It's not that Europeans are paranoid about food. It's that they operate on a precautionary principle: if there's credible evidence of harm, ban it until proven safe. The US takes the opposite approach — additives are generally considered safe until proven harmful. The result: a wildly different food supply with thousands of additives that are legal here and illegal there.
Here are 12 of the most common offenders you're probably eating right now.
1. Red 40 (Allura Red AC)
What it is: A petroleum-derived synthetic dye that gives food a bright red or orange-red color.
Found in: Doritos, Skittles, Gatorade, M&Ms, maraschino cherries, strawberry ice cream, fruit punch, most red-colored candies and drinks.
Why the EU acted: Studies linked Red 40 to hyperactivity in children. The EU requires warning labels on any food containing it: "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." Most manufacturers reformulated rather than add the warning. It's effectively off the market in Europe.
US status: Fully legal. No warning required. The FDA reviewed the evidence and concluded more research was needed — in 1982. It hasn't been formally reassessed since.
2. Yellow 5 (Tartrazine) & Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow)
What they are: Two more petroleum-derived synthetic dyes. Yellow 5 is bright yellow; Yellow 6 is orange-yellow.
Found in: Mountain Dew, Kraft Mac & Cheese (American version), Lemon-Lime Gatorade, most yellow-colored candies, pickles, chips, cereals, and puddings.
Why the EU acted: Same issue as Red 40 — the Southampton study linked these dyes to hyperactivity in children. The EU warning label requirement led to widespread reformulation. UK versions of Kraft Mac & Cheese use paprika and beta carotene instead. The US version still uses Yellow 5 and Yellow 6.
US status: Both fully legal and widely used.
3. BHA & BHT (Butylated Hydroxyanisole / Butylated Hydroxytoluene)
What they are: Synthetic antioxidants used as preservatives to prevent fats and oils from going rancid.
Found in: Cereal, chips, crackers, gum, frozen foods, beer, vegetable oils, butter, and cosmetics.
Why the EU acted: BHA is listed as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The EU prohibits BHA in most food applications and restricts BHT.
US status: Both are on the FDA's "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) list — a designation created in 1958 and largely unchanged since. BHT is still in many cereals marketed to children.
4. Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
What it is: A vegetable oil bonded to bromine, used as an emulsifier to keep citrus flavor evenly distributed in drinks.
Found in: Some citrus-flavored sports drinks and sodas. Pepsi and Coca-Cola removed it from most US products in 2014 under public pressure.
Why the EU acted: BVO is banned in Europe and Japan. Bromine accumulates in body fat and has been linked to neurological symptoms in high doses. The FDA finally proposed to revoke BVO's GRAS status in 2023 — decades after Europe acted.
US status: The FDA revoked approval for BVO in 2024. One of the rare cases where the US eventually caught up.
5. Potassium Bromate
What it is: A flour improver added to bread dough to make it rise higher and produce a finer texture.
Found in: Bread, rolls, burger buns, flour tortillas, and many commercially baked goods.
Why the EU acted: Classified as a possible human carcinogen by the IARC. Banned in the EU, UK, Canada, Brazil, China, Nigeria, and many other countries.
US status: Legal. The FDA asked bakers to voluntarily stop using it in 1991 but never mandated a ban. California requires a cancer warning label on bromate-containing products. Many states have no such requirement.
6. rBGH / rBST (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone)
What it is: A synthetic hormone injected into dairy cows to increase milk production by up to 15%.
Found in: Conventional milk and dairy products from treated cows unless labeled "rBGH-free."
Why the EU acted: Banned in the EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, and most developed countries. Concerns include elevated IGF-1 levels in milk (a growth factor linked to certain cancers) and documented animal welfare issues including increased mastitis rates in treated cows.
US status: Legal since 1993. The FDA approved it over objections from its own scientists. "rBGH-free" labeling exists but is not required.
7. Azodicarbonamide (ADA)
What it is: A flour bleaching and dough conditioning agent. It's also used to make yoga mats and shoe soles.
Found in: Many commercial breads, buns, and packaged baked goods. Subway faced a viral backlash in 2014 for using it and removed it shortly after.
Why the EU acted: Banned in Europe and Australia. When ADA is heated during baking, it breaks down into compounds including semicarbazide and urethane — both suspected carcinogens.
US status: Legal and still widely used in commercial baking. The FDA classifies it as safe at the levels used in food.
8. Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂)
What it is: A white pigment used to make food look brighter, whiter, and more opaque.
Found in: Chewing gum, white frosting, powdered donuts, certain candies, salad dressings, and coffee creamers.
Why the EU acted: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded in 2021 that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive. The EU banned it in 2022, citing concerns about genotoxicity — potential damage to DNA.
US status: Still approved by the FDA. No plans to review or ban.
9. Carrageenan
What it is: A thickener and stabilizer derived from red seaweed, used to improve texture in dairy and dairy alternatives.
Found in: Chocolate milk, infant formula, deli meats, yogurt, almond milk, cream, and salad dressings.
Why the EU acted: The EU banned carrageenan in infant formula in 2018, citing research suggesting it causes intestinal inflammation. Studies link carrageenan consumption to gut irritation, inflammatory bowel disease, and potentially colon cancer with long-term exposure.
US status: Still approved, including in infant formula. The FDA rejected a petition to ban it in 2016.
10. Propylparaben
What it is: A preservative used to extend shelf life by inhibiting mold and bacteria growth.
Found in: Some tortillas, muffins, and packaged pastries. Also widely used in cosmetics.
Why the EU acted: The EU banned propylparaben as a food additive in 2006 following EFSA's finding of endocrine-disrupting properties — meaning it can interfere with hormone function.
US status: Still on the GRAS list. No food-specific ban exists, though it's less common than it used to be as manufacturers have begun voluntarily removing it.
11. PFAS in Food Packaging
What they are: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — a class of "forever chemicals" used to make food packaging grease-resistant.
Found in: Fast food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, takeout containers, and some baking parchments.
Why the EU acted: The EU has been aggressively phasing out PFAS in food contact materials. PFAS don't break down, accumulate in the body and environment, and are linked to cancer, thyroid disorders, immune system disruption, and reproductive harm.
US status: The FDA phased out three types of PFAS from food packaging in 2020-2024, but thousands of PFAS variants still lack specific restrictions. Some states (California, Maine) have passed their own bans.
12. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
What it is: A sweetener derived from corn starch that's been processed to convert some glucose to fructose, making it sweeter and cheaper than sugar.
Found in: Bread, ketchup, soda, cereal, yogurt, salad dressings, candy, and thousands of other packaged foods.
Why the EU acted: The EU doesn't outright ban HFCS but imposes strict production quotas that make it economically unviable. Most European products use cane or beet sugar instead. Research links HFCS — particularly its fructose content — to fatty liver disease, obesity, and metabolic syndrome at the levels consumed in the US.
US status: The most common sweetener in the American food supply. Average American consumes 27 pounds of HFCS per year.
The Bottom Line
The US food supply is not unsafe in the sense that it will make you immediately sick. But it contains a significantly higher load of additives, preservatives, dyes, and industrial chemicals than the food supply of most developed nations — particularly European ones.
Regulatory philosophy matters. The EU bans first and asks questions later. The US approves first, and sometimes never revisits the question. As a consumer, the burden falls on you to know what's in your food.
That's exactly why we built FoodPeel.
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