by Taetske | 2:14 pm
(Last Updated On: May 5, 2023)

 

There seems to be a big difference, food-wise, between Europe and the U.S.A.

 

Additives in the food that are banned in Europe because they are considered dangerous for our health will still be sold to the American people. I wonder why the American people do not inform themselves about these health risks and put a stop to this.

When growth promoters, genetically engineered ingredients, herbicides, and plastic should not be in your food, then why do people eat it in America? I could add a couple more things to this list like sugar or sweeteners, bad fats, and strange additives, etc.

 

Hamburger

Hamburger image Rita E

 

A health crisis

When you look around, I do not think it is an exaggeration to say a health crisis is more than visible. Lots of people complain about allergies and are gluten sensitive. Over 70 years ago, one did not hear about Celiac disease. People would eat their locally baked bread made with non GMO grains, which were not sprayed heavily with pesticides, and everything was fine. In the 1950s there was a use of pesticides but since then it has increased 50 fold.

One did not eat all this man-made food either, so I think the intestines were in better shape. Our total immune system was stronger. With our lifestyle, we have over time weakened our resistance and it is no wonder when you look at what is considered food nowadays. Scientists are still trying to figure out the whys and hows, but I think the closer we eat to nature the better our health will be.

 

Soybeans

Soybeans

 

Those yummy French fries

Here is an often-cited example. McDonald’s French fries in the U.S. compared to the French fries they sell in Europe.

U.S ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor) Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Salt, Fried in a vegetable oil blend with Citric Acid and Dimenthylpolysiloxane. Are you still with me? One can hardly pronounce the words.

McDonald’s French fries look very different in other countries. Here come the ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil, (Sunflower and Rapeseed) Dextrose. Fried in non-hydrogenated vegetable oil. They add salt after cooking. Let’s face it, even if the French fries are far better than in the U.S. the food generally served in this fast-food chain should be avoided.

A good option, if you love French fries, is to make them at home with one of those new hot air fryers which use hardly any oil. The other good thing is you chose the oil you use. This makes homemade French fries a lot healthier.

There are many brands of hot air fryers on the market. I think it is a good option but most of them use nonstick material. That again is bad for your health. I did find one with a glass container so that will be my first choice.

 

 

Just a word of warning

Take utmost care what pots and pans you use for cooking. Iron is very heavy. I have inherited some good ones from my Mother and now and then use them. They are also ideal for in the oven. For normal cooking, I use stainless steel. Stainless steel is also good for in the oven, as is good quality earth ware and glass. That is it.

What is terrible for your health is to use aluminum, anything coated like Teflon and special plastics that are “microwave safe”. Don’t believe this myth, as any plastic is problematic, and a microwave oven is a big NO.

Scientific studies have proven that people who consumed milk heated in a microwave oven, documented that the subject’s blood picture had changed when looking under the microscope. Why would I want to eat food that changes my blood? I find it a scary thought.

When you buy a good quality set of stainless steel pots and pans, it will last a lifetime. My Mother bought her set in 1972 and I am using it.

 

 

The FDA and their OK’s?

In America, it is believed that when the FDA has given green light; you are safe. Are you? I have lost my faith in their decisions as over time, it has become obvious that not your health but the financial health of big companies is more important. There are so many examples of misjudgment, conscious and perhaps unconscious ones, by the FDA that would fill a book.

I will only mention one, Aspartame. If you google Aspartame, you will get a lot of information suggesting it is either unhealthy or is OK for a healthy individual to occasionally consume it. However, it is sold as a sugar substitute to those who are overweight and regular consumption of low-calorie sweeteners (including Aspartame) may increase the risk of metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes.

If you must have a sweetened drink, consuming a little, emphasis on little, sugar is OK and should be preferred above artificial sweeteners. Stevia and honey are other excellent alternatives. Do not forget, these artificial sweeteners are everywhere, especially in things labeled as diet this or that.

The FDA has stated their buddies, the big food companies, can do what they want and put chemicals and food additives in the food you eat as long as some “qualified expert” has said it is OK. That saves the FDA a lot of work and means a carte blanche to the food companies.

I thought it was the FDA’s job to take care of the health of the population. That is a wrong assumption as the sicker we are the more money flows selling harmful prescriptions. Do not be fooled, everything is related.

