US food manufacturers are adding a record amount of additives such as preservatives, sweeteners and colorings to their products, a large-scale study shows.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina found that 60 percent of the food and drink bought by Americans in grocery stores is now processed.
This is 10 percent more than in 2001, despite major public health campaigns warning of obesity and increased awareness about fitness and dieting.
The researchers found that frozen entrees, appetizers, pizzas and fizzy drinks were the worst offenders in terms of the amount of additives they contained.
Numerous studies in recent years have shown that processed foods increase the risk of numerous health problems, including heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.
University of North Carolina researchers found that as much as 60 percent of food in supermarkets is now modified with additives (stock image)
The graph above shows the shift in additives in five food groups between 2001 and 2019. The strongest increase occurred in baby food. Data are in mean additions per item
Lead study author Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, a researcher at the University of North Carolina, said: ‘Our research clearly shows that the share of ultra-processed foods with additives in Americans’ shopping carts increased significantly between 2001 and 2019.
“These findings give us cause for concern given the growing evidence linking high consumption of processed foods to adverse health outcomes.”
Scientists analyzed the shopping carts of 100,000 US households across the country as part of the Nielsen Homescan Consumer Panel.
Participants had to scan the barcodes on all food items they took home in 2001 and in 2019.
Each food purchased was checked to see if it contained any of four additives: colorings, flavourings, preservatives and sweeteners.
Sweeteners checked for aspartame – commonly used in fizzy drinks that previous research has linked to cancer.
While the dyes studied contain erythrosine, or ‘Red 3’, which is used by leading brands to give their food a radiant red color. It has also previously been linked to cancer and behavioral problems.
Data showed that households purchased an average of 355,870 foods and beverages in 2001. In 2019, this had increased by 17 percent to 414,629.
The proportion of these foods with additives rose from 49.6 percent to 59.5 percent, the researchers said.
The average number of additives in each food also increased from 3.1 to 4.5 in total. At the same time, the share of foods without additives fell.
In addition to frozen foods and soft drinks, researchers also noted that infant formula had the sharpest increase in additives, raising concerns about the impact it could have on young people’s health.
Dr. Barry Popkin, a North Carolina nutritionist involved in the study, said, “As manufacturers produce foods and beverages with more and more additives, it’s more important than ever to understand what’s in the foods Americans buy. and food.
“Consumers in the US are demanding much more transparency from brands and retailers than in previous years.
“We hope that the findings of this study will be used to inform policymakers about where Americans — especially infants — are exposed to additives and how the packaged food supply is changing.”
Breaking down foods by type, the researchers said baby foods showed the sharpest increase in additives, with the number doubling from 1.5 to 3.2 per item on
Other items that showed increases in additives included grain products such as pasta, breakfast cereals and baking mixes (up 28 percent), beverages (up 26 percent), and candy and snacks (up 22 percent).
Fats and oils were the only group to show a significant drop in additives (-48 percent).
The researchers cautioned that the increase meant Americans were eating more ultra-processed foods, thus consuming more sugar, sodium and saturated fats.
The researchers warned that more ultra-processed foods meant Americans consumed more sugar, sodium and saturated fats.
The researchers noted in the study that it was “unlikely” that the increase in coloring and flavoring agents “conferred nutritional and health benefits.”
But they pointed to research showing that dyes had led to unwanted behavior, especially in children.
They also said that the increase in sweeteners, rather than sugar, increased the risk of negative changes in the gut microbiota.
Limitations of the study were that it did not include unpackaged fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat and loose bakery products because they do not have barcodes.
It is also not clear which foods were actually eaten by families and which ended up in the rubbish bin.
The research has been published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.