10 Food Additives I Teach Parents to Avoid: A Pediatrician’s Guide to Chemicals in Kids’ Food
Author
Dr. Nelli Gluzman, DODouble board-certified in Pediatrics & Lifestyle Medicine
Date Published
Why I Talk to Families About Food Additives
In my practice, I care for children with eczema, asthma, food sensitivities, and attention challenges — and one of the first places we look is what’s actually in their food. Not the food itself: the preservatives, dyes, flavor enhancers, and synthetic fats added to make packaged food last longer, look brighter, and taste “craveable.”
Most children eat these additives every day. For some — especially children with allergic conditions, sensitive skin, or behavioral symptoms — they are a real, identifiable trigger. Removing them costs nothing, and it’s one of the highest-leverage changes a family can make.
1. Sulfites: The Preservative That Mimics Allergies
Sulfites are chemical preservatives that inhibit bacterial growth and keep foods looking fresh and colorful. In sensitive children, they can cause allergy-like reactions: wheezing and asthma flares, hay-fever-like symptoms, eczema and dermatitis flares, hives, and — rarely — anaphylaxis. Sulfites can also disrupt the gut microbiome, where so much of a child’s immune system lives. The FDA requires sulfites to be declared on the label when present at 10 parts per million or more.
Where sulfites hide:
- Drinks: some fruit juices and soft drinks
- Processed foods: jarred sauces, potato chips, fruit toppings, pancake syrup, jams, jellies, some breads and biscuits, premade pies, supermarket pizza
- Dried fruits: apricots, apples, and shredded coconut (unless labeled unsulfured)
- Grated and shredded cheese
- Pre-prepared meats: sausages and burger patties
What to look for on the label:
- 220 — Sulfur dioxide
- 221 — Sodium sulfite
- 222 — Sodium bisulfite
- 223 — Sodium metabisulfite
- 224 — Potassium metabisulfite
- 226 — Calcium sulfite
- 227 — Calcium bisulfite
- 228 — Potassium bisulfite
When in doubt, choose products labeled “preservative-free” and “organic.”
2. MSG and Its Many Hidden Names
Monosodium glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, an amino acid found naturally in small amounts in tomatoes, cheese, green tea, kelp, and sardines. As a manufactured additive, MSG delivers an intense umami hit that makes processed food hard to stop eating.
The FDA classifies MSG as “generally recognized as safe,” but the picture is more nuanced than that label suggests. In 2017, the European Food Safety Authority re-evaluated glutamates and set a group acceptable daily intake of 30 mg/kg of body weight — and noted that some people’s actual intake exceeds that level. Human challenge studies have reported symptoms like headache, flushing, and facial pressure in a subset of people after large doses, and animal studies have raised concerns about effects on the developing nervous system and metabolism. A study of rural families in Thailand published in a BioMed Central journal linked higher MSG intake to metabolic syndrome and central weight gain.
Symptoms families report in sensitive children: headaches and migraines, stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, rashes and itching, flushing or tingling, sleep disruption, asthma flares, heart palpitations, and behavior and attention changes.
Hidden MSG on labels: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed protein, autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, ribonucleotides, “flavor enhancers,” soy extract, natural flavors, processed free glutamic acid, calcium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, magnesium glutamate, mono-ammonium glutamate, glutamic acid, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, whey protein concentrate, textured protein, vegetable protein extract, vegetable broth.
Watch also for the ribonucleotide flavor enhancers 627, 631, and 635, which are frequently added to processed foods to multiply MSG’s flavor-enhancing effect many times over.
How to avoid MSG: choose certified organic and preservative-free products, cook from scratch instead of using pre-seasoned foods, skip canned soups and instant noodle sachets, and limit processed lunch meats like bacon, ham, and salami.
3. Artificial Food Dyes: Finally Being Phased Out
Synthetic dyes — Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5 (tartrazine), Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2 (E102, E110, E124, E133) — exist purely to make processed food look appealing, and they’re disproportionately used in foods marketed to children: candy, ice pops, cereals, maraschino cherries, instant mac-and-cheese, and baked goods.
Research, including the well-known Southampton study and a 2021 California state scientific review, links synthetic dyes to hyperactivity, inattention, and restlessness in sensitive children. Regulators are finally acting: in January 2025 the FDA revoked authorization for Red No. 3 in food (it was shown decades ago to cause tumors in animal studies), with manufacturers required to reformulate — and the FDA is now urging companies to phase it out even faster. Federal and state efforts are also underway to phase out the remaining petroleum-based dyes.
4. Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite (E250)
These preservatives keep processed meat bright pink and can form nitrosamine compounds, which are linked to increased cancer risk — the World Health Organization classifies processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen. Found in: lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, ham, corned beef, cured and smoked meats and fish. Choose fresh meats or products explicitly labeled “uncured, no nitrates or nitrites added.”