 

 

The GRAS List

Have you heard of this list? Here you will find all the chemicals that have been Oked for food use but the worrying thing is that most of these chemicals have not been tested long term. One simply does not know what will happen to your health after eating it for years. Let’s not forget that most of these nasty things have an accumulative effect, the more and longer you eat it the more will be present in your body.

A good example of something bad, but is on the GRAS list, are artificial trans-fats. What about the nearly 500.000 deaths per year from associated heart disease? People eat things like frozen pizza, peanut butter, packaged snack foods, vegetable shortenings. Not a good idea as all these foods contain trans-fats.

In 2015 the FDA woke up and said that partially hydrogenated oils were not good. It gave the food manufacturers a few years to find a solution and look at what is happening now. These companies have now changed to palm oil, but as you probably know it is bad for the environment, animals and our health. There you see, we do not advance at all.

Here you can watch a YouTube video and see the disaster of using palm oil.

 

 

Have a look at the 11 ingredients that are banned outside the U.S. but are still permitted within the U.S.A. I think this list is quite impressive. When you come to think of it, there is little natural substance left in these types of food. No wonder people get all these ailments.

 

1.Dough Conditioners

Potassium bromate is banned in China, India, Brazil, and Canada. Azodicarbonamide is banned in Australia and Europe.

In the U.S. they use these chemicals in loaves of bread, rolls, and “egg breads”. They classify these chemicals as possible human carcinogens. Asthma and breathing difficulties can occur when you are exposed to them. Are you eating these things?

 

2.Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)

It is banned in Japan and other countries.

In 1977 it was approved by the FDA and used in food and beverages. You will find it in some sports drinks and citrus-flavored sodas, where it is used as an emulsifier. Chemical companies originally patented this stuff as a flame retardant.

It accumulates in human tissue and breast milk and can lead to memory loss in the future. From birth defects, skin rashes, heart problems, and autoimmune disease, the list goes on. Are you by chance drinking this kind of thing?

 

3.Propylparaben

In 2006, the European Food Safety Authority banned it for food and in 2015, it was no longer allowed for cosmetic products.

You will find it in the U.S. as a preservative in tortillas, muffins, pies, sausage rolls, trail mix and quite a few more products. Propylparaben has been linked to breast cancer. It is an endocrine-disrupting chemical. It causes reproductive problems. Are you eating this?

 

4.BHA and BHT

The United Kingdom, European Union, Japan, and other countries banned these.

These are man-made antioxidants. There we have it again, men trying to improve on nature. They use it in cereals and dehydrated potato products. This is to increase the product’s shelf life. Packaged products will often include it but you better stay away from it. BHA and BHT are a possible carcinogen and endocrine disruptors. Do you have this food on your menu?

 

5.Synthetic Food Dyes

In Europe and Australia, they use more natural coloring compounds. They make Fanta with actual fruit juice. Tell me why, in America, people drink Fanta which is colored with petroleum-derived artificial dyes like red 40 and yellow 6?

These artificial dyes are used to make the foods people eat look more appetizing. They are used in candy, baked goods and sweets, mustard, salmon, and even pickles. The natural color of a lot more thing are “Improved” and you do not even know it.

Come to think of it. Up till the mid-19th-century, natural dyes were used in the U.S. Then the food manufacturers found it is cheaper to use chemicals that provided brighter colors. Do not take this information lightly, as they have linked these chemical dyes to many conditions of which tumors and hyperactivity in children are only an example. Are you eating any of this?

 

Cornfield

Cornfield image Peggy Choucoin

 

6.GMOs

Here comes a long list of countries where, since 2019, GMOs have been highly restricted or completely banned. Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Greece, India, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.

Why are they not banned in the U.S? Crops like soy, sugar beets, corn, canola, cotton, and alfalfa are mainly GMOs and you are eating it. Bayer, which fused with Monsanto and is the producer of Roundup, is fighting 13.000 people who have started individual or joint court cases. Monsanto already lost the first 3, and it is likely they (Bayer and Monsanto) will lose more resulting in Millions upon millions in fines.

