What Are the Food Additives the World Calls “Bad for Your Health”?

Regulation Comparison Between the U.S., EU, Japan, and China, and the Health Risks

Quick Overview: What You’ll Learn in This Article

Have you ever felt worried and googled an additive on your phone in the supermarket thinking,
“Is this additive really bad for my body?”

This article is for parents preparing lunch boxes and snacks for young children, health-conscious adults reviewing their diet, and people in product development, food service, or school lunch programs who want to understand the risks of additives calmly, from a global perspective.

It should be especially helpful if you’ve ever wondered:

• What exactly is the problem with aspartame, artificial food colors, titanium dioxide, BHA/BHT, or BVO?
• I often hear “banned in the EU, allowed in Japan”—is that really true?
• How strong is the evidence linking these additives to cancer, children’s hyperactivity, and other conditions?
• I want to avoid additives said to be dangerous—so what should I choose instead?

For several globally debated additives, we’ll cover:

• Why they are said to be “bad for you” (mechanisms and current research)
• How regulations and evaluations differ in the U.S., EU, Japan, and China
• What diseases they’re linked to, and how strong the evidence is
• Practical substitute ingredients and tips for choosing safer products

I’ll keep technical terms as simple as possible so you can read without specialist knowledge.

1. A Shared Global “Measuring Stick”: Danger Depends on Dose and Evidence

First, an important premise: food additives are evaluated under shared global rules and expert bodies.

1-1. JECFA and ADI: The Global Baseline

Internationally, the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) reviews animal and human data for each additive and sets:

The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): the maximum daily amount considered safe for a person to consume every day over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.

Individual countries (the U.S. FDA, the EU’s EFSA, Japan’s MHLW, China’s National Health Commission, etc.) base their own rules on these JECFA evaluations.

1-2. “Hazard” and “Risk” Are Not the Same

People often mix these up:

• Hazard: whether the substance can be toxic (its inherent harmful potential)
• Risk: the actual danger in real life, considering dose and exposure

Even salt and water can be lethal in extreme amounts but are fine in normal amounts.
It’s the same with additives:
“An effect was seen under specific experimental conditions” does not automatically mean
“real-world intake is definitely dangerous.”

1-3. Why the EU and U.S. Sometimes Reach Different Conclusions

• EU

  • Emphasizes the precautionary principle: “When in doubt, don’t use it.”
  • If safety cannot be clearly guaranteed, they often move to ban or suspend use.

• U.S. (FDA)

  • If “risk is sufficiently low at current intake levels,” they tend to allow continued use.
  • In recent years, however, they have increasingly moved toward re-evaluation and eventual bans in response to new data and public concern.

• Japan & China

  • Refer to JECFA and overseas trends while also using domestic data to either keep or revise approvals.
  • Japan leans toward “if science shows risk is acceptable, usage is allowed.”
  • China manages additives in detail with the national standard GB 2760.

With this in mind, the familiar question
“Why is it banned in the EU but still used in Japan?”
becomes a bit easier to understand.

2. Five Major Additives Often Called “Bad for Your Health”

We’ll focus on these five, which are frequently debated worldwide:

1. Aspartame (artificial sweetener)
2. Artificial colors (Red No. 3, Red 40, etc.)
3. Titanium dioxide (E171)
4. BHA & BHT (synthetic antioxidants)
5. BVO (brominated vegetable oil)

For each one, we’ll walk through:

• Why it’s considered problematic
• Disease links
• U.S.–EU–Japan–China regulation
• Realistic substitutes

3. Aspartame: Cancer Risk, and the Trade-Off With Sugar Reduction

3-1. Where Is It Used?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in:

• Diet soft drinks
• Sugar-free gum and candy
• Low-calorie yogurts and jellies
• Some protein drinks and medical nutrition products

3-2. Why Is It Thought to Be Harmful?

In 2023, WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified aspartame as:

“Possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)”.

This made headlines.

At the same time, WHO/FAO’s JECFA concluded:

At current intake levels, health risks are acceptable,
and kept the existing ADI (40 mg/kg body weight per day).

In other words:

• The hazard (potential carcinogenicity) might not be zero,
• But real-world risk at typical intake is considered low.

So it currently sits in a gray zone.

