How Safe Are Food Preservatives, Really?

[@whisperpone]

just remember that food preservation has been THE goal of agriculture for literally thousands of years, and progress in this department is well appreciated and very beneficial globally

[@TylerDollarhide]

But yet as soon as we try to speed up the selective breeding process by just directly changing the DNA ourselves, it's labeled as an evil gmo.

[@nathanlevesque7812]

it was literally the first step of building civilization

[@Ludvig11]

Either possibly unhealthy preservatives OR confirmed unhealthy and dangerous mold, bacteria, viruses.

[@endhel_]

Yes; However i think the conversation regarding this matter is due to the fact that, at some point, it became the food industry's job to decide which preservatives are good and which ones are bad. These conglomerates won't stop to think twice before using something if they find out it works, and then we end up being guinea pigs for their trial-and-error modeled business. I'm not antagonizing preservatives, just something to keep an eye on

[@MaxOakland]

People are concerned that these preservatives cause cancer and other issues

[@WTFBigboss11]

As a food engineer I love this video. It's not a black and white topic but different shades of grey and you have to look at every individual food additive and not throw them into the same bucket and call it a day. Many people think food additives is what makes them sick. But they should be on your lower priority list when it comes to eathing healthy. Your lifestyle and eating habbits matter more than any currently used food additive ever could. However, checking for food additives on the ingredients list is usually a very good indicator how processed the food you eat is. And that's the issue: They are often oversalted and oversugared, contain only white flour and processed fat that are simply empty calories that contain little to no vitamins, minerals or other micronutrients. This is the main reason why you should only eat those in moderation, not because of the food additives.

[@Eldergenz]

Well said!

[@nathanlevesque7812]

vinegar tho

[@WTFBigboss11]

@@nathanlevesque7812 Wrong comment?

[@theocruse972]

I’m working on a bachelors in nutritional sciences and I could not have said it better!

[@alexisflory6496]

Exactly. Some preservatives can cause issues, but when eaten in moderation they are fine. And if you’re eating them with calorie and vitamin counts in mind you aren’t reaching that threshold anyways

[@omegahaxors9-11]

Reminds me of a certain influencer product claiming to be healthier by forgoing preservatives, and then almost immediately ran into food safety recalls.

[@jonathanluk7]

Damn that sounds horrible, the person who did that must've been a poor (paul) beast on its prime!!

[@Irondragon1945]

i was gonna mention the pink sauce disaster, but that was just a "does milk really need refrigeration" issue

[@nathanlevesque7812]

ppl really don't know what they're mad about half the time 'boo sugar, my cells don't need ATP'

[@pssurvivor]

i bought a jar of jam a few months ago, not realizing it was "100% preservatives free". Guess what it went moldy in a week!! it was horrific

[@AMan-xz7tx]

@@nathanlevesque7812 while carbs might be the better way to get your sugar intake, I see your point that sugar won't kill you so completely avoiding it is just nonsense. Still, too much of a good thing and all that

[@IchorX]

As a mangrove rivulus fish that drinks bottles of vegetable oil every day this video was really concerning...

[@hueypautonoman]

No one has replied to your comment because they can't talk to fish, but I'm Aquaman.

[@IchorX]

@@hueypautonoman Wish you’d been around when Bubbles needed you.

[@rosemaryirwin3305]

@@IchorX 😆

[@ctfddftba]

For a two person household, the preservatives in food are the only thing that allows us to eat the whole loaf of bread. Food packaging sizes are so large that unless we eat the same thing for every meal for three days straight we can’t get through anything without preservatives without a chunk going moldy.

[@dziooooo]

Basic rustic bread with no preservatives freezes very well. I literally have a loaf of bread in the oven RIGHT NOW (20 more minutes to go). As soon as it cools, I'll put half of it in the freezer. I'd never eat the whole loaf all by myself before it dried out, and bread making is too labor intensive to make smaller portions.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

@ctfddftba half loaves are a thing that is indeed available, it's not entirely neccesary. However, you do what works for your household. I just wanted to say that because there's an entire brand I can purchase that sells strictly half loaves, at one of the grocery stores in my area. It's not a house brand, it's one that comes through their suppliers. I can't recall the name off hand. But they make decent bread. I've never bothered to check that particular brand for preservatives, as it's not my normal brand, we mostly use their sourdough for grilled cheese 🤣 Enjoy your bread, in my house it doesn't last long enough for preservatives to be needed. So most of our bread doesn't have it and comes from a local baker that I've known for about a decade. I'm quite fortunate in that respect. I definitely understand that.

[@dziooooo]

@goosenotmaverick1156 oh I totally switched to homemade bread during the pandemic. I work from home anyway, so I can babysit a rising dough for several hours, and no local bakeries offer anything nearly as good as the very basic fresh bread that comes out of my oven. Plus, it's 3-4 times cheaper. Here in Poland we don't really do "brands" when it comes to bread. There are some chain bakeries, and mass production bakeries selling to grocery stores, but even those have usually only regional reach. And we don't really eat white toast bread which keeps longer "raw" - that's for toasting specifically.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

@dziooooo I've been working toward homemade bread. But I'm a cook, and definitely not a baker. I cook by feel, smell and sight too much and that doesn't translate well. I can mess up some cookies, and have a number of times 🤣 I can make a box cake, but now I avoid those for reasons. So I wish, but I can't bake to save my life lol We don't do white bread in our house unless it's a sourdough for grilled cheese.

[@dziooooo]

@goosenotmaverick1156 Oh yes, cooking is ✨vibes✨, but bread is actual science. My bread recipe is from YT actually - from Brian Lagerstrom's channel. Never failed me, I just had to adjust the water content a tiny bit (Polish flour is different from American flour, 20ml less water needed) through trial and error. It makes a delicious, crusty, rustic bread. Fantastic for sandwiches, freezes well, and if I have any dried up leftovers, I make croutons.