When one knows that DNA of certain crops is manipulated so they become more resistant to herbicides one realizes it is not healthy to eat this. Glyphosate, which is in many herbicides, is linked to cancer and is the key ingredient of Roundup. Are these foods on your diet plan?

 

Poultry Farm

Poultry Farm image Thomas Quinn

 

7.Roxarsone

This is an arsenic-based drug and banned in the European Union but not in the U:S.

Chronic exposure can lead to a lot of nasty things like anemia, skin lesions, kidney damage, can increase the risk of getting certain cancers, and having miscarriages and birth defects. Why would one want to run this risk? It seems it is more important that chicken meat has an appetizing pink color and that it speeds up the growth of chickens. Are you still eating fried chicken?

 

8.Ractopamine

You might not believe this, but it is banned in 122 countries including Russia, mainland China, Taiwan and many countries in Europe.

Why is it banned? Reproductive and cardiovascular damage in humans, also chromosomal and behavioral changes. Isn’t that enough reason? I would think so, but the authorities in the U.S.A do not, and therefore ractopamine, which is a muscle enhancer for pigs, cows, and turkeys is still used. When you buy the meat of these animals, it is still there and you ingest it. Are you still eating meat? Perhaps now is the time to go Vegan.

 

Spraying crops

Spraying crops image No-longer-.here

 

9.Herbicides, Insecticides, Fungicides

The European Union banned 72 of the 374 active ingredients authorized for use in the U.S. This happened in 2016, but when you look at the decline of the bees, butterflies, and insects in general, it is not enough. Do you know that if all the bees have been annihilated, we as a human race will have barely 4 more years and then we too will be gone?

Crops are heavily sprayed in the U.S. to keep them free of bugs and diseases. Birds might eat insects killed by pesticide sprays and then succumb to the same fate. We eat sprayed crops and slowly but surely we will also die. What a bright future. Do you read your labels when you buy food?

 

10.Olestra or Olean

This man-made cholesterol-free fat substitute is forbidden in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Proctor and Gamble created olestra, and the FDA approved it in the 1990s. I just wonder why one needs a substitute for fat, as we now know fat is good. One has to eat good fats, like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. But there you see, men know better and want to improve on nature and the result can be dangerous.

You will find Olestra in certain potato chips and French fries. The side effects are not funny as it can cause extreme digestive problems. When you ingest a lot of it, you might create a deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, K, and you can add carotenoids to this list as well.

 

11.Synthetic Hormones

These are not used anymore in Canada, Europe, and other countries. But in the U.S. they are still being used. What are they used for? Mainly by the dairy industry to increase milk production. Cows get mastitis which is an udder infection because of being treated with rBGH, which then requires antibiotics.

All of this ends up in the milk, not a pleasant idea. If humans were to be given this, it could very well increase the risk of cancer. Why are we doing these unnatural things and the second question is are you still drinking milk?

 

Dining Table

Dining Table image V Weathers

 

Conclusion

All these man-made inventions have nothing to do with food, and should not be in the food you eat. Read the labels and if you cannot pronounce a word or know what it is, it’s better to leave it standing on the shelf. The closer you eat to nature, the healthier you will be, that is for sure. Home-cooked meals are the best and a good reason to gather the entire family around the table, just like in old times.

There is an excellent website called Center for Food Safety. You can sign up for campaigns and show you want good and healthy food for your family. After all, you are what you eat, your health will thank you in the coming years.

Another great place is bUnited where you can join the worldwide movement of conscious consumers who have decided they want to have the last word. Sadly, because of COVID-19 bUnited had to stop. I hope that in the future they will continue with their mission.

 

 

Have a look at my Recommendations page as there you will find some health-related things.

 

Source: Food Revolution Network, article August 30, 2019, by Ocean Robbins

Photo Source: Pixabay

 

Not only food can pose a health risk. The pills prescribed by your doctor can often have adverse effects on your health. You might like to read the following post.

Warning, The Threat Of The Opioid Epidemic

Comments

Happier At Home

This was a very interesting and eye-opening article on these 11 banned additives.  Living in the States, I’ve learned to appreciate Europe’s approach to banning these things!  Why is the US so far behind?  Our FDA is allowing Americans to basically poison our own selves; this is a disgrace!  I love your comparisons between the ingredients in some of our foods.  (I like your idea of an air fryer!  I love mine; use it almost daily!) 