3-3. Suspected Health Links

• Liver cancer (especially hepatocellular carcinoma)

  • A few observational studies link heavy consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (including aspartame) with liver cancer risk.
  • But lifestyle factors are hard to fully control for, and findings are not perfectly consistent, so evidence is considered limited.

• Metabolic syndrome and diabetes

  • For artificial sweeteners in general, there are discussions about maintaining a strong preference for sweetness, changes in eating behavior, and effects on gut microbiota.
  • For aspartame alone, clear causal links are not firmly established yet.

3-4. Regulatory Stance in the U.S., EU, Japan, and China

• U.S. (FDA)

  • Even after the IARC 2B classification, FDA maintains that aspartame is safe at current intake levels, so it remains authorized.

• EU (EFSA)

  • Extensive re-evaluation also concluded it’s safe within the ADI.
  • IARC’s classification has not triggered an immediate regulatory change.

• Japan (MHLW)

  • After reviewing WHO/IARC findings, the government concluded:
    “There is some indication of possible risk, but no evidence of acute health harm at typical intake,” and kept current usage standards.

• China

  • Under GB 2760 standards, aspartame is permitted as a food additive, with official comments similarly stating that current usage levels are safe.

3-5. Substitutes and Realistic Ways to Cut Back

Common alternative sweeteners

• Stevia (steviol glycosides)
• Erythritol
• Sugar alcohols (xylitol, sorbitol, etc.)
• Monk fruit (luo han guo) extracts, and others

These also have considerations:

• Large doses of sugar alcohols can cause digestive upset
• Some (like stevia) have aftertastes that not everyone likes

A realistic strategy

Instead of thinking in all-or-nothing terms:

Example: daily drinks

• Cut diet soda from 500 mL → 0–250 mL
• Replace with “sparkling water + lemon,” barley tea, or plain water.

Especially for children and pregnant people, focusing on
“Don’t drink large amounts every day” and
“Don’t rely on artificial sweeteners habitually”
is a balanced, practical stance.

4. Artificial Colors: Concerns About Children’s Behavior and Development

4-1. Where Are They Used?

• Colorful candies and gummies
• Brightly colored soft drinks
• Cereals and snacks
• Various processed foods and desserts

Examples: Red No. 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and others.

4-2. Why Are They Considered Harmful?

• In animal studies, some dyes (for example Red No. 3) are associated with thyroid tumors.

  • Based on such data, the U.S. decided to ban Red No. 3 in foods from 2027, having already banned it in many cosmetics.

• Some studies suggest links between synthetic colors and hyperactivity or ADHD-like behavior in children,
  leading the EU to require warning labels on products containing certain dyes.

4-3. Suspected Health Links

• Behavior and neurodevelopment (especially in children)

  • Several clinical trials have reported that beverages and foods rich in synthetic colors are associated with increased hyperactivity and reduced attention.
  • But diet patterns, sugar intake, and many other factors confound these results, so causality is not firmly established.

• Allergy-like reactions

  • Some people report hives or asthma-like symptoms, but these appear rare and may depend on individual sensitivity.

4-4. Regulatory Status

• U.S.

  • Many artificial colors remain authorized, but Red 3 will be banned from foods after 2027.
  • In 2025, the government outlined plans to phase out several petroleum-derived synthetic dyes such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 over time.

• EU

  • Many dyes are allowed, but:
    • Certain colors linked to child behavior concerns must carry warning labels.
    • A few have been banned or heavily restricted.
  • Major manufacturers have shifted toward natural colors (beet red, carotenoids, etc.).

• Japan

  • Synthetic colors are permitted but strictly limited by type and amount per food category.
  • Many companies are voluntarily switching to natural colorants.

• China

  • Under GB 2760, many synthetic colors are allowed with strict use-case and maximum-dose limits.
  • Recent revisions have tightened controls for some dyes.

4-5. Substitutes and Label-Reading Tips

Examples of natural colorants

• Red yeast (monascus), cochineal, beet red
• Gardenia yellow/blue
• Paprika color, carotenoids

Many major confectionery and beverage makers now advertise “all natural colors”.

