| Name | Description | Warnings |
| Acesulfame Potassium | is an artificial sweetening agent. Large doses of Acesulfame-K have been found to cause cancer in animals and may increase your risk of cancer and thyroid problems. | |
| Aspartame | is an artificial sweetening agent chemical combination of two amino acids and methanol. Aspartame is also manufactured under the names Equal and NutraSweet. There is much controversy regarding its safety. Aspartame contains Phenylalanine. | |
| Calciferol | See Vitamin D | |
| Calcium Carbonate | Calcium carbonate is a naturally occurring calcium carrier. Calcium is essential for strong bones, muscle contraction, and blood clotting. | |
| Calcium Citrate | Calcium citrate is the calcium salt of citric acid and is commonly added to food as a preservative or for a sour flavor. | |
| Calcium Lactate | Calcium lactate strengthens bread dough for use in bread-making machinery and acts as a whipping agent in egg whites and artificial whipped cream. | Animal
Corn |
| Citric Acid | Naturally occurs as an organic crystalline compound in almost all plants and most animals. Manufactured using aspergillus niger fungus and canes sugar or molasses. Used as a flavoring agent and as a food and organic matter stabilizer. | Corn
MSG |
| Color, Artificial | Artificial color (without identifying specific colors in use) is a red flag indicating the possibility that the worst artificial colors are being used. Artificial colors are used almost exclusively in foods of little or no nutritional value.
The FDA has 2 categories of food colorants. Artificial Colorings are Certifiable Color Additives (synthetic chemicals) created in laboratories made from petroleum distillates or coal tars. There are only 7 certified color additives (FD&C #) used in food including Blue#1, Blue#2, Green#3, Red#3, Red#40, Yellow#5 and Yellow#6. Certified Color Additives must be listed on food labels with the FD&C#.
The other category is exempt color additives (natural colors) from plant, animal or mineral based sources that have been processed. Exempt colors must be listed on labels such as "Artificial Color,'' "Artificial Color Added,'' or "Color Added''. | Animal
Corn
MSG |
| Corn | Corn is a great source of vitamin A, fiber, and other nutrients. | Corn |
| Cottonseed Oil | Viscous oil from the seed of the cotton plant. | |
| Diglycerides | Diglycerides are used as emulsifiers in bread to prevent staling and make bread softer. It is also used in margarine and peanut butter to improve stability and caramel to make it less sticky. Most foods that use diglycerides are high in fat, processed flour, or sugar. | |
| Disodium Guanylate | Flavor enhancer that may trigger gout. Not allowed in foods for infants or young children. | Infants
Children |
| Disodium Inosinate | Flavor enhancer that may trigger gout. Not allowed in foods for infants or young children. | Infants
Children |
| Ferrous Sulfate (iron) | Ferrous sulfate is used by the food industry as an iron carrier. In the body iron works with proteins such as hemoglobin that carries oxygen in blood. Iron is also used in producing amino acids, hormones and neurotransmitters. | |
| Flavor, Artificial | Artificial flavoring chemicals are used to mimic natural flavors. Companies do not list the ingredients in artificial and natural flavorings but they may include ingredients that some people are sensitive to such as MSG or HVP. | |
| Flavor, Natural | The FDA does not require companies to disclose specific flavor ingredients. The term "natural" does not have a specific definition and may include hormones, genetically-modified foods, fungal and tissue cultures, antibiotics, and medicines given to farm animals. The FDA considers these as well as biotech to be "natural. These flavorings may also be manufactured at the same plant and/or the same production line as artificial flavorings. | |
| Flour, Whole Wheat | Whole wheat flour includes the bran and the wheat germ and is a good source of dietary fiber and manganese. | |
| Folic Acid | Folic acid is the synthetic version of the b vitamin folate. This b vitamin is essential for the development of red blood cells and nucleic acids in the body. | |
| Hydrogenated | Hydrogenation creates Trans fats (trans fatty acids), which are toxic entities that block essential fatty acids, reduce cell function, raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol. | |