This post is very helpful at getting the word out there.  Keep writing and informing us all.  Your research has brought up some very interesting points, and I’ll be making some switches in our home regarding what and how we eat things!  Thank you! 

Oct 07.2019 | 03:59 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Heidi,

    Thank you for visiting my website and your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    As my better half emigrated from the U.S. to Spain in August 2016 I am now more interested in what happens in the United States. I am very surprised that people let this happen. It is a clear abuse of the health of the population.

    One should stay very vigilant to try and maintain our health and that of our loved ones, not so easy nowadays. 

    Did you take a look at the wide green banner of bUnited? That is a great cause which could really turn around things if we unite our voices.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 08.2019 | 10:33 am

Rob S.

It’s amazing how we must watch what we eat as far as what goes into the foods today.
I’m always concerned about pesticides that are sprayed on the foods that are grown.
It’s amazing that products that are supposed to be good for us can actually be bad.
I do get concerned as I age because my body and it’s immune system isn’t what it was when I was younger.
Aren’t there better ways to monitor these additives and chemicals?

Oct 07.2019 | 04:00 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Rob,

    Health is the most precious thing especially when you get older. I am 69 now and in good shape. Over the years I have made quite a few lifestyle changes for the better. I even increased my bone density, that was a big surprise I can tell you.

    I firmly believe that if we speak up as a collective it will make a change. Please have a look at the wide green banner of bUnited. It is a worldwide movement. I would give it try as afterall our leaders and government have failed at keeping us healthy.

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 08.2019 | 10:38 am

FredEim88

I’m from Norway, located in Europe. This has got me to wonder also. I’m interested in health and fitness and I have watched some documentaries about GMOs and health issues that are caused directly by food. Especially MS, diabetes, heart disease, and the list goes on.

Things that are “healthy” in Europe, like chicken and red meat, are a health hazard in the States. This makes me wonder, why is that? I believe cows and chickens are the same in the US. Maybe they have another language, but still… jokes aside, they have a whole different use of  GMOs.

I think it’s all about the big companies are making money on it. Is it fair? Absolutely NOT! This is very important to get out into the public and make pressure on the government.

Oct 07.2019 | 04:09 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Fred,

    Thank you for leaving a comment on my website. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    I live in the south of Spain and have the luck to live on an organic farm where we grow quite a lot of things ourselves. I was shocked when I found out about the difference in food. The food in the U.S. one can hardly call food anymore, very sad.

    One has to stay vigilant when buying anything wrapped in plastic. I prefer to eat as close to nature as possible with a few exceptions of course.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 08.2019 | 10:52 am

jessetoikkanen

Great article, I have been researching and speaking lots about this here in Finland and yes, the EU has banned lots of harmfull ingredients but we are facing a huge food crisis here as well.

Biggest reasons are huge number of additives in our foods and very dangerous low-fat hype, fat has been basically replaced by sugar, additives and different dangerous methods like pasteurization that kills most of the good stuff in our milk products.

When we talk about grain, it’s not about GMO, its about high amounts of glyphosate used. That’s why I eat only glyphosate free grain products and real milk and cheeses. When it comes to cheeses, it should be “best after”, not “best before” as ridiculous EU decisions say.

It is also ridiculous to see how people here in Finland and all over Europe come behind overhyping of climate change and we are going to demonize healthy and organic foods like beef and chicken due to the co2 emissions. Climate change isn’t a hoax but forcing EU citizens to eat eventually more and more soybeans to avoid organic, health food, it is a hoax.

Thanks for sharing your article, seems like we are going for better decisions but on the other hand in many instances following your worst mistakes. My friend is a doctor who told his patients to avoid having to take insulin to eat fewer carbs and he got so many death threats he needed to move to Malta.

Big pharma companies want doctors to ask patients to eat lots of carbs to be sure that as many as possible will get diabetes and take insulin. In my opinion, it should be the opposite, taking insulin or other medicines should NOT be the way, it should be an exception in very few situations if nothing else helps.

Oct 07.2019 | 04:56 pm

    Taetske

    Good afternoon Jesse,

    Thank you for your long comment on my article. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    You are right in saying that also the food in Europe still has too many additives and that is why to eat as much organic as possible is the best way to health. In Europe, there is definitely still an overload on plastic wrapping which is also bad.

