Common Food Additives Worth Knowing
You don't need to memorize a chemistry set. A handful of additives come up again and again — and the honest truth about most of them is more nuanced than the internet makes it sound. Here's what's actually known, so you can decide for yourself.
MSG (monosodium glutamate)
A flavor enhancer that carries the savory, ‘umami’ taste. Worth knowing: glutamate occurs naturally in tomatoes, parmesan, and mushrooms too. The FDA lists MSG as generally recognized as safe, and large reviews have not reproduced the old ‘MSG symptom complex’ in controlled testing. A small number of people do report sensitivity to large amounts on an empty stomach. Bottom line: not the villain it was made out to be. If you feel better without it, that's a fair choice — but it isn't poison.
Carrageenan
A thickener made from red seaweed, common in dairy-free milks and some deli meats. It's FDA-permitted, and human and animal studies have not shown the harms once feared. The confusion comes from a degraded form called poligeenan, which is a known carcinogen — but that form is not what's added to food. Some people with sensitive digestion prefer to avoid it, and that's reasonable. Bottom line: food-grade carrageenan is considered safe; avoiding it is a preference, not a proven danger.
Artificial colors — this is where things actually changed
The real news is here. In January 2025 the FDA revoked its authorization for Red Dye No. 3 (erythrosine), which had been linked to cancer in animals; it's being removed from food by 2027. And in 2025 the FDA announced a plan to phase out six more petroleum-based synthetic dyes — Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3 — from the U.S. food supply by the end of 2027. These add nothing but color. They're the easiest thing on this page to skip, especially for children.
Preservatives (BHA & BHT)
Antioxidant preservatives found in some packaged and processed foods. BHA is listed by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as ‘reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen’ based on animal studies, though it's still permitted in small amounts. You don't need to fear a trace — but they're easy to leave behind by choosing less-processed foods.
The honest bottom line
The best filter isn't memorizing every additive. It's leaning toward foods that don't need a label at all. And when you do buy packaged, a short ingredient list made of things you recognize is nearly the whole game.
Sources: FDA on MSG · FDA on Red No. 3. Guidance changes — when in doubt, check current FDA information.
The shorter the ingredient list, and the more of it you can actually pronounce, the less any of this matters.
When the mind needs somewhere to land
Everything in this wing points, in the end, to the same place — the breath, and the nervous system beneath it. It is why I built SOVA: a quiet companion for the moments in between.
- Today — a daily practice that aligns you before the day pulls you a dozen directions.
- Companion — a place to process any feeling, even the happy ones.
- Pages — a soft place to set your thoughts down and out of your head.
- The House — rooms of calm to step into, whenever you need one.