5. Aspartame (E951)
This artificial sweetener hides in “diet” and “sugar-free” products: diet sodas, sugar-free gum and mints, jello, drink mixes, flavored iced teas, some cereals — and even chewable vitamins, toothpaste, and cough syrup. In 2023, the WHO’s cancer research agency classified aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans, and separate research has linked heavy artificial-sweetener intake to cardiovascular and metabolic concerns. Children’s developing brains and bodies are exactly where I apply the precautionary principle: skip it.
6. High-Fructose Corn Syrup
A highly refined sweetener strongly associated with weight gain, obesity, fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease. It hides in sweetened yogurts, packaged salad dressings, canned fruits and vegetables, breads, and cereals. I’ve written a full guide to spotting it and its 56+ cousins in Hidden Sugars in Kids’ Foods.
7. Trans Fats (Partially Hydrogenated Oils)
Heavily processed, oxidized fats that raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol. The FDA banned partially hydrogenated oils, but products containing less than 0.5 g per serving can still legally say “0 g trans fat” — so check ingredient lists on margarine, chocolate spreads, processed peanut butter, chips, crackers, baked goods, and fast food for the words “partially hydrogenated.”
8. BHA and BHT (E320, E321)
Preservatives added to fats and oils to prevent rancidity, found in chewing gum, cereals, snack foods, frozen sausages, enriched rice, shortening, and candy. BHA is listed by the U. S. National Toxicology Program as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” and in my practice I’ve seen additive-heavy diets aggravate eczema and allergic symptoms.
9. Sulfur Dioxide (E220)
The most common sulfite (see #1), worth its own callout because it’s so widespread: soft drinks, cordials, frozen seafood, sausages, dried fruits, flavored yogurts, bottled lemon juice, jams, some breads, and vinegar-containing foods like mayonnaise, pickles, and sauces. In sensitive children it’s associated with wheezing, dermatitis, hives, flushing, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
10. Potassium Bromate (E924)
An oxidizing agent used in commercial baking to help bread rise. It’s classified as possibly carcinogenic and is banned in the European Union, the U. K., Canada, and many other countries — but still permitted in most of the U. S. (California’s ban takes effect in 2027). Choose bakery or organic breads; bromate is not permitted in certified-organic products.
How to Shop Without Losing Your Mind
Read your labels, and shop the outer edge of the supermarket — produce, fresh meats and fish, eggs, and dairy live on the perimeter; most boxed, dyed, and preserved products live in the middle aisles. The EWG’s annual Shopper’s Guide (“Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen”) helps you prioritize which produce to buy organic on a real budget.
And go step by step. The Japanese term “kotsu-kotsu” means exactly that — steady, small steps, focusing on the present action rather than the distant goal. Swap one product category a week. In a few months, your pantry will be transformed without a single family food battle.
Frequently Asked Questions
The additives most often linked to symptoms in children are sulfites (asthma-like and skin reactions), artificial food dyes (hyperactivity in sensitive kids), MSG and hidden glutamates, sodium nitrite in processed meats, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame. A short ingredient list of recognizable foods is the simplest filter.
Clues include wheezing, hives, eczema flares, or hay-fever-like symptoms after eating dried fruit, juice, or processed snacks. An elimination trial — removing sulfited foods for 2–4 weeks while tracking symptoms — is often revealing. This is exactly the kind of detective work we do in a Foundation Consultation.
No — the FDA considers MSG “generally recognized as safe.” But European regulators set an intake limit in 2017 that many people exceed, and a subset of children and adults reliably react to it. For sensitive kids, avoiding it is a low-risk, potentially high-reward experiment.
Red No. 3 lost its FDA authorization in January 2025, with a reformulation deadline for food makers and pressure to move faster. Other petroleum-based dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2) remain legal federally but are being phased out by several states and, increasingly, by manufacturers voluntarily.
For some children, yes — controlled studies, including the Southampton study, show measurable increases in hyperactivity in sensitive children after consuming synthetic dyes, and a 2021 California scientific review reached the same conclusion. Not every child reacts, which is why an individualized approach matters.
Change what you buy, not what you say at the table. Swap one category a week — snacks first, then drinks, then breakfast foods — for versions with five or fewer recognizable ingredients. Kids eat what’s in the house.
Ready to find out whether food additives are driving your child’s symptoms?
If your child struggles with eczema, asthma, gut symptoms, hyperactivity, or frequent illness, the answer may be hiding on your pantry shelf. At Blossom Pediatrics, we investigate the root causes — including what’s on your child’s plate — and build a personalized plan.
With love, Dr. Gluzman
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician before making significant changes to your child’s diet.
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