    I agree with you that Glyphosate is a huge problem nowadays. In old times there were weed and bug killers but not in the amounts applied today.

    The mass production of meat is a big problem. It does produce a big percentage of greenhouse gasses and the meat is not good for our health. It is much better to eat less meat and when you do it from happy animals, like bio meat.

    I am not a vegetarian but living on my green farm in the south of Spain I try to grow a lot myself and do not eat junk/fast food ever. In my life, I have been twice to a McDonald’s and found it awful. A Spanish tapas bar is way better for sure.

    I recently joined FB so I can publish my posts but I do not do Twitter. I did though have a look at you and give you thumbs up for CBD. Big Pharma is awfull. Fast food keeps the population sick so lots of medicines with awful side effects can be sold. I think it is a diabolic setup. When you look behind the scene you realize it is all orchestrated and we are puppets on a string.

    That is why I was so happy to come across bUnited at the beginning of July. Please have a look at the wide green banner, it might resonate with you.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 08.2019 | 01:04 pm

Jack

Holy cow!

This is a fascinating article that while reading I simply could not believe what my eyes were reading! I have never heard of such blatant disrespect to a countries’ peoples’ well-being.

Thankfully in Ireland, we don’t seem to have this problem much of my own diet consists of fresh food but wow, I need to look out for ingredients that I can’t spell.

Unfortunately, aspartame is still found in most diet sodas, etc.

Thank you for a great, eye-opening article.

Oct 07.2019 | 07:56 pm

    Taetske

    Good Morning Jack,

    Good that you eat such a healthy diet in Ireland, I am not doing too bad in Spain either.

    Aspartame is very dangerous. Much better have a little honey, the good type of Stevia or even plain sugar. Diet Soda or normal Soda is out as besides too much sugar or aspartame it is mostly made up of chemical things. Better have a freshly made juice or plain good water.

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 08.2019 | 11:00 am

Alblue

Thanks for sharing the banned additives in the US. It gives me some insight when consuming food in my country. Although I live outside the US, the reason you’ve provided above does make sense to me. I remember when synthetic food dyes are found within several famous food brands in my country. It caused some uproar in mass media, and people began to become aware to eat food using natural dye instead. Thanks for this knowledge

Oct 08.2019 | 03:59 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Alexander,

    Thank you for your visit and for leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    It is obvious that leaders and governments do not really care about our health. That is one of the reasons why I investigate and not immediately believe what the mainstream and doctors say. Remember the times when we were told to eat margarine instead of butter or that eggs were bad for you?

    The other thing was, do not eat salt. Nonsense, the body needs salt but you must know which salt. Especially nowadays as most salts have microplastics. One of those clever human creations. 

    Regards, Taetske

    Oct 08.2019 | 11:11 am

Bogadi

Thank you for your well-written and detailed article. I have enjoyed and learned a lot. The reality of the health risk in the Mc Donalds fries hit me. I find myself in a serious predicament because of how much my children love them.. It looks like a have no option but to get air fryer like you suggested.

Apr 03.2021 | 06:42 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Bogadi,

    Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    I have looked here in Spain to find an air fryer with glass bowl but they do not have it. I will have to order one overseas as cooking with Teflon coated pots and pans is extremely bad for your health.

    Regards,Taetske

    Apr 04.2021 | 07:06 am

Aparna

What absolutely shocking revelations! I didn’t even know that even milk has such dangerous additives. Your superb idea to make safe and enjoyable french fries at home, which would be healthy too, is pretty awesome. 

Thank you for this lovely article. You are doing a really noble task in educating people about the dangers of food additives. Humanity needs to wake up to the realities of today’s horrific unchecked commercialization.

Regards,

Aps

Apr 03.2021 | 07:23 am

    Taetske

    Good Morning Aparna,

    Modern times might have given us a lot of good things like a washing machine or a fridge but food wise it has not improved at all. Rather, the contrary and our health shows it.

    It surprised me there is such a difference in food regulations between Europe and the U.S. 

    Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.

    Regards, Taetske 

    Apr 04.2021 | 07:11 am

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