You probably glance at the sodium on a food label. Maybe the sugar. But there’s a line most of us skip entirely: the preservatives.
A large study out of France says it’s time to start reading it.
Researchers followed 112,395 adults for a median of nearly eight years. People who ate the most of certain common preservatives were more likely to develop high blood pressure. The findings were recently published in the European Heart Journal.
Here’s what the team found, according to the European Society of Cardiology:
- Three “non-antioxidant” preservatives: The heaviest eaters had a 29% higher risk of high blood pressure and a 16% higher risk of heart disease than the lightest eaters.
- Five “antioxidant” preservatives: The heaviest eaters had a 22% higher risk of high blood pressure. Two of those five are forms of vitamin C.
This isn’t an obscure problem. Nearly everyone in the study ate at least one of these additives.
And nearly half of U.S. adults — 119.9 million people — already have high blood pressure, with only about 1 in 4 of them keeping it under control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Before you empty your pantry, a reality check. This is an observational study, so it shows a link, not proof. The participants were French and mostly women.
And the vitamin C in question is the kind added to processed food, not the kind in an orange. The researchers adjusted for vitamin C people got naturally.
Still, as first author Anais Hasenbohler put it, “Food preservatives are used in hundreds of thousands of industrially processed foods.”
Senior author Mathilde Touvier, a research director at Inserm, France’s national health research institute, called on regulators, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to take a fresh look.
Here are the eight preservatives, where you’ll find them and what to look for. One tip: U.S. labels generally use the name, not the European “E” number.
1. Potassium sorbate (E202)
This is a mold and yeast fighter, and it’s one of the most common preservatives on the shelf.
According to a United States Department of Agriculture technical report, it’s in cheese, baked goods, meats, dried fruit, fermented vegetables and soft drinks. The FDA considers it generally safe, which is why you’ll find it in so many places.
Where to look for it: the cheese case, the bread aisle and the soda cooler.
2. Potassium metabisulphite (E224)
You’ll see this one spelled “metabisulfite” in the U.S. It belongs to a family called sulfites.
Sulfites commonly show up in dried fruit, canned fruits and vegetables, shrimp and baked goods, according to the FDA. They must be declared on the label once they reach 10 parts per million.
And if you drink wine, you’ve seen them. The federal government requires a “Contains sulfites” statement on wine at that level, according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
3. Sodium nitrite (E250)
This is the classic cured-meat preservative. It keeps bacon, hot dogs and bologna pink and helps prevent botulism, according to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Here’s a label trick worth knowing. Bacon sold as “uncured” is usually cured with celery powder, which contains naturally occurring nitrites. That’s why the label has to say no nitrates or nitrites were added “except for those naturally occurring” in ingredients, the USDA says.
“Uncured” doesn’t mean nitrite-free. It means marketing.
4. Ascorbic acid (E300)
Yes, this is vitamin C. Food makers add it to keep fruit and other foods from browning, according to Penn State Extension, and the FDA lists it among common preservatives.
It stood out in the study. Of all eight, ascorbic acid was the only one also linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
To be clear, nobody’s telling you to stop eating fruit. This is about vitamin C added to processed food as a preservative.
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5. Sodium ascorbate (E301)
This is another form of vitamin C, and it travels with sodium nitrite.
The USDA actually requires it, or its cousin sodium erythorbate, in pumped (injection-cured) bacon to limit the formation of compounds called nitrosamines. So a single strip of bacon can deliver two of the eight preservatives on this list.
6. Sodium erythorbate (E316)
The USDA describes this one as closely related to vitamin C. It’s used as a color fixative in cured meats, so look for it on hot dogs, deli meats and ham.
Notice a pattern? Three of the eight preservatives — nitrite, ascorbate and erythorbate — are staples of processed meat.
7. Citric acid (E330)
Citric acid is everywhere: in soft drinks, canned goods, frozen and dried fruit, and even on fresh meat to protect its color, according to the USDA and Penn State.
It’s the hardest one on the list to avoid, so don’t drive yourself crazy trying. Treat it as one more reason to lean toward less processed food overall.
8. Rosemary extract (E392)
This is a plant-based antioxidant added to some processed foods to help keep fats from going stale. On a label, it usually appears as “rosemary extract.”
It’s a useful reminder that a natural-sounding ingredient isn’t automatically good for you.
What I’d do about it
I wouldn’t panic over one study, and I wouldn’t start inspecting every ingredient in the house. But I’d take the hint.
Touvier’s own advice is simple: “[F]avor non-processed and minimally processed foods, and avoid unnecessary additives.” That’s hard to argue with. And in my experience, cooking from scratch is usually easier on your wallet than the boxed stuff, too.
If you want the single biggest win, cut back on processed meats. They can pack three of these eight preservatives into one package, along with plenty of sodium.
Then get your blood pressure checked, since most people with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. For more ideas, here are seven of the worst things to eat and drink for your blood pressure and two common food additives linked to cancer.
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