Additive
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Description
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Used in:
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Purpose
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Side effects
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Algin
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A compound extracted from algae
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Puddings, milkshakes, ice cream
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Make foods creamier and thicker, extend shelf life
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None
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Aspartame
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Chemical compound made of methanol, aspartic acid and phenylalanine
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Beverages, puddings, yogurt, chewing gum, and sold as Nutrasweet, Spoonful and Equal
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Low-calorie sweetener
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Some people are allergic to aspartame. Migraine headaches a common reaction in these people
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Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
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A phenolic chemical compound
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Foods high in fats and oils such as butter; also meats, cereals, baked goods, beer, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, chewing gum
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Preservative, keeps food from going rancid; also as defoaming agent for yeast
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Inconclusive; in large doses may cause tumors in lab animals
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Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
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A phenolic chemical compound
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Cereals, shortening, foods high in fats and oils
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Preservative, keeps food from changing flavor, odor, color
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Inconclusive, in large doses may cause tumors in lab animals
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Calcium Carbonate
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Compound containing the nutrient calcium
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Some bakery products, frozen desserts, and flour
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Emulsifier, bleaching agent, dietary supplement
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No negative effects as a food additive *
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Carrageenan
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Compound extracted from Irish Moss, a type of seaweed
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Puddings, milkshakes, ice cream
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Make foods jell, stabilize foods to keep color and flavor even
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None
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Additive
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Description
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Used in:
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Purpose
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Side effects
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Citric Acid
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An acid which occurs naturally in fruits such as lemons and limes
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Canned fruit juices, cheese, margarine, salad dressings
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Flavoring and neutralizing agent (keeps food at proper acidity)
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None
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Erythorbic acid
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Acidic substance, also known as iso-ascorbic acid
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Soft drinks, juice, wine
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Preservative, maintains color and flavor
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None
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Folic Acid
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B-complex vitamin
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Breakfast cereals, enriched breads, flour, corn meal, rice, noodles, macaroni and other grain products
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Dietary supplement, helps prevent heart disease
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None
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Fumaric Acid
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Chemical produced when humans digest carbohydrates; also synthetically manufactured
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Fruit jellies and preserves
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Controls acidity/alkalinity in foods, also dietary supplement
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None
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Glycerin
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A syrupy type of alcohol derived from sugar
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Food flavorings
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Maintaining desired food consistency
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None
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Guar Gum
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Substance made from seeds of the guar plant, a legume grown in India
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Cheese, including processed cheese, ice cream, jelly and preserves, and dressings
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Stabilizer
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None
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Additive
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Description
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Used in:
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Purpose
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Side effects
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Iron
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A metal necessary in the diet
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Breakfast cereals, enriched breads
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Dietary supplement
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None as a food additive *
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Lactic Acid
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A bitter-tasting substance obtained from sour milk
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Bakery products, cheese, frozen desserts, fruit butters, jellies and preserves
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Neutralizing agent, flavoring
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None
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Lecithin
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An emulsifying agent found naturally in milk and some vegetables
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Cacao bean products such as cocoa butter and chocolate, bakery products, margarine and cheese products
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Keeps food products from separating
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None
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Methylcellulose
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A number of gummy substances, produced through reaction between cellulose and methyls
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Fruit butters, jellies
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Keeps food products from separating
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None
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Mono- and Diglycerides
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Emulsifying agents, may be derived from soybean fat
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Shortening, margarine, cacao products, bakery products
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Keeps food products from separating
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None
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Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
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A salt of the amino acid glutamic acid
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Canned vegetables, canned tuna, dressings, many frozen foods
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Flavor enhancer
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Generally recognized as safe; however, those on low-sodium diets should avoid it. Negative side effects also appear in some people when eaten in large amounts, and in some asthmatics.
