From chips and snack cakes to drink mixes and pudding, many popular foods contain additives.
But how much is actually in there per serving?
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The label usually does not tell you.
A new Consumer Reports investigation found concerning levels of certain additives and contaminants in some widely sold foods and drinks.
They’re pantry staples in many homes: chips, pudding, soft drinks, and other processed foods.
Many use additives to enhance color, sweetness, texture, or preservation.
But a Consumer Reports investigation reveals one important thing shoppers usually cannot see on the label: the amount.
“Companies in the U.S. are not required to disclose the amount of a specific additive or contaminant that’s actually in their products,” said Consumer Reports Investigative Reporter Paris Martineau.
And CR says that matters because, with some substances, the dose can make a difference, especially when people eat the same foods again and again.
Consumer Reports partnered with Yuka, a product transparency app, to test 40 popular processed foods and drinks for food additives and contaminants linked to potential health concerns at certain exposure levels.
“What we found is that one quarter of the products we tested contained concerning amounts of additives,” Martineau explained.
When contaminants were added to the mix, that rose to more than one-third of the products tested.
Consumer Reports contacted the FDA about its findings. The agency declined to comment on the specific findings of this investigation but stated that it has launched a stronger post-market review process for chemicals and additives already on the market.
CR also contacted the makers of the flagged products. Some said their products meet U.S. regulatory standards. Others said they’re working to remove certain artificial colors or titanium dioxide from some products.
For shoppers, CR recommends reading ingredient labels carefully, especially on brightly colored or highly processed foods.
And limit how often you eat the products CR flagged as concerning.
“The best thing consumers can do is kind of scrutinize the foods that they eat,” Martineau said.