This is a list of unsafe, unhealthy and/or potentially toxic ingredients in food and products that you should avoid. I adapted this list of over 150 ingredients from Whole Foods Market’s Unacceptable Ingredients for Food and Earth Fare’s Boot List. Be sure to check the Environmental Working Group’s website as well. You are also welcome to download the free pdf here.
2,4,5-trihydroxybutyrophenone (THBP)
acesulfame-potassium (acesulfame-K)
acetoin (synthetic)
acetone peroxides
acetylated esters of mono and diglycerides
activated charcoal
advantame
aluminum ammonium sulfate
aluminum potassium sulfate
aluminum starch octenylsuccinate
aluminum sulfate
ammonium alum
ammonium chloride
ammonium saccharin
ammonium sulfate
apricot kernel/extract
artificial colors
artificial fats
artificial flavors
artificial preservatives
artificial sweeteners
aspartame
azo dyes
azodicarbonamide
bacillus subtilis DE111
bacteriophage preparation
bentonite
benzoates in food
benzoic acid
benzophenone
benzoyl peroxide
benzyl alcohol
beta-cyclodextrin
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
bleached flour
bromated flour
brominated vegetable oil (BVO)
BST (bovine somatotropin)
burnt alum
butane glycol
butylparaben
caffeine, extended-release
calcium benzoate
calcium bromate
calcium disodium EDTA
calcium peroxide
calcium propionate
calcium saccharin
calcium sorbate
calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate
canthaxanthin
caprenin
caprocaprylobehenin
carmine (cochineal)
certified colors
charcoal powder
Citrus Red No. 2
cochineal
cotton seed oil
cyclamates
datem
Diacetyl tartaric and fatty acid esters (DATEM) of mono and diglycerides
dimethyl Silicone
dimethlpolysiloxane
dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (DDS)
disodium 5′-ribonucleotides
disodium calcium EDTA
disodium dihydrogen EDTA
disodium EDTA
disodium guanylate
disodium inosinate
dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate
dodecyl gallate
EDTA
Erythrosine
ethyl acrylate (synthetic)
ethyl vanillin
ethylene glycol
ethylene oxide
ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid EDTA
ethyocyquin/ethoxyquin
eugenyl methyl ether (synthetic)
FD&C colors, ALL types
foie gras (due to inhumaneness; banned in California)
formaldehyde (including formaldehyde-releasing preservatives)
fragrances (also called “parfum”)
gardenia blue
glucose-fructose syrup
GMP (disodium guanylate)
gold leaf
heptylparaben
hexa-, hecta, and hepta-esters of sucrose
high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
hjijiki
hydrogenated oil or fat (artificial trans fats)
hydrogenated starch hydrolysate
IMP (disodium inosinate)
Inosine monophosphate
insect flour
iron oxide
irradiated foods
isoglucose
kava/kava kava
lactic acid esters of monoglycerides
lactylated esters of mono- and diglycerides
lead soldered cans
ma huang
margarine
methyl silicone
methylparaben
methylene chloride
microparticularized whey protein (derived fat substitute)
monoammonium glutamate
monopotassium glutamate
monosodium glutamate (MSG)
myrcene (synthetic)
natamycin-cheese slices, crumbles, shreds (may be ok in cheese-rind wax)
neotame
nitrates/nitrites
octyl gallate
Oil, solvent extracted
olestra
Orange B
oxystearin
parabens
partially hydrogenated oil
petrolatum
plant sterols
polydextrose
polyethylene glycol, or PEG compounds
polysorbate 60
polysorbate 65
polysorbate 80
potassium alum
potassium benzoate
potassium bisulfite (may be ok in wine, mead, cider)
potassium bromate
potassium hydroxide
potassium metabisulfite (may be ok in wine, mead, cider)
potassium nitrate
potassium nitrite
potassium propionate
potassium sorbate
propane-1,2-Diol esters of fatty acids
propionates
propionic acid
propyl gallate
propylene glycol
propylene oxide
propylparaben
pulegone (synthetic)
pyridine (synthetic)
Ractopamine
rBGH
saccharin
saccharin sodium salt
salatrim (short and long chain acyl triglyceride molecule)
shark cartilage
siloxanes
smoke flavor (synthetic)
sodium acid sulfate
sodium alum
sodium aluminum phosphate
sodium aluminum sulfate
sodium benzoate
sodium bisulfite (may be ok in wine, mead, cider)
sodium cyclamate
sodium diacetate
sodium erythorbate
sodium glutamate
sodium hexametaphosphate
sodium lauryl sulfate
sodium laureth sulfate
sodium metabisulfite-food additive (may be ok in wine, mead, cider)
sodium nitrate
sodium nitrite
sodium propionate
sodium saccharin
sodium sorbate
sodium silcoaluminate
sodium stearoyl lactylate
sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
sodium sulfite (may be ok in wine, mead, cider)
sodium thiosulfate
sodium tripolyphosphate
solvent extracted oils
sorbic acid
stannous chloride
succistearin
sucralose
sucroglycerides
sucrose acetate isobutyrate
sucrose ester
sucrose polyester
sulfites (may be ok in wine, mead, cider)
sulfur dioxide (may be ok in wine, mead, cider)
TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone)
tetrasodium EDTA
thiodipropionic acid
toluene
tonka bean/extract
transfats
Transglutaminase
Vanillin (synthetic)