How to read labels

• “Red 40,” “Yellow 5,” etc. with numbers → typically synthetic colors
• “Beet red,” “paprika extract,” “red yeast color,” etc. → usually plant- or natural-derived

For children’s snacks, choosing products labeled “no artificial colors,” “natural colors only,” or simply less bright and flashy can reduce exposure.

5. Titanium Dioxide (E171): Fully Banned in the EU, Still Deemed Safe in Japan

5-1. What Is Titanium Dioxide?

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂, E171) is a white, opaque colorant historically used in:

• Gum and candy
• White-coated chocolate snacks
• Baked goods and sauces
• Tablet and capsule coatings for supplements and medicines

5-2. Why Did It Become a Problem?

In 2021, the EU’s EFSA re-evaluated TiO₂ and concluded:

“Genotoxicity (DNA damage potential) cannot be ruled out,”
and therefore “titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.”

Consequently:

• After a 6-month phase-out starting February 2022,
• Use as a food additive was fully banned in the EU from August 2022.

5-3. Suspected Health Links

Some cell and animal studies report:

• DNA damage
• Oxidative stress
• Adverse effects on the liver and colon, including tumor promotion in certain models

For humans, however, large, definitive epidemiological studies are lacking.

Because EFSA could not establish a safe threshold, and couldn’t confidently say “this level is safe”, they chose the precautionary route and banned TiO₂ in foods.

5-4. How Other Regions Responded

• EU

  • Fully banned in foods since 2022.
  • Use in medicines is being separately reviewed.

• U.S.

  • Still allowed up to certain concentration limits (e.g., ≤1% of food weight), though lawsuits and NGO pressure are mounting, and many companies are phasing it out.

• Japan

  • After assessing particle size and usage patterns in Japan, the MHLW concluded that current usage levels are not a safety concern, so it remains permitted.

• China

  • Still allowed under GB 2760 with category-specific limits.
  • Re-evaluation may come in the future, influenced by EU trends, but there is no full ban yet.

5-5. Substitutes and Everyday Actions

TiO₂’s job is mostly “whitening and gloss.” Companies are moving to:

• Calcium carbonate
• Starch-based coatings
• Designs that don’t aim for pure white (embracing natural ingredient colors)

Practical label check

Look for “titanium dioxide,” “TiO₂,” or “E171” on ingredient lists.
Many “natural” or “no artificial colorants” supplements and candies will use calcium carbonate or cellulose instead.

For something taken daily like supplements, people worried about long-term exposure might reasonably avoid very white, glossy tablets.

6. BHA & BHT: Antioxidants, Cancer Concerns, and Endocrine Disruption

6-1. Where Are They Used?

• Breakfast cereals and snack foods
• Instant products
• Some butter and lard-based items
• Gum, bouillon cubes, etc.

They’re synthetic antioxidants that protect fats from rancidity and keep flavors stable.

6-2. Why Are They Considered Harmful?

Animal studies suggest that BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) may:

• Increase certain cancer incidences under high-dose conditions
• Affect the thyroid and liver

Some organizations also classify them as suspected endocrine disruptors.

6-3. Regulatory Status

• EU

  • Banned in some categories, especially baby and toddler foods.
  • Tight maximum limits in other categories.

• U.S.

  • Still allowed, but due to ongoing criticism and litigation risks, many manufacturers are voluntarily reformulating to remove BHA/BHT.

• Japan & China

  • Permitted within strict limits on usage levels and food types.
  • In Japan especially, there’s growing use of natural antioxidants like vitamin E and rosemary extract as substitutes.

6-4. Suspected Health Links

• Cancer

  • Some high-dose animal experiments showed tumor increases, but doses were far above typical human exposure.
  • For humans, direct causal links at real-world intake are not clearly proven; regulators mostly judge risk acceptable under current conditions.

• Hormone and endocrine effects

  • Data suggest possible estrogen-like or endocrine-disrupting effects, but again, human data are limited.

6-5. Substitutes and How to Spot Them

Common alternatives

• Mixed tocopherols (vitamin E)
• Rosemary extract
• Green tea extract
• Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), etc.

Label cues

• “No BHA or BHT”
• “No synthetic preservatives or antioxidants”
• “Preserved with vitamin E” or similar

These phrases make it easier for consumers trying to avoid BHA/BHT to choose.

