunches of Oats and Post Honey Maid S’mores list “BHT added to preserve freshness” in the Ingredients list. What other foods might have BHT? Many processed foods might have BHT such as prepared snacks, dried and processed meat, some frozen food, and potato flakes.
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- BHA or butylated hydroxyanisole is another food additive that preserves fat in foods for a longer shelf life. FDA says it is safe but it is banned in the United Kingdom and Japan because some say it is a carcinogen to humans. An example of a food that has BHA is Hungry Jack’s Mashed Potatoes. If you look at the ingredients, you will see “BHA” listed.
- Potassium Bromate – a preservative used in breads, rolls, buns, pizza dough, pastry dough and other bakery items. Potassium bromate is used to make the dough rise higher and give it a white glow. It is used to make the dough whiter. The reason breads in Europe go stale after one day is because they aren’t using these preservatives. The European Union has banned the use of potassium bromate because of cancer concerns.
What foods in the US contain these banned preservatives?
- Many Cereals: As noted above some cereals still contain BHT. My husband and I like Great Grains made by Post. Great Grains is a whole grain cereal with many healthy ingredients such as raisins, whole grain oats, barley flour and healthy canola oil. But it also has, “BHT added to preserve freshness”. We mostly eat oatmeal or Cheerios for breakfast and only occasionally Great Grains.
- Crackers: Wheat Thins has “BHT added to packaging material to preserve freshness”. Interesting that Wheat Thins are one cracker you won’t find in the United Kingdom or some European countries.
- Many packaged breads, rolls and buns contain potassium bromate. FDA allows potassium bromate to be used but does require that it be listed in the ingredients on the food label.
- Go to the Ingredients list on the package
and see if preservatives like BHA, BHT have been added. Some cereals used to have BHT but now the
manufacturer has removed it. For
example, if you read the article, Americans
eat long list of food banned in other countries, you would read that
Frosted Flakes contains BHT. But when
you go to the website for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal,
and look up the ingredients, no BHT is listed.
The best way to be sure if a product does or does not have BHT or BHA as
a preservative is to look at the label on the package. The ingredient list for Wheat
Thins says, “BHT added to the packaging material to preserve freshness”. But the ingredient list for Triscuits
says, “Whole grain wheat, canola oil, sea salt.” Whole grains are healthy, canola oil is
heart healthy. (See: What
are the good fats?) The “preservative” is sea salt. So Triscuits are a good choice.
How can you avoid food additives and preservatives that other countries have banned but are in some American products?
- One, read the label and see if any food additives or preservatives have been added.
- Two, cook more foods yourself. For example, if you make mashed potatoes from raw potatoes at home, there won’t be any BHA in your mashed potatoes.
- Three, buy a different product. If the cereal you often buy has BHT, choose another brand or another cereal. As long ago as 2015, General Mills announced it was removing BHT from its cereal. All General Mills cereals are whole grain and a healthy choice. Cheerios does not contain BHT and uses Vitamin E to preserve freshness. Switch from Wheat Thins to Triscuits and you avoid BHT.
Conclusion: So many food products in the USA contain preservatives banned in other countries. Take some time this week and read the ingredient labels on the foods you eat. Look in your pantry. As noted, we like Great Grains. When I looked in our pantry, I was surprised that such a healthy cereal contains BHT. Don’t rely on articles you read on the internet as many products are changing their ingredients. It may not be possible to remove all food preservatives that have been banned in other countries from your diet, but just by making some product switches you can cut down on your intake of these preservatives.
Sources: preservative , Honey Bunches of Oats , Honey Maid S’mores , processed foods , food additive , Hungry Jack’s Mashed Potatoes , preservative , Potassium bromate , banned , Great Grains , Wheat Thins , cracker , Americans eat long list of food banned in other countries , cereal , Wheat Thins , Triscuits , What are the good fats? , General Mills , Cheerios Image Sources: Triscuits , BHT , Label
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