[@Jimera0]

One thing that really gets me about how people perceive food preservatives is how they think they're these harsh, artificial chemicals, when in fact most of them (not all but most) are extremely simple chemicals we've been using for thousands of years. People assume that every ingredient listed with a sciencey-sounding chemical name is some synthetic abomination against nature when a lot of them are actually naturally occurring lol.

[@1gorSouz4]

well, better be safe than sorry...

[@zane4682]

@@1gorSouz4 Yep, that's why I don't eat.

[@totokekedile]

"every ingredient listed with a sciencey-sounding chemical name is some synthetic abomination against nature" Did you know there's deoxyribonucleic acid in our food?! Sounds scary, who wants to eat acid??

[@AMan-xz7tx]

Like how MSG is an intermediate part of how natural proteins break down, but because "MSG bad because bad thing happened" you can't actually buy it in regular stores anymore (despite the fact that the "bad thing" was a result of unfiltered water killing people and not the MSG they put in it)

[@globurim]

Imagine telling people you put sodium chloride in your cooking and you get called for being unhealthy lol.

[@taxdragon]

I was pleased that the possible effects of preservatives on the gut biome was mentioned. I hope there is some research being done on this.

[@TimmMix]

I think we all know that natural unprocessed foods are top tier without knowing all that although it would be interesting

[@cRazYhYPerPenGuin]

this is one of my favorite scishow videos ever purely bc of how much it’s shifting my perspective on things i’ve seen or known for years

[@teletubbiestunetwister9570]

Stephan is the very best host of this show. Everyone is good and has their own style but Stephan is outstanding. He's casual but not jokey or sarcastic. He has excellent diction and the tone of his voice is very pleasant. If I ever had the need for a host for a business I owned, I'd pay top dollar for him. Well done, Stephan.

[@Gayoinion]

If you want to live in a modernized world where you can get your food any time of the year and shipped across the ocean you’re gonna need preservatives

[@akpsyche1299]

Yeah, whatever minimal risks are associated with preservatives, they're not as severe as the risk of your food going bad.

[@Sizukun1]

And if you don't want to live in a modern world where your food comes from the other side of the planet with poison in it, too bad.

[@PFirefly06]

Alternatively, eat local, fresh, in season whole foods. You can live and eat without unnatural/synthetic preservatives

[@akpsyche1299]

@@PFirefly06 on a college student's budget? That also doesn't answer the bread problem. Sure, you can survive eating bread that goes stale within a day or two, but that's neither economical nor enjoyable.

[@gazorpazorp9798]

Not so sure that is true.

[@zatar123]

24 hotdogs over what time scale? A day ? A week? A month ? A year? A lifetime?

[@MrBrock314]

I was curious about this - "Approximately 60% to 70% of an ingested nitrate dose is excreted in urine within the first 24 hours" "Half-lives of parent nitrate compounds are usually less than 1 hour; half-lives of metabolites range from 1 hour to 8 hours" [Walker 1996; EPA 1990b]. www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/nitrate-nitrite/biologic_fate.html#:~:text=Approximately%2060%25%20to%2070%25%20of,is%20reabsorbed%20%5BDoel%20et%20al. So, generally, day is approximately the right level although in some cases, it might be meal.

[@logicalmoose9143]

Per day. From EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food "safe level for nitrites was re-established at 0.07 mg/kg bw/day"

[@deleted_handle]

seconds

[@Xi-op7gg]

The “average” American adult is not 60 kg…

[@55DeWitt]

​@Xi-op7gg for you Americans 60 kg is 130 pounds. That is about the weight of a teen or young adult. His statement was completely true.

[@Lisa-fj1jc]

Always glad to see some pushback on the preservative panic. It's worth remembering, though, that we do have convincing evidence that highly processed meats and other junk foods are not as healthy. A hot dog won't kill you but it's not a great idea to eat them every single day. But that's getting into a lot of other complex factors that affect nutrition that are admittedly not very well understood yet. Eat yer veggies! Especially frozen veggies! I think the freezer is an underrated preservative. :p

[@jenniferburns2530]

Unless you eat only fresh, whole foods produced locally in season, you will end up eating some preservatives. Most of us don't have the time and money to eat that way, so the best thing we can do is be aware of what is in the food we eat and make the best choices we can with the resources at our disposal.

[@dziooooo]

@@jenniferburns2530 I'd just like to point out that this is not universal, this is a very American experience. In my part of the world (Eastern Europe) we usually shop locally, we usually don't buy food in bulk (grocery store within 5min walk so no need to stock up + small houses/apartments so no space for bulk storage), so a lot of food is eaten fresh, soon after purchase.

[@lexmortis5722]

Its also important to note that shelf food comes from companies, which cannot be held responsible thanks to the "common sense consumption act" for the customer getting sick by exposure over a long time frame, if the customer can see whats in the product. "This is suprise tool that will help us later."

[@dziooooo]

@@BuildinWings Well, that's not what I'm hearing from friends and relatives living in north and west Africa, or former Soviet republics in central Asia... Sure, they have highly processed food, but most daily staple foods are either locally sourced and fresh, or made with "traditional" preservation methods (pickled, salted, smoked, etc). And from what I'm seeing on social media at least, east/south-east Asia seems to be a mix of highly processed food (like Japanese 7/11 snacks or Indonesian instant noodles) with a whole lot of fresh local veggies, baked goods and sea food.

[@the_newt_nest]

​@@dziooooo yeah, but you guys also eat a fair amount of processed food anyway. Preserved/canned meats and pate, pickles, etc. Even if you make preserved foods on your own, you're still using preservatives. Which I mean, everyone around the world has been doing forever. Especially in colder countries.

