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Dangerous food additives: what should everyone know?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Some of the most dangerous are group E additives.
Today, in the richest food market, manufacturers offer consumers a huge range of food products. But do we know that behind the attractive packaging, there is a product that poses a great danger to our health?
As usual, we start to adopt the proven experience of the West and buy food for at least a week. In order to satisfy our needs, the manufacturer is forced to provide us with a product with good taste, with a sufficient shelf life and, of course, with an appetizing appearance. In order to sell the product in the conditions of increasing competition, the manufacturer resorts to tricks, often using chemical additives that are harmful to us.
Some of the most dangerous are the E group additives. The "E" index, which stands for "Europe", was adopted more than fifty years ago by the European Food Additive Labelling System.
For example, one day a note appeared on one of the websites, which said that a food additive with the code E128 was banned in Russia. Research by European scientists showed that it is carcinogenic and dangerous for the younger generation. The dye E128 was added to sausages. Even earlier, additives E217 and E216 were banned.
But, unfortunately, today there are a huge number of these additives. We consume them daily, starting from those in dairy products and ending with those in chips and sausages. Our children eat all of this too.
Let's highlight the main groups of food additives:
- E 1.. – dyes. Enhance the color of the product. Among the prohibited dyes: E121, E123, E128.
- E 2.. – preservatives. Increase the shelf life of products, i.e. suppress the growth of microorganisms and fungi. Formaldehydes E240 and E220 are prohibited.
- E 3… – antioxidants. They slow down the oxidation process, and therefore also prevent product spoilage.
- E 4.. – stabilizers. Maintain the consistency of the product (gelatins, starches).
- E 5.. – emulsifiers that help preserve the structure of the product. For example, lecithin, which is part of any chocolate bar.
- E 6.. – flavor and smell enhancers; over time, without them, food begins to seem tasteless.
According to the materials of the Center for Independent Environmental Expertise "KEDR", the following symbols of harmful impact exist:
- R – crustaceans
- Oh! - dangerous
- OO!! - very dangerous
- (Z) - prohibited
- RK - causes intestinal disorders
- RD - disrupts blood pressure
- C - rash
- RJ - causes stomach upset
- X - cholesterol
- VK - harmful to skin
And if the letter E is also designated by the sign *, for example, E121*, E153**, E155**, E174**, E173**, then the substance is included in the list of food additives prohibited for use in the food industry.
Such E-numbers are carcinogens, can cause nausea, allergic reactions and are banned in a number of countries. Well then! Decide for yourself: to be healthy or not to be! If you still prefer to eat “tasty and healthy” products from supermarkets, then I advise you to buy a magnifying glass and carefully examine the beautiful wrapper before heading to the checkout. Try to have as few of these dubious E-numbers as possible, especially if we are talking about a child. But if you still want to be healthy, then use old grandma’s recipes. This means, avoid ready-made semi-finished products and fast food. After all, the healthiest and most useful food is the one that is prepared with your own hands from natural products.
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