5 Ingredients to Always Check Before Buying

Also listed as: glucose-fructose syrup, isoglucose, corn sugar

HFCS is a cheap sweetener used ubiquitously in soft drinks, bread, sauces, and snacks. Fructose is metabolised differently from glucose — it goes straight to the liver, where excess amounts can promote fat accumulation, insulin resistance, and elevated triglycerides. Unlike glucose, fructose doesn't trigger the satiety hormone leptin, meaning it won't tell your brain you're full.

Also listed as: partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, shortening, hardened fat

Industrially produced trans fats are created by forcing hydrogen into liquid vegetable oils. The resulting substance is solid at room temperature and extends shelf life — but the health impact is severe. Trans fats raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol, lower HDL ("good") cholesterol, and increase inflammation. The FDA banned them in 2018 in the US; the EU set a legal limit in 2021.

Also listed as: E250, E251, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate

Used to preserve colour and prevent botulism in cured meats (bacon, hot dogs, salami). The problem: in the stomach, nitrites react with amino acids to form nitrosamines — compounds classified as probable carcinogens by the IARC. The WHO classifies processed meat as Group 1 carcinogenic partly for this reason.

Also listed as: Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, E102, E110, E122, E124, E129, E133

Petroleum-derived dyes used to make food look more appealing. A landmark study funded by the UK FSA found a cocktail of artificial colours (combined with sodium benzoate) significantly increased hyperactivity in children. The EU mandates warning labels on foods containing these dyes; the US does not.

Also listed as: E407, carrageenan, Irish moss extract

A thickener and emulsifier extracted from red seaweed and found in dairy alternatives, infant formula, deli meats, and chocolate milk. Animal studies show it promotes intestinal inflammation; human evidence is mixed. Poligeenan — a degraded form — is a confirmed carcinogen, and researchers debate how much carrageenan degrades in the acidic human stomach.