[@OhMyGoshItsALeg]

@@dziooooo That's great, American cities could learn a lesson about planning neighborhoods to have local groceries close enough to dense population that anyone can make a grocery store trip or get a cheap delivery service as needed. Unfortunately America loves its suburban and exurban sprawl and 'walkable cities/fifteen-minute cities' is used as a dogwhistle by rightist types trying to moralize their corporate donors' demands. It's hard to plan for this kind of lifestyle living on a low wage.

[@YoungMule]

There’s so much empty fearmongering about this topic, thanks for giving us some actionable advice and peace of mind

[@Helicondrummer]

fearmongering like how high American cancer rates are? Maybe it pays to be a bit vigilant about what you eat.

[@aaaaaaaaaaaa9023]

@@Helicondrummer I blame that more on processed sugars, seed oils, air pollution, and a culture of sunbathing.

[@SA-pi3zm]

@@Helicondrummermost of that is related to cured meats, not preservatives. Theres also a billion other reasons why Americans get cancer, mainly the cancerous pesticides that are allowed by the conservative demons here. It is most definitely not the preservatives, i am a biochemist tgat can validate all of this for you

[@Helicondrummer]

@@aaaaaaaaaaaa9023 Generally our air is cleaner than a lot of countries and our population seems to me to have a problem with not getting enough sun. Brazil is one of the countries that has lower cancer rates and I'm sure they spend much more time in natural sunlight.

[@cassieoz1702]

The problems with the research is 1) the initial assumption that everything is safe until proven otherwise, 2) the research,is done in single chemicals at a time and we consume a huge range of these things on any one day and 3) the animal models assume that short term, high dose exposure replicates the risk profile of using small doses (of multiple agents) over many, many years. I'm disappointed at the very superficial coverage of this. Not great SciShow

[@Mew2Man]

Love this video going into how food preservatives aren't actually so scary, and how a lot are just normal stuff. Though, as someone with sulfite intolerance (*actual* sulfite intolerance, not red wine headache), that that was given more than a name drop, but the history and research behind sulfites is so complicated because of the misconception caused from red wine headache that that almost deserves its own video. Though I know it's considered safe for just about anyone who isn't intolerant, it's hard trying to decipher whether any additional effects have been found (thing like nitrosomes for nitrates and nitrites) through all the mess that isn't myth or company "research" to keep it off food labels. The myths are still so rampant about red wine headache though, that my health care provider literally can only select "red wine complex" as an option on my record- even though I don't get red wine headache!

[@Alex-js5lg]

Probably safer than botulism.

[@GoBlueGirl78]

You tell me this after I’ve injected it into my face?!

[@IrvingIV]

Technically correct, the best kind of correct.

[@mumenRhyder]

​@IrvingIV i understood that reference

[@jerrywood4508]

But, wait... isn't botulism organic?

[@IrvingIV]

@@jerrywood4508 Indeed, preservatives -> prevent the bacteria -> which produce the toxin -> which causes botulism from growing

[@simonsaysism]

A lot of the science and advice here can also apply to personal care items / cosmetics. People have gotten really concerned about the "chemicals" in their skincare lately, and deceptive marketing practices push people toward options that are sold as "clean" or "natural." To be clear, these are not regulated terms, and they don't necessarily mean the product is any better for you - poison ivy is natural, after all. One of the casualties of this trend is parabens, which in the context of personal care items, are just a very safe and effective preservative that's been in use for decades. But people started fearmongering and misrepresenting it, and now brands are rushing to phase it out of their products. In its place they're using other preservatives that are less effective, more irritating, and have less safety data behind them.

[@PaintbrushHero]

Like my grandpappy once said "it can't kill them if it can't kill you, and I'll be damned if I let them little bugs get me before I get them." That's why my family seasons their preservatives with food when we eat.

[@nathanlevesque7812]

seasoned? like salt and vinegar or something?

[@zane4682]

Ha, I had to re-read that a couple times

[@SovietReunionYT]

​@@nathanlevesque7812 I read as an exaggeration joke - they're eating mainly preservatives with a little bit of food sprinkled in.

[@macsnafu]

One of my favorite jokes is in the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again, where Bond is telling Moneypenny that his new mission is to "eliminate all free radicals". Good, rational video. There are risks to using some additives and preservatives, but for the most part, those risks are not all that great. Don't be unnecessarily hysterical--the FDA isn't out to kill you.

[@mrlee5004]

Not according to RFK Jr. 😅

[@PjotrV1971]

The moment I heard the words "free radicals", that exact scene popped into my head! 😛 "Do be careful James.."

[@justalonesoul5825]

"the FDA isn't out to kill you." Lol, such an incredibly weak argument. Ofc they're not there to directly kill anyone, nice one Sherlock. FDA is just composed of many members of huge corporations who have absolutely no interest in your safety or health. Ever heard of revolving doors? Ever heard of when they would find acceptable that people get pulverized with DDT? The list goes on.

[@JR-ii6hq]

Knowledge is key. Too much of a good thing, is a bad thing. Thank you for actively citing in the video!

[@_maxgray]

Focusing on the name used instead of the actual effects of a "chemical" is why you see celery powder in so many products now. Manufacturers figured out people didn't like seeing nitrates listed, so now they put celery powder (a natural source of nitrate) in instead - still contains nitrates, but now it sounds better!

[@Aeturnalis]

We just want you to know that we REALLY, genuinely appreciate not sticking a Brilliant ad right in the middle of the episode. Well done, friends, you've earned a thumbs up.

[@Helicondrummer]

This entire video was and ad for eating processed foods

[@OhMyGoshItsALeg]

@@Helicondrummer Science communication is advertising for understanding science, yes.

[@MrBrock314]

@@Helicondrummer No, it was a clarification that food preservatives are not a significant danger to your health unless you eat a LOT of them. In which case, you were already not concerned about your health as the calories, sodium, sugar and other problems would far outweigh them.

