Ever grab a soda from the fridge, or reach for your favorite breakfast cereal without thinking twice about what’s inside? For decades, Americans have been consuming food ingredients that raise eyebrows across the globe. Many of these additives are heavily restricted or outright banned in Europe, Canada, and parts of Asia, yet they remain perfectly legal in the United States.
The reason often comes down to how different countries approach food safety. While European regulators follow a precautionary approach that requires proof of safety before approval, the U.S. relies on a system where additives are presumed safe unless proven otherwise. It’s a striking contrast that leaves American grocery shelves stocked with products containing ingredients considered too risky elsewhere. Let’s be real, it’s hard to say for sure whether all these chemicals are truly problematic, but the fact that so many nations have said “no thanks” should probably make us pause.
Brominated Vegetable Oil in Citrus Drinks
Until recently, brominated vegetable oil, commonly known as BVO, was widely used in citrus-flavored soft drinks to keep flavoring oils from separating and floating to the top. Mountain Dew and other citrus sodas relied on this emulsifier to maintain their cloudy appearance and uniform taste. The problem is that bromine, the key element in BVO, can accumulate in body tissues over time. Research conducted between 2016 and 2022 found that oral exposure to BVO is associated with increased tissue levels of bromine, and at high levels of exposure the thyroid becomes a target organ of potential negative health effects in rodents.
Case reports documented severe health effects in people who consumed large amounts of BVO-containing beverages, including memory loss, tremors, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, headache, and elevated serum chloride. One individual lost the ability to walk after drinking two to four liters of a BVO-containing soda daily. The FDA finally revoked the authorization for BVO use in food in July 2024, with the rule becoming effective on August 2, 2024. Food and beverage makers were given until August 2, 2025, to reformulate and relabel products and deplete old inventory. While major brands like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola removed BVO years ago, as of November 2023, the USDA Branded Foods Database listed hundreds of products from various brands still containing BVO or other brominated oils.
Artificial Food Dyes in Snacks and Candy
Walk down any candy aisle in America and you’ll be greeted by a rainbow of unnaturally bright colors. Those eye-catching hues come from synthetic dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6. Some people, especially children, may be sensitive to these food dyes and experience allergic reactions when consuming them, with artificial food dyes also being linked to increased behavioral problems in children, especially those with ADHD, because they may cause chemical changes in the brain, inflammation, and depletion of minerals.
Although technically not banned in Europe, food dyes are heavily regulated, and foods that contain these dyes are required to carry a warning label that states the product may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children. That warning label requirement has been powerful enough that many companies reformulated their European products to avoid scaring off customers. Here’s the thing, those same companies continue selling the dye-laden versions to Americans. American companies including Kellogg’s, Kraft and McDonald’s have stopped using artificial dyes abroad while they continue to sell foods with the questionable ingredients to the U.S. market. In January 2025, the FDA banned the use of the food dye Red No. 3, which has been used in candies and cakes, due to cancer concerns. California has already banned red dye 40, yellow dyes 5 and 6, blue dyes 1 and 2, and green dye 3 from being offered in schools starting December 31, 2027.
Potassium Bromate in Bread Products
Many packaged baked goods are made with flour that may contain potassium bromate, an additive linked to cancer, which is added to flour to strengthen dough and allow it to rise higher. This dough conditioner has been a baker’s favorite since 1914 because it creates that perfectly fluffy texture and speeds up production times. Several countries ban potassium bromate, including Brazil, Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom, while California also bans it, and Utah bans it in school meals.
Potassium bromate has been linked to cancer in humans as well as gut problems, and was listed to be potentially carcinogenic to humans in 1999 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In lab tests, animals exposed to potassium bromate had increased incidences of both benign and malignant tumors in the thyroid and peritoneum, with later research finding that ingesting the additive increased cancer of the animals’ thyroid, kidneys and other organs significantly. The baking industry argues that potassium bromate converts completely into a harmless form during baking, yet testing in the United Kingdom revealed that potassium bromate remains detectable after baking, with six out of six unwrapped breads and seven out of 22 packaged breads containing measurable levels. EWG has identified over 200 products that contain potassium bromate, including Gomez flour tortillas, Hy Vee blueberry crisp and Hanover baked sourdough soft pretzels.
Titanium Dioxide as a Whitening Agent
This chemical is commonly used in many different food products across the United States such as candy, chewing gum, cottage cheese, cake icing, and soups, although it is allowed in the U.S., it has been banned in the E.U. due to some research connecting Titanium Dioxide to health effects such as lung cancer. Titanium dioxide is an odorless powder that manufacturers use primarily to make foods appear whiter or more opaque. It’s what gives certain candies their bright white coating and makes ranch dressing look extra creamy.
It is identified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as an occupational carcinogen by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, with consumption of titanium dioxide having a negative impact to the digestive tract and immune system. Europeans don’t need to fret whether titanium dioxide causes DNA damage because food companies there can’t put it in their salad dressings, but here in the United States, things are a little more complicated. You’ll find titanium dioxide in products like Sour Patch Kids, Jell-O, and even some milk products. California’s Assembly Bill No. 418 listed titanium dioxide among substances including brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben, and red dye 3 that would be banned from food sold, manufactured or distributed in the state.
BHA and BHT Preservatives in Cereals
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) are food preservatives used to prevent oils from oxidizing, with BHA known to cause cancer in rats and reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen, while both BHA and BHT have been linked to impaired blood clotting and promoted tumor growth. These chemicals extend the shelf life of processed foods by preventing fats from going rancid. That’s why they’re beloved by the cereal industry.
BHA and BHT are permitted with restrictions in the European Union, unlike in the U.S., with growing animal research showing that BHA and BHT may increase the risk of cancer. Animal studies suggest that high doses of BHA and BHT may increase the risk of several different cancers, but the data available so far isn’t strong enough to prove they’re harmful to humans at the levels typically found in food. Some companies that use BHA and BHT to improve shelf life include Kellogg’s cereals, Jiffy, Stouffer’s, and Pillsbury. Popular breakfast cereals like Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch all contain BHT to maintain freshness. Honestly, it’s hard to understand why these preservatives remain in widespread use when safer alternatives exist.
Propylparaben in Baked Goods and Tortillas
Added to products to extend their shelf life, propylparaben is linked in animals to hormone disruption, and it is prohibited as a food additive in Europe, but in the U.S., it’s a listed ingredient in bread and bakery products, including Chi-Chi’s white corn tortillas and red decorating icing from Great Value, Walmart’s generic brand. This preservative prevents mold and bacterial growth, making baked goods last longer on store shelves. The concern is that propylparaben acts as an endocrine disruptor.
Propylparaben is a chemical that is most commonly used as a preservative in foods such as trail mix, baked goods, tortillas, and sausages, and although it was banned from foods in the E.U. back in 2006, the chemical is still allowed to be used in the U.S., with research showing that exposure to the preservative could be linked to breast cancer. Propylparaben is a preservative shown to potentially disrupt fertility and endocrine function. California’s legislation listed propylparaben among substances including brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, red dye 3, and titanium dioxide, noting these chemicals have been associated with various health risks, prompting legislative action.
