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Food additives, explained in plain English.
What EFSA, the FDA, FSSAI and the WHO actually say about the ingredients on your labels — including where they disagree — and how LabelCop scores each one. New guides added every week.
Colours
Titanium dioxide (E171)Banned in the EU, permitted in the US and India, cleared by the WHO — the full story.
Red 40 / Allura Red (E129)EU warning label, US voluntary phase-out, permitted in India — why regulators split on one red dye.
Sweeteners
Aspartame (E951)The world's most argued-about sweetener — what the IARC classification actually means.
High-fructose corn syrupBanned nowhere, yet under FDA review and linked to fatty liver — what "legal" really means here.
Sucralose (E955)Permitted by the FDA, EFSA and FSSAI — but the WHO says don't use it to lose weight. Why "safe" and "recommended" differ.
Acesulfame K (E950)EFSA raised its safe limit in 2025 and everyone permits it — yet the WHO says don't rely on it. When "safe" and "good for you" split.
Preservatives
Sodium benzoate (E211)Legal everywhere — but the EU and WHO disagree fourfold on the daily limit, and one common pairing forms benzene.
Sodium nitrite (E250)Legal in bacon and ham everywhere — yet the WHO calls processed meat cancer-causing and the EU cut the limits in 2025.
Antioxidants
BHA & BHT (E320/E321)Two antioxidant cousins — one carries a cancer classification the other doesn't, and the FDA reopened both in 2026.
TBHQ (E319)"Banned in Europe" is a myth — but it's restricted everywhere, and EFSA says children can exceed the safe limit.
Flavour enhancers
MSG (E621)Cleared by the WHO, given a daily limit by the EU, warning-labelled in India — why regulators split on umami.
Natural flavoursPermitted everywhere, disclosed nowhere — one class name that can cover a mixture of unnamed substances. Why "natural" isn't the whole story.
Emulsifiers & thickeners
Carrageenan (E407)GRAS in the US, cleared by the WHO — but pulled from EU infant formula and only temporarily approved by EFSA. Why "legal" isn't the whole story.
MaltodextrinCleared by every regulator with no daily limit — yet it spikes blood sugar faster than table sugar. Why "safe" isn't the same as "good for you".
Soy lecithin (E322)The rare additive every regulator agrees on — so why does it still belong on a label check? Allergen rules, unstated sources, and the veg/non-veg gap.
Oils & fats
Other
Coming next: xanthan gum · erythritol · stevia · class II preservatives — one new guide every weekday.
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