[@Helicondrummer]

@@OhMyGoshItsALeg how about understanding how science if funded and by who

[@Helicondrummer]

@@MrBrock314 and exactly what human studies were performed to clarify that? It's funny that many of these ingredients are banned in other countries yet by most health metrics including cancer rates our country does much worse. Is that date also insignificant?

[@jillionjangles4177]

Lemme just say that for molds, if the food is very firm like a block of Parmesan or something, it’s relatively safe to cut the moldy bit plus a few centimeters off and eat the rest cuz it’s harder for the mold to penetrate harder foods

[@rumpolstilscin]

I understand that it is the highly processed foods we need most to be concerned with, not the preservatives in them.

[@1TakoyakiStore]

The thing that blows me away is that there's a freeze dried line of chicken dishes that can be found in modern US MRE's meant for cold weather. They're rated for a 30 year shelf life which is just unheard of, even among military rations.

[@joshbrucks]

Hard cheese you definitely can just cut 1 inch from any visible mold and be fine. Anything else ya its not salvageable

[@sekedad4819]

Don’t have the throw out the whole container of berries. Just the ones moldy and touching moldy ones.

[@Eldergenz]

To those hating on preservatives: It's important to remember that without food preservatives and processing methods, affordable, nutritious, unspoiled, and safe foods would not be accessible to most people. Food preservation is a historic practice, and modern science has brought us leaps and bounds further along the road to improve said practice. Spoilage, waste, and risk of food borne illness are reduced by use of preservatives, period. Quality, availability, affordability, safety, variety, and nutritional access are improved. It's incredibly ignorant and irresponsible to minimize the real risk of food borne illnesses like salmonella, e.coli, TB, botulism, listeria, etc. that have been largely eliminated in developed nations due to progress in food science and processing techniques. We are very privileged to not have to worry about those on a daily basis. And it's also incredibly ignorant to minimize the positive impact food science (including the development and use of preservatives) has on other factors such as sustainability, affordability, nutritional stability, access, quality, and variety we enjoy in our current food systems. A productive discussion on policy and risk assessment can only be had when everyone in the room has a basic understanding of what we are even talking about- and listening to the very practically communicated knowledge in this video is a starting point. TLDR; stop fear mongering, and get some perspective. Scientists are trying to help you not die of TB or other horrible diseases.

[@kamcorder3585]

Of all languages you could speak, you spoke the truth

[@geeksdo1tbetter]

TB is food borne? /g

[@Eldergenz]

@ Yes, in dairy! Someone in my family grew up on a farm and has lived with latent TB her whole life. She's lucky it's only latent, TB is nasty. In dairy pasteurization, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Coxiella burnetii are the targeted organisms. We target those because they are more resistant to heat, and if we target killing those we know we got everything else that would be a human pathogen. There's a ton of really nasty stuff in terms of microbes that can show up in raw ingredients, be it vegetables, dairy, meat, etc. Clostridium botulinum (botulism) is commonly found in soil and water- link below for more. It's the target microorganism in low acid canning. I'm having issues adding links to this for some reason- but if you google 'target organisms in the pasteurized milk ordinance', 'tuberculosis', and 'botulism' the wiki and NIH sources are a great start. :)

[@alexisflory6496]

Also the preservatives companies are ALLOWED to use are heavily regulated for safety and quantity.

[@Eldergenz]

@@geeksdo1tbetter Yes, in dairy! Someone in my family grew up on a farm and has lived with latent TB her whole life. She's lucky it's only latent, TB is nasty. In dairy pasteurization, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Coxiella burnetii are the targeted organisms. We target those because they are more resistant to heat, and if we target killing those we know we got everything else that would be a human pathogen. There's a ton of really nasty stuff in terms of microbes that can show up in raw ingredients, be it vegetables, dairy, meat, etc. Clostridium botulinum (botulism) is commonly found in soil and water- link below for more. It's the target microorganism in low acid canning. I'm having issues adding links to this for some reason- but if you google 'target organisms in the pasteurized milk ordinance', 'tuberculosis', and 'botulism' the wiki and NIH sources are a great start. :)

[@rosemaryirwin3305]

This was such a relief to watch! This video gives me some basic understanding of how to read ingredient labels and feel good about some kinds of additives. I will also be more generous with adding food which looks fresh but might have touched something spoiled to my compost.

[@aliengeo]

If I tell you a food contains benzaldehyde, linalool, and 2-methylbutyl acetate, many people would be concerned about the presence of chemicals. But a food scientist might realize this is a trick and ask if I've made a pie or a fruit salad, because that could be some combination of almonds, blueberries, cinnamon, cherries, apples, pears... But "almonds, cinnamon, and apples" isn't scary, even though, literally, that list describes far more chemicals than the first one. We conceptualize combinations of chemicals found in nature, shorthands we say often and recognize, as somehow different from those chemicals isolated. Like, that lycopene Stefan mentioned tomatoes contain? Chemical. But that's a nutrient, so it doesn't feel the same emotionally. It's definitely worth investigating if a chemical is food safe, and which quantities are food safe, for sure. But literally everything you consume is chemicals. Sodium chloride, dihydrogen monoxide, disaccharides... much of which your body will convert to other chemicals like adenosine triphosphate, without which you would cease to be.

[@DrSpooglemon]

That's just a smartass way of avoiding the question.

[@Serenity_Dee]

5:24 well there go my weekend plans

[@limalicious]

I'm severely allergic to EDTA salts, which preserve color. They're used in some foods, but they're also used in a lot of skin care products, so I found out one July 4th when I coated myself in sunscreen. =/ My skin all peeled off, it was a super dangerous reaction. I also get migraines from excess amounts of nitrates and nitrites.

[@liseturner1019]

Funnily enough, my pet rat was on my lap as I watched this. Not sure if she was watching, though.

[@zane4682]

She was taking notes and wondering what's in that food you give her!

