I assumed she was being strict because she didn’t want us to eat chocolate and marshmallows for breakfast. Instead, I got oatmeal, eggs, and cream of wheat. If she was feeling nice, I might get two spoonfuls of sugar instead of one in my warm cereal.
Considering my other meals, I don’t think it was the sugar she was concerned about. Maybe she, like many other mothers, realized that the food additives—artificial colors, stabilizers, and preservatives—simply couldn’t be the best diet for children.
Even when the additive is meant to enhance food safety (rather than just the bottom line of food makers) we are learning that there may be consequences. A new study illustrates that an antimicrobial preservative that’s been in food for decades may be harmful to the gut.
One watchdog group said the study also shows how food additives offer opportunities for companies to patent bioengineered ingredients that can be quietly added to food—sometimes without our knowledge.
