A nutritionist recently asked her client to read the ingredients on a box of cheese crackers she ate almost daily. The client stopped at BHA, puzzled. BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) is a synthetic preservative listed by the National Toxicology Program as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on animal studies. The client had no idea what it was, highlighting a common gap in consumer awareness.
Why Some Additives Remain in US Foods
Many additives still permitted in American food have been restricted or banned abroad. The US Food and Drug Administration banned Red No. 3 last year, but manufacturers have until 2027 to comply. Meanwhile, ingredients like titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, and synthetic dyes remain common in US products despite being outlawed in other countries.
American food companies often sell different versions of the same product for the US and international markets. Jagdish Khubchandani, a public health professor at New Mexico State University, explains that companies comply with stricter EU regulations for exports while leaving US consumers to fend for themselves.
Titanium Dioxide
This white pigment is used in candies, frostings, gum, and salad dressings. The EU banned it in 2022 due to concerns about DNA damage. US manufacturers still use it freely, despite having no nutritional purpose.
Potassium Bromate
Found in commercial sandwich bread and hamburger buns, potassium bromate is banned across the EU, Canada, the UK, Brazil, and many other countries. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a possible carcinogen. In the US, it remains legal.
Synthetic Dyes
Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1 appear in cereals, sodas, sweets, and frozen desserts. The EU requires warning labels on products containing these dyes, citing links to behavioral changes in children. US regulations do not mandate such warnings.
Consumer Awareness and Safer Alternatives
Nicole Avena, a neuroscientist at Mount Sinai, notes that the US requires stronger proof of harm before banning an ingredient, while the EU uses a precautionary approach. For shoppers, this means reading ingredient lists is more important in the US than many realize.
Nutritionist Sarah Otto advises looking for products colored with real food like beet juice, turmeric, spirulina, or fruit concentrates. These alternatives are available at any supermarket and offer identical taste.
What to Look For Instead
- Instead of BHA: Choose snacks preserved with vitamin E (labeled as tocopherols) or rosemary extract. BHA-free options are in the same aisles at similar prices.
- Instead of Titanium Dioxide: Check labels on candy, gum, and salad dressings. Most natural-brand and premium versions leave it out.
- Instead of Potassium Bromate: Look for breads, buns, and pizza dough labeled "no bromate" or "unbromated flour." Artisanal, organic, and European-style brands typically skip it.
- Instead of Synthetic Dyes: Opt for products colored with beet juice, turmeric, paprika, or fruit concentrate.
- Instead of Sodium Benzoate: Choose refrigerated hot sauces, dressings, and sodas, or brands that use vinegar or citric acid as preservatives.
Nutritionist Danielle Smiley's client didn't overhaul her diet. She simply swapped one box of crackers for another that used vitamin E instead of BHA. Same price, same shelf. That simple change became her framework for healthier eating.