[@eduardoeugenio8888]

thanks for acknowledging my pet hamster watching with me. He was about to be offended. He gave you guys a like though :)

[@JesseFeld]

Aren't there some preservatives and colourants which are allowed in some countries and not others? Are these because of safety risks?

[@laser8389]

Perceived safety risk. Remember, those who make laws in any country are not necessarily experts on the areas they’re trying to legislate. If enough of them fall for scare tactics, they’ll pass unnecessary safety laws. And on the flip side, if enough of them think something is safe (I don’t know what the opposite of a scare tactic is), they won’t regulate it.

[@RickJaeger]

Also, in general the EU is a lot more likely to ban stuff on less evidence. I'm not saying they're wrong, but I am saying that comparing their decisions to the FDA for the mere sake of bashing the FDA is not good faith.

[@MrBrock314]

The level of evidence that each country/area based their analysis on is different. The EU sometimes bans food items that haven't been tested in humans at all or not in a properly large and well-controlled experiment. They're more likely than North America to ban something based on a rat test for example. The theory being "better safe than sorry". North America tends to rule out things once they're actually proven to be dangerous in humans in a good study.

[@MarianneKat]

Some are the same but named differently. USA bans I believe 10 that are used in European countries, and European countries ban 8 than USA allows.

[@Eldergenz]

It's more complex than just safety risks, it's fairly political a lot of the time. The EU follows the precautionary principle for food additives. There are many historical and political reasons why these counties employ the precautionary principle when it comes to policies surrounding food and drugs. Prohibiting the use of certain chemical preservatives is a very diplomatic way of limiting import of foods from elsewhere in the world including North America and Asia, where production cost is often much lower. This protects domestic manufacturers. Similar things happen elsewhere in the world, for example through tariffs or taxes. It's a complex topic and the use of the precautionary principle in places like the EU does NOT mean food preservatives are unsafe. In fact, food preservatives are used in places where the precautionary principle is in place, and there are also ingredients banned in the US that are permissible for use in food in the EU- one simple example is silver dagrees. A limiting factor of the precautionary principle is that it discourages research and development. However, that's more of a philosophical debate, and less of a reflection of food chemistry. Food law general principles - European Commission en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragée#:~:text=In%20most%20countries%2C%20including%20the,coloring%2C%20coating%2C%20or%20additive.

[@cheydinal5401]

Ok, tell people to relax, but why then did Europe (where I live) ban like 80% of this stuff and in European fast and preserved food there's like 20% the number of ingredients in it? Europe seems to just use the natural preservatives (that are in many cases also mass-produced but it's the same chemicals) and is doing just fine, but I guess the food may need a bit more of that though and it's thus more expensive so the American corporations don't want to deal with that The body is way too complicated to the point where you can't just mix together random chemicals, run a number of distinct tests, and be like "See? It's 100% safe and doesn't marginally affect you at all!". Because when you have 20 random chemicals mixed into your food, you need to check not just whether one on its own is going to kill you within a year (I think we would have figured that out anyway by now), but whether *the sum* of *all of them taken together* is sort of bad in subtle ways that are much harder to detect If you've ever eaten a lot of tuna over a few days, you'll know that even the naturally occuring mercury in that fish *will* affect you mentally in some subtle ways. This isn't against "The chemicals!", this is about making sure not to eat unhealthy stuff just because "studies show it doesn't kill you! So it's safe!". I don't care if it kills me I care if it subtly worsens physical mental health, because if you take 20 of those things together yeah it probably does

[@MaxOakland]

Europe bans chemicals if there isn’t evidence it’s safe. USA only bans chemicals if there’s tons of evidence it’s unsafe. USA treats its citizens like guinea pigs

[@Jennifer-on8ln]

Yes thank you, was looking for this comment. I was a bit disappointed that this wasn’t mentioned in this video

[@eingyi2500]

Most of the same preservatives used in the US aren't banned in the EU at all.

[@jimbophobe]

came here for this

[@AssumedPseudonym]

4:55 - Nah. I may be called Mouse, but it’s just a nickname. …Happy to watch anyway, though! ^.^

[@sekedad4819]

I believe the recommendation by Mayo Clinic and USDA among others re: moldy berries is to throw out the moldy ones and any in direct contact, then you’re good, as long as the rest aren’t overly mushy.

[@Oler-yx7xj]

And then there is my rice that got pre-eaten by insects before I even bought it

[@syd.a.m]

11:12 "Like, I don't think I've ever eaten 24 hotdogs." Um...

[@tealkerberus748]

If you’ve ever home-dried your own beef jerky or apricot halves, you’ll know those humectants are there for economic reasons. A properly dry apricot half is like a little scrap of leather - brown, hard, and very light. You hold it in your mouth for several minutes as the flavour explodes. This is the opposite of what manufacturers want - they sell by weight, and water is heavy so they want to keep as much water in the finished product as possible, and also they want a product you will put in your mouth, chew, swallow, and get another one, not something you’ll just hold in your mouth for the next several minutes. They’re in the business of selling product! Humectants and preservatives make semi-dried food store like traditional dried food, but keep it heavy, moist, and softly chewable.

[@arrakaarkana6281]

6:48 it depends on the type of cheese and type of mold, but a solid block of wet cheese (such as cheddar or provolone or the like, not necessarily 'suspended in whey' like mozzarella often is) is often dense enough that mold will sprout before getting particularly deep. You can often be safe by removing everything within two to three inches of the moldy patches. If it's covered or on multiple sides of the cheese, though, just get rid of it.

[@JustAnInnocentLamb]

BHT is allowed in a lot higher quantities here in the US

[@darcieclements4880]

It's basically vitamin e.

[@MrBrock314]

@@darcieclements4880 It's in a related family but it's not vitamin e. That's like suggesting H2O2 is almost water.

