Calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, wheat gluten, ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride, dough conditioners (sodium stearoyl lactylate, datem, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, mono- and diglycerides, ethoxylated monoglycerides, monocalcium phosphate, enzymes, guar gum, calcium peroxide, soy flour), calcium propionate and sodium propionate (preservatives), soy lecithin, sesame seed. Translation: some ingredients found in bread.
Additives, like the plethora listed above, are extra preservatives, colors and flavor enhancers incorporated into food products, as defined by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
"I know about MSG [monosodium glutamate, a common flavor enhancer] and certain dyes and things," third-year College student Meredith Varela said. "But I don't know a lot about what they do to the food."
The Food and Drug Administration extensively defines the uses and safe amounts of everything from Allspice to Zoalene, which is the residue of chicken fat, livers and kidneys that is allowable as chicken and turkey feed.
In general, additives are known to have the benefits of increasing shelf life and boosting commercial appeal of the product.
"Processed foods have added salt, sugar and fat because people like those three tastes," Chemistry Prof. Gus Gerrans said.
Some additives are prohibited because of negative health effects, but organizations such as the CSPI warn that even allowed substances could have negative effects as well.
More specifically, the CSPI warns consumers to avoid: artificial sweetners such as acesulfame-K, aspartame, cyclamate and saccharin; artificial colorings such as red 3, blue 1, blue 2, green 3, yellow 6; fat substitutes such as olestra; and substances used to preserve, color and flavor such as sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. These substances, among others, are likely harmful to one's health and are poorly tested, according to the CSPI. (Visit http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm for a larger list, or the FDA Web site for a complete list.)
"Flavors and coloring matters are not bad for you because they are synthetic, or good for you because they are natural - you want to know what it is and the implications," Gerrans said. "It all becomes very scientific."
The CSPI, for example, points out that some banned additives occur 'naturally' in small doses, such as safrole, which can be found in nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and basil. When used as an additive, however, it can cause health problems like liver cancer.
"I routinely counsel students to avoid too many additives, whether it is salt, sugar or coloring agents," said Paula Ciavarella Caravati, a registered dietician with University Dining Services. "As CSPI points out, avoiding junk foods assists in reducing intake of unhealthy or questionable additives."
She also explained that Dining Services has tried to accommodate concerns about food additives, noting that students, especially those with allergies, are allowed to look at dining's storerooms of ingredients and purchased food products.
"U.Va. Dining is extremely careful in all of its purchasing as we are preparing food for thousands of people per day," Caravati said. "Recently, U.Va. Dining has made a concerted effort to include food in our menus that do not have additives - organic, local and humanely raised. We purchase an increasing percentage of our foods within these guidelines."
Some students, though, are still concerned about the use of additives in University food.
"I think U.Va. looks out for additives in the food that they claim is healthy, organic or vegetarian, but I don't think the fried meat product that we get every week in the Spanish House is all natural and free of trans-fats. They just don't serve very healthy food in general," said Varela, who lives in the Spanish House.
Organic food, as defined by the FDA, is grown with manure or compost fertilizer, without the use of insecticides or herbicides and without antibiotics or growth hormones to animals while allowing outdoor access as well as organic feed for livestock.
"The way animals are treated is a matter of concern," Gerrans said. "Some people don't want to eat animals that lived in [poor] conditions, but at the same time, organic meat and poultry are more expensive and have less taste."
Because some consumers do not look favorably upon food additives, companies and producers may be selective in how much information they disclose, he added.
"Be very critical of information and advertisements," Gerrans said. "Advertisers and large companies don't tell you lies, they just don't tell you the whole truth. If you don't know the science, it's difficult to understand what they're really saying."
Varela expressed a similar sentiment, noting that she tries to buy products that are low in fat or made from whole grain.
"I'll buy certain granola bars based on the ads but they probably aren't really that natural and still have a lot of sugar," Varela said. "I read the ingredient list on things that are more likely to be really processed but usually don't know what they're talking about."
The advertising term, "natural," has no legal definition, standards or regulations, according to the FDA, and there is no plan to establish a definition anytime soon because of limited resources and other priorities.
Gerrans said the FDA has recently considered enforcing explicit disclosure of both advertising terms and ingredients on products so that consumers can be more aware; however, "companies are resisting [reform] because it would be expensive and then they can't make the claims that they do."
In the meantime, the FDA has attempted to determine the safety of additives by conducting research before allowing additives to be ingested.
For some, though, the FDA's efforts are not enough.
"I don't have much faith in the FDA after the past few years," Varela said. "It seems like a lot of things have happened like tainted peanut butter and vegetables. Also, ingredient lists don't make any sense to most people, so it doesn't do any good to tell someone all the complicated things that are in a food if it means nothing to them."
Gerrans, however, believes that the issue is much more complicated.
"The FDA, like every government agency, is well-intentioned," he said. "The lobbying system is what creates problems because big food has a lot of money and doesn't like to reform. It's a complex system with a lot of vested interests"
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