7. BVO (Brominated Vegetable Oil): Banned in the EU, Japan, and China; U.S. Now Catching Up

7-1. What Is BVO?

BVO (brominated vegetable oil) is an emulsifier that helps keep citrus flavoring evenly dispersed in drinks.
It used to be common in orange sodas and some sports drinks.

7-2. Why Is It Treated as Particularly Dangerous?

Because it contains bromine, BVO has long raised concerns about effects on:

• The nervous system
• The thyroid
• Skin and other tissues

Cases of bromism (bromine intoxication) have been reported in people who consumed large amounts of BVO-containing drinks over long periods, with symptoms like:

• Memory problems
• Tremors
• Coordination difficulties

7-3. How Each Region Responded

• EU

  • Fully banned as a food additive since 2008.

• Japan

  • Banned as a food additive in 2010.

• China

  • Not listed in GB 2760; use as a food additive is not permitted, so it’s effectively banned.

• U.S.

  • Previously allowed in limited concentrations.
  • In 2024, FDA officially revoked approval for BVO as a food additive.
  • Complete removal from the market is underway through 2025–2026.

7-4. Substitutes

Typical replacements include:

• Sucrose fatty acid esters
• Glycerol esters of fatty acids
• Sucrose acetate isobutyrate (SAIB)
• Glycerol esters of wood rosin (ester gum)

In other words, BVO isn’t essential for flavor—other technologies can easily take its place.

8. Quick Comparison: U.S., EU, Japan, and China

Here is a simplified comparison (details by food category and exact limits are omitted).

8-1. Overview by Additive

This table reflects major public information and trends as of 2025 and is simplified.

9. Additives and Disease: “Causal” vs. “Possibly Related” Matters

As we’ve seen, many additives have:

• Animal studies showing adverse effects
• Cell studies showing DNA damage or inflammation
• Observational human data showing correlations between high intake and disease

But human diets are extremely complex. It is inherently hard to isolate a single additive and claim it is the cause.

9-1. Commonly Discussed Health Outcomes

• Cancer

  • Aspartame ↔ liver cancer, titanium dioxide ↔ colon/liver effects, BHA/BHT ↔ various tumors, and so on.
  • Most positive findings are from high-dose animal experiments; typical human exposures are much lower.
  • Regulators judge that risks are acceptable at current intakes for most additives.

• Children’s behavior and development

  • Synthetic colors ↔ hyperactivity, artificial sweeteners ↔ altered eating habits, etc.
  • Because sugar, sleep, exercise, and environment also play large roles, clear, single-factor causation is rarely proven.

• Hormones and metabolism

  • BVO ↔ thyroid effects, BHA/BHT ↔ endocrine disruption concerns.
  • Large, long-term human data sets are still limited.

9-2. A Realistic Global Conclusion

International agencies and national regulators, looking at the total evidence, end up with:

• Some additives cannot be declared “totally harmless.”
• In certain cases like BVO and E171, the precautionary principle led to bans.
• For most others, current uses and intake levels are judged to pose “acceptable risk.”

10. Practical Risk Management in Everyday Life

Here are realistic, non-alarmist steps for health-conscious consumers and parents.

10-1. Avoid “Large Amounts, Every Day”

• Don’t let the same colored soft drinks or snacks become daily, heavy-intake habits.
• Children, with lower body weight, get higher exposure per kg from the same amount.

Example “house rules”

• Sweet soft drinks: max 2–3 days per week
• Bright candies/gummies: reserved for “special treat days,” not daily
• Sugar-free drinks: balance them with water/tea so that over half of daily fluids are unsweetened

10-2. Watch the “Number of Additives” and Degree of Processing

A long string of chemical names and E-numbers in the ingredients list often signals ultra-processed food (UPF).
Health concerns relate not only to specific additives but to overall ultra-processing.

• If the first three ingredients are sugar, refined oil, and white flour, consider limiting frequency.
• Favor products where the list is shorter with more recognizably “food-like” ingredients.

10-3. How to Make Better Choices Within the Same Category

Different choices within the same category can dramatically change additive exposure.