[@oliviariggio7257]

24 hotdogs in what time period, though?! I've definitely had more than 24 hotdogs in my life!! LOL

[@Crouchdown]

I thought the same thing

[@Jonathan-ug9yu]

I went whole food produce vegan for two years (veg leaning Omni atm). I have never been healthier. So much energy, and my body transformed. I'm a muffin top again and don't think I'd be that strict again, but getting rid of the preservatives changed me, and it was quick over about five months

[@pretty7545]

These comments are mind-blowing. They say equality feels like oppression to those accustomed to privilege. Likewise reasonable discussions of food safety seem to feel like threats to those trained from a young age into our broken food system.

[@vwalker9264]

My one caveat on the "everything is made of chemicals" as an it's-all-good point is that it's important to know the _source_ an ingredient is derived from. As someone from a family with multiple food allergies, including corn (the main source of or used in the processing for many of the preseratives mentioned in the video - try finding a widely-sold bread product without asorbic acid; I'd love to know bc my family's list is very very very very short), it can make a big difference, and the "chemical-y" names are some of the hardest to remember when it comes to determining if a food is safe or not since they're not part of most day-to-day conversations. and it is not fun standing in the grocery aisles looking things up or calling my mom to double check that such-and-such chemical name thing was one of the okay ones, right? not going to poison my siblings? Also, if you genuinely think you have a poor reaction to any of these it's not a bad idea to go for an allergy test. Might help save you from some avoidable aches, rashes, and amorphous yet oddly persistent anxiety ("feelings of dread" being a common allergic reaction)

[@gillifish]

Sci-show!! I would love a video on the history and formulation of folic acid! I’m one of the rare and only weirdos I’ve ever met who is allergic/severely intolerant to folic acid. (Also I don’t believe in intolerance, it is a reaction via the allergy leg of the immune system or another portion of the immune system, whoever says it’s not allergies makes me laugh) But it’s a fascinating rabbit hole. A large portion of the population can’t process folic acid and doesn’t even know it! Super cool stuff. (I am NOT reactive to folate, but folic acid does theoretically naturally occur in small amounts in certain foods.)

[@roman9563]

Thank you for this informative video.

[@deborahbloom4624]

While it's true that we don't eat the same amount in a year that is often given to test subjects, however, we consume these chemicals over DECADES - giving these chemicals time to build up to toxic levels in our bodies.

[@jameshillier7177]

Sure, if they bioaccumulate, most will just get peed out after a few hours

[@originalscontent9259]

That’s oftentimes, not how it works. They do not accumulate unless you are eating such a large amount (which the average person isn’t anywhere near) to the point where your body cannot process it out. You naturally just process this stuff and it exits via peeing or in your stool. So you really do not need to worry.

[@julianschwertzthewoodlands4161]

Can this go viral on TikTok instead of the fear mongering influencers telling us we're all going to die from eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a Cosmic Brownie?

[@theOrkinMan1]

It sounds like you believe what you want to believe and discount what you don't🤔

[@nitzeart]

Wdym, I'm a ghost, don't you know?? I died cause I ate a cosmic brownie that one time 😢 /s 😅

[@somethingforsenro]

@@theOrkinMan1 if cinnamon toast crunch could kill under normal conditions, there would be a lot of lawsuits to prove it

[@theOrkinMan1]

@somethingforsenro Just look at all the grotesquely obese people in the united states compared to countries that don't allow all the chemicals. Way too many fat people in this country. They are unhealthy and they cost the rest of us money

[@theOrkinMan1]

@@somethingforsenro For a TikTok teeny bopper.You sure do try to concern yourself with big boy issues.

[@IlIlllIllIlIIIll]

I want to thank you guys for getting rid of the "reaction cam" bits. I really appreciate it.

[@thetaintpainter5443]

Hot dog eating contestants need more credit, they're putting their lives on the line out there. I salute those brave souls

[@crimsonraen]

Thanks for the video! :)

[@jonatanromanowski9519]

Go Go Sci Show!

[@Centauris-ty8wn]

11:13 competitive food eaters…

[@CurioCity-Curiosity]

yeah what

[@creepercrepe8910]

Remember: Don't consume chemicals with long names! Avoid adenosine triphosphate, phospholipids, dihydrogen monoxide, and deoxyribonucleic acid!

[@raresparky]

Clever.

[@hevado01]

😂

[@gaelstrarai]

Lol

[@darcieclements4880]

Sarcasm at its finest.

[@MrBrock314]

Would be slightly hard to do. :) I've tried but every food I touch has DHMO and DNA in it.

[@andreapirrone9761]

Thank you for this positive video! I love SciShow, but so many of your videos are "Science had discovered this amazing solution to a critical problem. Now here's how that solution will kill us all." I appreciate the info, but it's feeding my need for anxiety meds! This video was all good. Thanks SciShow!

[@andrewspohrer7183]

Perhaps finding out which bacteriacins and at what concentrations are affective in preserving food AND are destroyed or reduced to a negligible amount upon encountering stomach acid

[@JayPea7204]

I wash all my fruit and vegetables in vinegar water, 1 cup vinegar to a sinkful of cold water, soak the fruits/veggies for at least 5 minutes, rinse well and let dry off a bit. I swear this works and I have raspberries that are edible several days past raspberries without vinegar in the wash water. I have actually tested this by buying two cartons.

[@oakstrom2174]

Sadly, too many people rely on the middle aisles of the grocery store for the majority of their calories. A snack or a meal once a day that contains these additives isn't going to kill people. But relying on these foods for most of your nutrition will lower your health span. We need to get back in the kitchen, and stick to the outside aisles of our grocery stores. Cooking should not be a dying art lol

[@kathyl9222]

The biggest issue with preservatives is the lack of proper safety research, this is especially concerning when it comes to the FDA which likes to shove things under the “GRAS” (generally regarded as safe) label. I have seen real concerns from watchdog groups regarding these substances like how in certain foods sodium benzoate becomes benzene, and how studies that link red meat consumption from cancer can narrow it down to meats with nitrates in them. It’s unfortunate that a lot of the real concerns got drowned out by “naturopath” people on TikTok and people like Dr. Oz or Dr. Mercola. A lot of people who do raise legitimate concerns like Center for Science in the Public Interest favor the precautionary principle for a reason, because many times there are things that get “released in the wild” (put in our environment) and if they are harmful even in small, chronic amounts, by the time we know, a lot of damage has been done.

