Food additives that appear on labels are completely safe to consume in certain amounts - Photo: FREEPIK
According to Politifact , the food additives that appear on the labels are completely safe to consume in certain amounts, and are not "scary" or "dangerous" as warning posts online tend to exaggerate to attract viewers.
When are food additives dangerous?
If you do a Google search, you’ll find trisodium phosphate often appearing in ads for heavy-duty cleaning products used to pretreat walls before painting. The warning label says that direct contact with the powder can cause eye and skin irritation and poisoning in large amounts.
However, trisodium phosphate is also present in cereals and many other processed foods such as cheese, soft drinks and baked goods.
In small doses, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirm that this substance is safe, helps control pH and acts as a leavening agent, making food more porous.
“Many food additives have names similar to industrial products, but the concentration is the deciding factor,” said Jessica Steier, a public health expert and CEO of the science organization Unbiased Science.
According to her, substances used in food are highly refined, used only in very small doses, and have a clear function such as pH adjustment or preservation. In other words, toxicity at high doses does not mean danger at low doses.
How you come into contact with substances is also important.
How you come into contact with a substance also determines its safety. Some things are harmless when applied to the skin, but dangerous when eaten; conversely, some are edible but should not be inhaled.
“The route of exposure is very important when considering toxicity,” said Norbert Kaminski, a toxicologist and director of the Michigan State University Materials Safety Research Center.
On social media, many influencers often only warn about chemicals in high doses, ignoring the fact that in food, they are used in extremely small and controlled amounts.
The FDA strictly regulates the safety of food additives. According to Mr. Kaminski, the “safe” threshold is always much lower than the level tested on animals, to ensure human safety.
Sometimes, online influencers (KOLs) even warn about contaminants that can be mixed into food even though they are not in the ingredients.
Traces of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury can still appear due to their natural existence in soil, water and air, even with organic foods.
“These elements are naturally occurring in the Earth’s crust. Trying to avoid them could eliminate nutritious foods without providing significant health benefits,” Steier said.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cac-phu-gia-thuc-pham-co-thuc-la-nhung-thanh-phan-dang-so-20250823135648184.htm
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