| Hydrolized | Hydrolyzation is a flavor-enhancing process. It creates MSG (monosodium glutimate). The food industry uses 'hydrolyzed' to avoid stating that the product includes MSG. | MSG |
| Lactic Acid | A bitter tasting acid that occurs when certain bacteria combine with lactose. | Corn |
| Magnesium Oxide | A natural mineral that reduces moisture, used to prevent caking. | |
| Malic Acid | An organic acid that makes foods taste sour or tart. | |
| Maltodextrin | A flavorless carbohydrate made from cornstarch, generally regarded as safe. | Corn
MSG |
| Monoglycerides | Used as emulsifiers in bread to prevent staling and make bread softer. It is also used in margarine and peanut butter to improve stability and caramel to make it less sticky. Most foods that use monoglycerides are high in fat, processed flour, or sugar. | |
| Niacin | See Vitamin B3 | |
| Partially Hydrogenated | Hydrogenation creates Trans fats (trans fatty acids), which are toxic entities that block essential fatty acids, reduce cell function, raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol. | |
| Phenylalanine | is an amino acid found naturally in breast milk. It is used in food and drink for analgesic and antidepressant effects. Foods with Phenylalanine must be labeled with a warning "Contains a source of phenylalanine" to alert consumers with an inability to metabolize phenylalanine. Aspartame an artificial sweetner is a source of Phenylalanine. | |
| Riboflavin | See Vitamin B2 | |
| Salt (sodium chloride) | Salt enhances flavor and helps control microbes in food. Salt intake may increase blood pressure in people sensitive to salt intake, but not affect others at all. | |
| Sodium | Often confused with salt (sodium chloride), sodium is different. Sodium is an essential nutrient in the body. | |
| Silicon Dioxide | Mineral anti-caking agent. Generally considered to be safe. | |
| Soy | Soy is recognized as a healthy food that includes isoflavonoids which may reduce the risk of cancer. | |
| Soy Lecithin | s a surfactant (wetting agent) approved by the USFDA for human consumption with the status "generally recognized as safe". Soy Lecithin is extracted from soybeans using a chemical solvent such as hexane. Hexane is a waste by-product produced by refining crude oil. | |
| Thiamin Mononitrate | See Vitamin B1 | |
| Wheat | Processed wheat typically indicates 60% processed, meaning that the wheat germ and most of the nutrients (calcium, copper, fiber, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, vitamins B1, B2, B3, and zinc), have been removed, and smaller amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3, and iron added. | |
| Wheat, Durum | Very hard wheat kernel used to make semolina flour. | |
| Wheat, Semolina | Course granular flour made from durum wheat. | |
| Wheat, Whole | Whole wheat includes the bran and the wheat germ and is a good source of dietary fiber and manganese. | |
| Whey | The milk liquids left after milk is curdled and strained. Whey may stimulate insulin release and help regulate blood sugar levels among type 2 diabetics. | |
| Yeast Extract, Autolyzed | Self-digested (autolyzed) yeast used as a flavor base. | MSG |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate) | Safe vitamin. Adds minute amounts of nitrate. | |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | Riboflavin metabolizes fat and proteins and produces enzymes essential for transporting oxygen to cells. Additional riboflavin (400mg/day) can lessen the incidence of migraine headaches. | |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | Aids in the formation of red blood cells. It also lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases HDL (good) cholesterol. Also know as niacin, nicotinic acid, niacinimide, nicotinic | |
| Vitamin C | The main role of vitamin C in the body is to aid in the making of collegen a componant in blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. Vitamin C is also critical to brain functions and also to help convert fat to energy. | |
| Vitamin D | The main role of vitamin D in the body is maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, helping form and maintain strong bones. | |
| Vitamin K | The main role of vitamin K is to aid the body in clotting blood which prevents blood loss from cuts or wounds. | |
