Artificial flavors, preservatives, synthetic dyes, acid correctors and other textural agents swarm in beverages and processed foods to resurrect the lost taste in industrial processes.

With a stated goal: to make their appearance attractive.

More than 90% of those who leave mass factories are riddled with it, "even dietary products and dietary supplements, " observes Dr. Franck Gigon *. However, despite the controls to which they are subject, these additives are increasingly criticized.

Perceived as symbols of junk food, they are strongly suspected of harming our health. In the light of the latest scientific studies, these masters of the illusion of the senses seem to play a significant role in the current epidemic of diabetes and obesity. Some are even suspected of being carcinogenic or harmful to our brain.

Food additives: always where we least expect them

That snacking and "ready-to-eat" addicts are reassured: these cute sins are not dangerous as such, especially in small doses.

But, swallowed regularly in quantity, the effect of chemical additives is potentiated. Our body, which is not designed to assimilate them and does not know what to do with these useless intruders, seeks to evacuate them by sending them to the liver and then to the kidneys, in order to eliminate them with the urine. In the long run, "detoxifying organs end up being overworked," says Dr. Claude Chauchard, a specialist in anti-aging medicine and slimming. "To protect vital organs, the body then sends these foreign substances from fat to "garbage areas": belly, hips, buttocks or arms. "

Hence an accumulation over the years of beads revealing an excess of toxic foods.

Beware of bad fat

It's not so much the amount of fat that counts as its quality.

We mainly limit saturated fats (meat and dairy products) , which raise cholesterol levels and stiffen the vessel walls.

As for trans fatty acids, they are even worse. Smugglers in biscuits, pastries and industrial fries to improve their texture and increase their shelf life, they are responsible for heart attacks, breast cancer, overweight and obesity.

Canada and New York City have already banned them, and Denmark has introduced a tax to curb their consumption. In France, the authorities just recommend to ingest as little as possible. But the task is arduous since their presence is not explicit on packaging. They can be found under the heading "partially hydrogenated oil (or fat)".

Glucose syrup, a harmful sugar

Although derived from natural products, high fructose syrups from corn or potatoes are also formidable . Hidden under the name of isoglucose , fructose-glucose syrup or HFCS , they serve as a substitute for classic sugar in many sodas, ice cream, compotes, biscuits or condiments.

An epidemiological study from Oxford University, published in the journal Global Public Health, suggests that this sweetener would promote diabetes .

In the United States, Hungary and Belgium, where it is ingested a lot, "this disease has a 20% higher incidence than in countries where its use is more restricted," says Stanley Ulijaszek, research coordinator.

Of course, fructose is a naturally occurring sugar in fruits. But, swallowed in this form, it slightly increases the blood glucose, because it is only released gradually fibers and in small amounts. On the other hand, extracted artificially and ultra concentrated, its glycemic index becomes astronomical (from 90 to 120, against 38 for an apple or 22 for a cherry).

In February 2012, biologists at the University of California at San Francisco had already sounded the alarm by demonstrating that this syrup would participate in weight gain by reducing the satiety signal as well as high blood pressure . And, to the liver, it would be as harmful as alcohol! The icing on the cake, if one can say, other Californian researchers stipulated in May 2012 in "The Journal of Physiology" that it degrades the memory and reduces the capacities of learning. An addition a little ... salty.

What about aspartame?

Despite its omnipresence in light products, aspartame (E 951) is also very controversial. And this for years. Stamped "no risk" by the National Agency for Sanitary Security (ANSES), it is recommended by most nutritionists to the extent that it preserves the satisfaction of the taste buds without threatening the line. Yet two studies tarnished his image.

The first, conducted at the Ramazzini Institute in Bologna, and published in December 2012 in "The American Journal of Industrial Medicine", concludes that he is involved in the genesis of certain cancers of the liver and lung.

The second, conducted on sixty thousand pregnant women and published in 2010 in the journal "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition", states that the regular absorption of soft drinks with aspartame increases the number of premature deliveries . "Not to mention its many other undesirable side effects: headaches, eye disorders, chronic fatigue, skin reactions ...", adds Corinne Gouget, author of "Food additives, danger" (edition of the Golden Chariot) , which calls for a boycott of all products that contain it.

The debate is far from over, especially since aspartame could act in synergy with glutamate, a flavor enhancer with a meat flavor found in flavored crisps, sausages, canned soups , the cubic broths ...