[@JasonB808]

I keep telling my old stubborn parents to discard moldy bread because the mold isn’t the part you can see and remove. But their comeback is that they have done that for many years and they think the food industry is lying to get them to buy more food.

[@Centauris-ty8wn]

8:20 “and were responsible for more than a million deaths in 2016” not as bad as tuberculosis though… Thank you John Green…

[@bbqwhaaat]

Repeat after me: "There's no reason to worry about what's in your salami..."

[@johnmckown1267]

I'm weird because why can't they "can" food so it is absolutely air tight, then zap the cam with gamma radiation? Not much gonna live thru that. But I don't know what that might do to the chemicals (food is a very complex set of chemicals).

[@RaeRaenicorrrn]

simple solutions: -don't eat cured meats or meat at all -buy only the fruits and veggies you can eat and eat them before they go bad -buy fewer processed foods I live in Uruguay, and we buy our fruits and veggies every few days from the stand across the street. Except for the rare occasions we forget about a food, or if it is something like lettuce that goes bad really fast, we don't have that problem. There are antioxidants in the fresh food, no wax on them to look more fresh, and no pesticides or rodenticides used in the soil or on the crops. We rarely buy packaged foods unless it is cereal or canned foods. I hope that soon, all canned foods with have BPA-free linings.

[@anathardayaldar]

Now a days, I'm woried that Boar's Head is in my local grocer's deli meats. Despite the recall that is long over.

[@dftfire]

6:22 Is that from a LUNCHLY? 😏

[@Aragorn7884]

Pin this comment ☝️

[@MichaelWalker-hh2xp]

It's nice to learn while laughing!

[@illesizs]

It's but a sample of safe ingredients in a see if unknowns. It still helps I guess, but I'm not yet convinced.

[@masterwriggly9111]

This video is like the modern day equivalent of 1950s tobacco commercials.

[@jhonwask]

Fresh food, that is food not packaged for later use, is the best for us. However, the loss of local farms, bakeries, and butchers has led us to this high-tech world of food preservation. Is there another way around this problem? Can vacuum sealing help? Should we stop using plastics and switch to canned goods and vacuum packed foods in glass containers? Are inexpensive plastic packing materials really safe?

[@laser8389]

On fungus growth on food: I’ve heard (but I don’t recall the source, I’ll look it up in a minute) that mold on hard foods like some cheeses can’t penetrate very deep so if you cut off the visibly affected area plus a little more, you get all the mold. Soft stuff like bread and fruit is a definite no, though.

[@marianocenteno4603]

but also, we dont really know the effects that eating mold could have tho, of course breathing it is horrible for you

[@starrywizdom]

I'm still gonna eat the non-moldy other half of the peach, though. My brain says "It can't have grown THAT far" & I love my fresh peaches in season... As far as bread, though? Toss that loaf & the bag it came in!

[@milosstojanovic4623]

Never had the issue. I cut out mold from cheese and eat the rest. Fruit that i eat almost never caught the mold, it just starts rooting, I also cut the rotten part and eat the rest. Meat is dangerous if getting spoiled, if dried meat is not dried properly it will spoil fast, well dried meat can last long long time. But fresh and processed meat spoils fastest.

[@MrBrock314]

@@marianocenteno4603 That likely depends on the version of mold but almost all non-air is bad for breathing. The same reason smoking anything (wood, marijuana or tobacco) is bad for you.

[@Jimera0]

Yeah I'm pretty sure that what it actually says if you look up recommendations for dealing with mold on like government agency websites or something similar. I remember looking it up a while ago out of curiosity and being surprised at how authoritative the sources saying so were. Another thing they point out is that most mold probably won't hurt you if you only eat a small amount of it, but that you never know exactly what's growing on your food so you should be careful anyway.

[@chrissietsaturyan6386]

Can you do a video on hydrogenated oils or mono & digylcerides?

[@timgchannel3328]

Contrary to popular belief, Twinkies do not have a half-life. They get stale like any other baked good. I know, because I’ve had a few steel Twinkies.

[@Crouchdown]

Yeah the health of the country looks great because of these!

[@MrBrock314]

It's the lack of exercise and the overeating that are the cause of the health problems. Not preservatives.

[@Crouchdown]

​@MrBrock314 and overeating is a direct result of lack of nutrition in ultra processed foods not triggering the satiated signal in the body, you were almost there though, you will get there eventually

[@virgoproxy]

You guys should go over the false things RFK jr believes since he'll be in charge of the FDA soon

[@justenough215]

Like what?

[@alien9279]

​@@justenough215 that unpasteurized milk is healthy and safe. Or yknow, basically anything else he says

[@abigailhutchins8240]

Ah, the joy of being one of those rare allergies to benzoate. Can't eat sodium benzoate without immediately throwing up lmao

[@angelherndon]

Damn, I loved this one.

[@Helicondrummer]

is that because it gives the false idea that all your foods are perfectly safe despite the cancer rates in this country?

[@prettybueno1255]

@@HelicondrummerProbably has more to do with our absurd level of obesity. You should be more worried about the sugar and oils that are added to “improve the flavor” or the dyes that “improve the color” than the preservatives

[@Helicondrummer]

@@prettybueno1255 like the the nitrates mentioned in this video that are only added to preserve color?

[@justalonesoul5825]

@@prettybueno1255 Cancer and obesity have nothing in common, nice try at deflecting.

