Food Additives

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Propyl Gallate

This preservative, which can be found in soups, chewing gum, vegetable oils and meat products, has been implicated as a possible carcinogen, and CSPI recommends removing it from your diet.

Sodium Nitrite/Nitrate

Meatpackers have used these additives for years as preservatives, flavorings and to stabilize colors, especially in hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats. According to CSPI, these chemicals can lead to the formation of small amounts of cancer-causing chemicals (nitrosamines). Although companies now often add chemicals to inhibit nitrosamine formation—and eating processed meats hasn't been conclusively linked to cancer—organic and other nitrite- and nitrate-free bacon and ham are increasingly available. And pregnant women and people with weak immune systems should avoid processed meats due to the risk of listeria, a pathogen that can cause illness.

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