Food Additives News and Research

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Researchers call for stronger safety testing of lip cosmetics

New peer-reviewed publications find significant gaps in lip product regulation and safety testing, including reliance on inappropriate skin models and significant underestimation of usage and ingestion rates, leaving consumers exposed to potential risks.

4 Aug 2026

Maternal diets high in UPFs may influence children’s health years later

A narrative review of 84 publications links higher ultra-processed food intake during pregnancy and early childhood with poorer diet quality, maternal complications, childhood obesity, and potential immune, metabolic, and neurodevelopmental effects. The authors identify possible microbiome and biopsychosocial pathways but emphasize that the predominantly observational evidence cannot establish causality.

17 Jul 2026

Study finds some sweeteners can slow the growth of gut bacteria

Cambridge researchers have shown how commonly-used sweeteners slow the growth of certain gut bacteria.

16 Jul 2026

What older adults eat may shape dementia risk

Higher ultraprocessed food intake was associated with increased risks of dementia, cognitive impairment with no dementia, and the combined outcome among older US adults in the Health and Retirement Study. Minimally processed food intake showed the opposite pattern, although the observational findings require cautious interpretation because diet was self-reported and cognitive outcomes were not clinically diagnosed.

4 Jun 2026

Common food preservatives linked to higher cardiovascular disease risks

Eating foods that contain common preservative food additives may increase the risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, according to research published in the European Heart Journal today.

21 May 2026

Heavily processed foods may raise heart disease risk beyond poor nutrition alone

A 2026 review in Cardiology in Review reports that higher intake of ultra-processed foods is consistently associated with greater risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cardiovascular mortality across cohort studies and meta-analyses. The paper also highlights plausible mechanisms involving gut dysbiosis, oxidative stress, and NF-κB-driven inflammation, with additives such as emulsifiers, preservatives, dyes, and sweeteners discussed as potential contributors.

26 Mar 2026

Do artificial sweeteners increase appetite or food intake?

The study evaluates artificial sweeteners' role in appetite regulation, showing no significant effects on hunger or energy intake during weight management.

20 Mar 2026

Researchers propose that Parkinson’s disease may start in the gut, not the brain

A perspective in The Journal of Clinical Investigation argues that environmental exposures may interact with the gut microbiome and intestinal barrier to trigger biological processes linked to Parkinson’s disease. The authors propose that cumulative environmental stressors can erode host resilience, promoting α-synuclein pathology, immune activation, and neurodegeneration.

5 Mar 2026

RFK Jr.’s MAHA movement has picked up steam in statehouses. Here’s what to expect in 2026.

When one of Adam Burkhammer's foster children struggled with hyperactivity, the West Virginia legislator and his wife decided to alter their diet and remove any foods that contained synthetic dyes.

13 Jan 2026

Dietary exposure to food preservatives associated with higher cancer incidence

Higher intake of food preservatives, widely used in industrially processed foods and beverages to extend shelf-life, is associated with a modestly increased risk of cancer, finds a study from France published by The BMJ today.

7 Jan 2026

Higher intake of food preservatives linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes

Higher consumption of food preservatives, widely used in industrially processed foods and beverages to extend their shelf life, has been linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

7 Jan 2026

National study maps where food additives come from in children’s and adults’ diets

By analysing nationally representative diet data, researchers show that food additives rarely occur alone, with children and teenagers experiencing the highest exposure to complex additive mixtures largely driven by ultra-processed foods.

9 Dec 2025

Maternal exposure to fatty food aromas predisposes offspring to obesity

A research team at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research has found that the smell of fatty foods during pregnancy increases the risk of overweight and obesity in children.

1 Dec 2025

Experts call for bold policies to curb the health harms of ultra-processed foods

The increase of UPFs in diets worldwide presents an urgent challenge to health that demands coordinated policies and advocacy action to address, says a new three paper Series authored by 43 global experts and published in The Lancet. The Series exposes the tactics UPF companies use to drive consumption and prevent effective policy.

18 Nov 2025

Low-glutamate diet improves migraine symptoms in veterans with Gulf War Illness

Veterans with Gulf War Illness experienced significant improvement in migraine symptoms after following a diet low in glutamate, a component of flavor enhancing food additives commonly found in processed foods, according to new research presented by Georgetown University and American University scientists.

17 Nov 2025

Ultra-processed foods linked to precursors of early-onset colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer used to be associated with old age, but diagnoses have become increasingly common in adults aged 50 or younger particularly in high-income countries like the United States.

13 Nov 2025

New dietary supplement may efficiently treat iron deficiency and anemia

Iron deficiency is globally widespread. Women are particularly affected, with one in five in Europe suffering from iron deficiency.

10 Nov 2025

Inconsistent labels and risky doses found in turmeric supplements worldwide

A global analysis of 125 turmeric supplements across five major markets revealed widespread inconsistencies in labeling, dosage, and regulatory compliance. Over a third lacked curcuminoid content disclosure, and nearly one-third exceeded safe intake levels, exposing consumers to unverified and potentially risky formulations.

3 Nov 2025

Western diet fuels IBD by derailing the microbiome - can precision nutrition turn the tide?

This review examines how Western dietary patterns, high in ultra-processed foods, salt, and unhealthy fats, disrupt gut microbiota, impair immune regulation, and contribute to the global rise of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It highlights systems biology and nutritional epidemiology as essential tools to develop personalised dietary strategies and shift IBD care from treatment to prevention.

12 Oct 2025