• Soft drinks

  • ✕: Brightly colored sodas with multiple artificial colors and sweeteners
  • △: Sugar-sweetened but fewer colors
  • ○: Sparkling water with lemon, or fruit sodas with real juice and no artificial colors

• Snacks

  • ✕: Highly colored candy/gummies
  • ○: Plain nuts, dried fruit, or simple biscuits labeled “no artificial colors/preservatives”

• Kids’ jellies/puddings

  • ✕: Neon colors with several synthetic dyes
  • ○: “Contains X% fruit juice,” “no artificial colors,” or “colored with natural extracts”

Instead of banning treats outright, it’s more sustainable to pick the “less processed” option within the treat category.

11. Who Benefits From This Information, and How?

11-1. Parents of Young Children

• Kids are smaller, so the same gram of additive means higher dose per kg.
• Their taste preferences and food habits are still forming, so avoiding overly intense sweetness and bright color dependence supports long-term health.

Steps like:

• Choosing snacks with fewer or no synthetic colors
• Limiting daily intake of zero-calorie drinks
• Avoiding very white, glossy, highly processed treats as “everyday” foods

not only reduce potential cancer risk but also help prevent future obesity, lifestyle diseases, and distorted taste preferences.

11-2. Health-Conscious Adults and Seniors

• Relying heavily on artificially sweetened drinks for dieting can backfire:
  you may still prefer strong sweetness and find it harder to reduce sugar overall.
• Seniors, with changing liver and kidney function, benefit from varied, minimally processed diets.

So, replacing some zero-calorie drinks with water or tea is a genuinely important move.

11-3. Food Manufacturers, Food Service, and School Meal Providers

Worldwide trends include:

• EU’s precautionary approach
• U.S. bans on BVO, Red 3, and phases-out of some synthetic colors
• Stricter GB 2760 in China
• Rising “clean label” and “additive-free” demand in Japan

This means “globally acceptable formulations” are becoming crucial:

• Phase out additives likely to face future bans (like BVO/E171-type cases).
• Replace synthetic colors and BHA/BHT with natural ingredients or technological measures (packaging, modified atmosphere, etc.) to preserve quality.
• Build clear, consumer-friendly explanations of why each additive is used and how its safety is evaluated.

This reduces reputational risk and strengthens brand value over the long term.

12. Summary: Don’t Panic, But Learn How to Choose—That’s Modern Food Literacy

Key takeaways:

1. Global safety assessments are based on dose and evidence quality.

   • JECFA and national agencies evaluate animal and human data, set ADIs, and mostly conclude that risk is acceptable at current use levels for many additives.

2. The EU often moves faster to ban under the precautionary principle.

   • BVO and E171 are classic examples: early EU bans, then U.S. policy catching up.

3. Knowing the “usual suspects” and their substitutes makes shopping easier.

   • Aspartame → stevia, erythritol, others
   • Synthetic colors → natural colorants or simpler, less colorful designs
   • Titanium dioxide → calcium carbonate, starch coatings
   • BHA/BHT → vitamin E, rosemary extract, etc.
   • BVO → alternative emulsifiers and formulation tweaks

4. For many additives, the science is still gray—not “perfectly safe,” not “immediately toxic.”

   • Cancer, behavior, and hormone effects are often based on high-dose or confounded data.

5. The most practical approach is to limit frequency and amount, and prefer simpler foods.

   • Especially for children, pregnant people, and those with chronic disease, it’s wise to avoid making heavily colored and ultra-processed foods an everyday staple.

With this knowledge, you don’t need to fear every E-number—but you can make more informed, world-standard choices for yourself and your family.

References and Further Reading (Japanese & English)

• WHO / IARC & JECFA: Aspartame hazard and risk assessment results released
• American Cancer Society: Aspartame and Cancer Risk
• EFSA: Titanium dioxide (E171) no longer considered safe when used as a food additive
• European Commission: Re-evaluation of food additives
• US FDA: Revocation of authorization for use of brominated vegetable oil in food
• RegAsk: Food additives and ingredients banned in Europe
• Japan MHLW: Reports on titanium dioxide used as a food additive in Japan
• China GB 2760-2024 National Food Safety Standard for Uses of Food Additives
• Environmental Working Group: Despite health harm concerns, BHA and BHT remain in food
• Chemical & Engineering News: Goodbye brominated vegetable oil