The Center For Science In The Public Interest has great information on legal and banned food additives. I just recently came across this brilliant list of banned food additives on their website and had to share it!!
The list is quite long, so I’m giving you a little snippet below, for the full list click on the picture above!!!
| Additive |
Function |
Natural or Synthetic |
Year Banned |
Problem |
| Orange B | artificial coloring | synthetic | 1978 (ban never finalized) | Contained low levels of a cancer-causing contaminant. Orange B was used only in sausage casings to color sausages, but is no longer used in the United States. |
| Red 1, 2 | artificial coloring | synthetic | 1961, 1976 | Liver cancer, possible carcinogen |
| Red 4 | artificial coloring | synthetic | 1976 | High levels damaged adrenal cortex of dog; after 1965 it was used only in maraschino cherries and certain pills; it is still allowed in externally applied drugs and cosmetics. |
| Red 32 | artificial coloring | synthetic | 1956 | Damages internal organs and may be a weak carcinogen; since 1956 it continues to be used under the name Citrus Red 2 only to color oranges (2 ppm). |
| Yellow 1 & 2 | artificial coloring | synthetic | 1959 | Intestinal lesions at high dosages. |
| cobalt salts | stabilize beer foam | synthetic | 1966 | Toxic effects on heart |
| diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEPC) | preservative (beverages) | synthetic | 1972 | Combines with ammonia to form urethane, a carcinogen |
| ethylene glycol | solvent | synthetic | 1998 | Kidney damage |
| oil of calamus | flavoring | root of calamus | 1968 | Intestinal cancer |
|
safrole |
flavoring (root beer) | sassafras | 1960 |
Liver cancer |