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Additive
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Description
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Used in:
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Purpose
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Side effects
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Pectin
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A water-soluble substance present in various ripe fruits and vegetables
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Canned fruit, fruit butters, jellies and preserves
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Making foods jell, also to keep foods from separating
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None
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Phosphoric Acid
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A substance created by exposing phosphorous to oxygen
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Acidified skim milk, cheese
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Acidifying agent, emulsifier
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None
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Potassium Bisulfite
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Type of sulfite
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Wine, dried apples, dehydrated potatoes
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Preventing fruit discoloration, inhibiting bacterial growth in wine
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Some humans allergic to sulfites; in U.S., FDA prohibits their use on raw fruits and vegetables
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Potassium Metabisulfite
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Type of sulfite
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Wine, dried apples, dehydrated potatoes
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Preventing fruit discoloration, inhibiting bacterial growth in wine
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Some humans allergic to sulfites; in U.S., FDA prohibits their use on raw fruits and vegetables
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Potassium Nitrite
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One of a number of nitrites used with salt to prevent food from spoiling
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Cured red meat and poultry products
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Preservative
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None known
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Propionic Acid
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A type of bacteria found naturally in the production of cheese; also made synthetically
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Cheese, bread
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Mold inhibitor, preservative
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None
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Additive
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Description
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Used in:
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Purpose
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Side effects
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Saccharin
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Non-nutritive water-soluble sugar substitute
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Fruit juice drinks, carbonated beverages, canned fruits, fruit butters, jellies, preservatives, and in sugar substitutes for cooking, table use
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Sweetener
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Known to cause cancer in laboratory animals
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Sodium Aluminosilicate
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A naturally-occurring mineral
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Dried whole eggs and egg yolks, grated cheeses
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Keeps food from caking and clumping up
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None
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Sodium Benzoate
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A granular salt
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Soft drinks, packaged beverages, fruit preserves and jellies, concentrated orange juice, margarine, fast-food burgers
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Preservative
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None
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Sodium Bicarbonate
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A crystalline salt; also known as baking soda
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Baked goods, canned vegetables, cereal flours
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Leavening agent, also maintains acid balance in canned products
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Significant source of sodium; those on low-sodium diets should avoid consuming large quantities
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Sodium Bisulfite
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Type of sulfite
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Bottled lemon juice, wine, dried apples, dehydrated potatoes
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Preventing fruit discoloration, inhibiting bacterial growth in wine
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Some humans allergic to sulfites; in U.S., FDA prohibits their use on raw fruits and vegetables
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Sodium Metabisulfite
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Type of sulfite
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Wine, dried apples, dehydrated potatoes
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Preventing fruit discoloration, inhibiting bacterial growth in wine
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Some humans allergic to sulfites; in U.S., FDA prohibits their use on raw fruits and vegetables
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Additive
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Description
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Used in:
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Purpose
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Side effects
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Sodium Nitrite
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A salt, also used in the manufacture of dyes
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Smoked or cured fish, including salmon, and in meat-curing preparations
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Preservative (prevents botulism), color fixative
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Can combine with chemicals in stomach to form nitrosamine, a highly carcinogenic substance
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Sodium Sulfite
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Type of sulfite
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Wine, dried apples, dehydrated potatoes
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Preventing fruit discoloration
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Some humans allergic to sulfites; in U.S., FDA prohibits their use on raw fruits and vegetables
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Sulfur Dioxide
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Type of sulfite
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Wine, dried apples, dehydrated potatoes
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Preventing fruit discoloration, inhibiting bacterial growth in wine and on grapes
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Some humans allergic to sulfites; in U.S., FDA prohibits its use on raw fruits and vegetables
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Vitamin A (incl. beta-carotene)
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A fat-soluble vitamin. The human body converts beta-carotene into Vitamin A in the liver
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Milk and cream, margarine, cheeses and cheese products
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Dietary supplement
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None as an additive *
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Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
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Vitamin found in legumes and other sources, helps the body convert carbohydrates into energy
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Macaroni products, cereal flours
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Dietary supplement
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None
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Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
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Vitamin found in yogurt, wheat germ and other sources
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Cereal flours, bakery products
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Dietary supplement
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None
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Additive
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Description
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Used in:
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Purpose
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Side effects
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Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
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Vitamin found in abundance in liver, chicken, tuna, whole-grain cereals
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Cereal flours, enriched bread, macaroni and noodle products
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Dietary supplement
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None
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Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
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Water-soluble vitamin
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Cereal flours, jellies and preserves, canned mushrooms and artichokes
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Preservative, dietary supplement
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None
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Vitamin D
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A fat-soluble vitamin humans can produce naturally through exposure to direct sunlight
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Milk, macaroni products, cereal products
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Nutritional purposes, prevents rickets
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None as an additive *
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Yeast
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Single-celled organisms used to make wines ferment and bread rise
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Bakery products, macaroni and noodle products, enriched corn meal
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Dietary supplement, rising agent
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None
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Items marked with * indicate that individually, the substance can be toxic in large doses. However, it would be difficult to consume harmful doses of these products in foods in which they are used as additives.
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