[@jako_the_maned_wolf3133]

No actually it does, there is a link between obesity and cancer. Its usually the same causes too, overly processed foods.​@justalonesoul5825

[@caseyleichter2309]

Thank you for this video! I've gotten into "whole foods" in a big way as they do a terrific job of keeping my A1C down. But preserved food isn't the same as processed food... in fact, now that I think about it, "Processed =/= Preserved" might be a good idea for a video...

[@amampersanda]

I agree!

[@Kaldrin]

Then I don't understand the panic around preservatives. I feel like I'm regularly being exposed to messages telling me how bad it is to have preservatives in food and now food ads promote the fact they don't put any. What is happening?

[@jameshillier7177]

8:06 the explanation of how bacteria develop resistance is wrong, the resistance is already there, antibiotics just apply a selection pressure

[@schnapps77]

24 hotdogs? Should Joey chestnut be worried? He eats 3x that!

[@nyankrauss]

but good bacteria inside me would be dealing with these chemicals too🤯

[@haunted-but-holy]

That's what the acid in your stomach is for

[@milosstojanovic4623]

Yeah but number of organs need to process those "chemicals" not just bacteria in gut, blood needs to be processed by liver, fluids by kidney's. Everything we eat and add to our body is processed and may effect us differently and sometimes negatively.

[@MrBrock314]

@@milosstojanovic4623 Also positively. Keep in mind that broccoli has carcinogen and anti-carcinogens for example. The numbers and concentration matter greatly what the impact is. If you're ingesting 0.01 grams or 3 picomoles of something, it's far less likely to be a problem. Worry most about what most of your meal is made of and worry 0.01% about what 0.01% of it is.

[@CliveWebber]

Yeah this is what I have been wondering about; sure, these preservatives are considered generally safe to consume and may not directly be toxic to humans, but what do they do to your gut bacteria? I am curious if consuming food preservatives is like micro-dosing antibiotics for years on end. Do these food preservatives damage your gut bacteria, and what health effects could that lead to?

[@justalonesoul5825]

@@haunted-but-holy you clearly dont understand the discussion here. Your stomach's acid is not protecting you from carcinogenic compounds or compounds that can destroy your own microbiome, that's the reason why antibiotics can be so dangerous long term for an individual.

[@Whammy413]

I can’t believe someone from such a fact-based company ate one of those things.

[@earlaker]

I don't eat much bread, but when I do, it's Pepperidge Farms 15 grain, whole wheat bread. I want someone to explain to me why my loaf lasts literally for months while we usually toss my wife's loaf of plain, white bread after a week or so due to mold!

[@JoshTigerheart]

Remember when that loaf of bread you were eating tasted fresh? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

[@CliveWebber]

For the white bread, it may be a case of “planned obsolescence” 😂 If the bread is going to go bad faster, the faster people will eat it and buy more. Obviously this business approach will not work for certain products, but white bread is definitely a staple for many families. If most people grocery shop every 7-10 days, it’s possible that white bread is designed to only last exactly that long (hence you buy a loaf every time you go shopping). You may already know this, but try freezing half the loaf when you buy it. I’ve found some bread products taste fine even if they are frozen/thawed.

[@HweolRidda]

In my grocery there is 1) traditional bread (more or less homemade) where salt is the only preservative that lasts 5 or 6 days 2) some commercial breads that last a couple of weeks and 3) some "breads" that last at least a month. I buy Category 2 when it's on sale and freeze some. Category 3 scares me and tastes terrible. Category 1 is clearly the best to eat but we need to binge eat bread if I buy it.

[@film9491]

How are bacteriacins different from antibiotics ?

[@CINEMARTYR]

Would LOVE to see a version of this vid on the stuff that actually is harmful, like high fructose corn syrup etc.

[@JeffVanRooy]

It's nearly 2025 and you still think HFCS is anything other than just sugar? Do you still think MSG & Aspartame are "harmful" too? C'mon.

[@thomaswilding8818]

There's a lot of science demonstrating the importance of gut bacteria. And lot of science showing the harm from excess calories. I think juries out on whether antibacterial in our food is more good than harm.

[@josequiles7]

What about red 40 and other similar food dyes that a lot of people are going on a frenzy about?

[@scottabc72]

I dont think its at all accurate that preservatives have no known side effects. Since they are usually powerful acids, they can have the same effects of other acids in foods. I got a bad case of Acid Reflux a few years ago which was bad enough to disrupt my life, especially my sleep. With some effort I eliminated or drastically reduced the obvious triggers like coffee, spicy food, fried foods etc... but was still having bad symptoms. When I moved on to drastically reduce highly processed foods, the symptoms declined pretty quickly. I believe the preservatives, among other chemicals common in processed foods, were a major trigger for me. My conclusion is not that all acidic preservatives are always bad but people should at least be aware of what they are and their possible effects so they can make good choices for themselves.

[@rift8966]

TBHQ, especially in Pizza Hut's vegetable oil, turns me into an upside down geyser.

[@triviszla1536]

what's your favorite processed food

[@margaretf667]

You mean the strawberries i brought home last night

[@KynaTiona]

Thanks for the fact check. There's enough legitimate concerns with our food system that it's easy to mistake bogus concerns for real science, and I'll admit I was tricked by a couple of these.

[@mduvigneaud]

"... or that blue lump hiding in your Lunchly Pizza cheese."

[@zeexenon2240]

Stefan, how long does it take your makeup artists to paint on your shirts?

[@lizthedragon]

Chemical preservatives for food have been around for well over a century. What we have today are so much safer than what they were using in the 1800's.

[@zackerymessetler9481]

I wonder what research has been done on the gut microbe affect from these synthetic compounds?

[@zackerymessetler9481]

Lol wrote this before bacteriosins.

[@trevorchampney3805]

Does anyone know if BHTs and BHAs accumulate in our system?