"Camouflaged under different names (E 620, E 621, hydrolysed proteins, yeast extracts ...), its consumption doubles or even triple every ten years," laments Corinne Gouget. However, this white powder with insignificant appearance could also damage the brain and promote overweight. According to researchers at the University of Madrid, it triggers a sensation of hunger by irritating the walls of the intestine and muzzling the neurons that govern the feeling of satiety. These two combined effects would then eat up to 40% more than the usual ration.

Artificial cheese and false ham

Cheese without a drop of milk, it is not possible? Unfortunately, yes!

Many industrial pizzas, frozen cheeseburgers or snack biscuits are based on "cheese analogues" made with inexpensive vegetable fats (such as palm oil), starch, flavorings, flavor enhancers ... Sold under the name of "grated" or "cheese specialty", they are elaborated in about twenty minutes and return 30 to 40% cheaper.

A boon for producers, but a chemical disaster for our body .

The imitations of ham are not much better (50 to 65% of meat only, supplemented by thickeners, gelling agents ...) no more than the "crab sticks" (fish scraps with aromas and dyes).

Ersatz to banish our plate.

Dyes, disturbing additives

The dyes are also under fire from grape shot. Judged partially at fault of the hyperactivity of the children like the preservatives benzoates (E 210 to E 219) and the increasing frequency of food allergies , they abound still and always in our glasses and our plates.

Some of them seem disturbing, especially the E 150 (or "caramel" dye) which gives their colas brown color, but also sauces, cereals for breakfast: during its manufacture appears a compound (the 4-MEI) whose carcinogenic effect has been demonstrated in animals.

As a precaution, the State of California classified it as a hazardous ingredient and asked manufacturers to significantly reduce its presence in their products. Suddenly, the giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have changed their recipe for the entire US market. But this does not concern Europe at the moment. On the Old Continent, the health authorities have in fact simply redefine the acceptable daily intake (ADI) below which the ingestion of 4-MEI would be without risk to health (80 mg / kg of body weight / day) .

But, like that of other additives, this ADI is questionable. "It is established on the basis of toxicological tests, but also of the additive dose per food and the probability of daily ingestion of the foodstuffs which contain it," explains Dr. Franck Gigon. However, no one is safe from overconsumption of a certain type of food by compulsive drive or the ingestion of different foods containing the same additive.

In addition, "the simultaneous consumption of separate additives is the subject of little study and is therefore still not taken into account by the standards in force," says Dr. Gigon.

Harmless substances separately could very well be harmful when swallowed together , which is quite common in everyday life. Especially since agri-food factories operate on the principle of "Russian dolls" by assembling ingredients (meat products, pasta ...) and additives. Ingredients that, bought from suppliers, often contain them often a lot. The toxic load of the final product is increased, and its actual content of additives difficult to evaluate.

And the "natural" aromas?

170,000 tons of food flavorings are used in Europe each year, including 40,000 in France, to transform tasteless raw materials into tasty foods.

Despite their labeling obligations, manufacturers rarely play with transparency. One will never read on a packaging "artificial flavors", although many are 100% synthetic. This is the case of menthol or ethylvanilline which appear under the term "mint aroma" or "vanilla aroma".

Similarly, on a pot of strawberry yoghurt, for example, "natural flavor" does not mean that the aromas come from the fruit. They emanate from a dough obtained industrially from Australian wood chips, water and alcohol. And the natural aroma coconut is shot from a mushroom!

How to preserve?

To save your future health, it is better to buy raw foods and then prepare and season them yourself. There is nothing to prevent from occasionally offering dishes prepared for quick lunch or tinkering with dinner at a moment's notice. But without abusing it.

According to Dr. Laurent Chevallier **, a specialist in nutrition, damage can be minimized by choosing only products whose composition does not display more than three different additives.

Which demands to scrutinize the labels carefully . A chore necessary, but oh so tedious, because packaging compete ingenuity to divert us from essential information. Between the name of the brand, logos, labels and so-called dietary advice, you have to return the packets in all directions to find the list of ingredients written in lowercase letters.

Fortunately, new technologies can help us. Many ingenious and free applications for smartphones exist (Yuka, Open Food Facts, Mesgoûts, Noteo). To know the additive rate of a product, simply scan the printed barcode on its packaging. A great help to shop smart without wasting time.

* Author of the Enervated Little Dictionary of Toxic Foods (Ed de l'Opportun)
** Author of Impostures and Truths on Food (Fayard ed.)