Buyer beware: 60% of foods purchased by Americans contain technical food additives

A new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, published by Elsevier, has determined that 60% of foods purchased by Americans contain technical food additives including coloring or flavoring agents, preservatives, and sweeteners. This represents a 10% increase since 2001. The findings also present compelling evidence that the prevalence of food additives is on the rise; manufacturers have increased the mean number of additives contained in purchased food and beverage products from 3.7 in 2001 to 4.5 in 2019.

Please refer to the detailed media release from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.