by Hassan Abbasi
Capitalism and the Disaster of Environmental Pollution, Volume 1, Chapter 2 (published in April 2014)
At the beginning of this chapter, I said (to continue the article, refer to Chapter 1 of the above book) that agricultural capitalism, by destroying the fertility of the land and depleting it of the materials needed for an agricultural commodity, increases the volume of the product and brings greater profits to the capitalist. In order to achieve this goal, it shortens the life span of the land. These things were said, but there are also unspoken issues in this matter. We all know that capital increases the productivity of labor, reduces its need for this power relatively, makes the process of the dissolution and dissolution of the worker in the process of profit production and his separation from his work more and more rapid and crushing, and finally brings the nothingness and worthlessness of the worker and his life, even his being alive and not being, to the peak in the scope of its calculations. Commodity production and its most advanced form, capitalist production, are the origin, the stimulus and the full mirror of the fetishistic role of the product of human labor. The very substitution of the relationship between humans with the relationship between objects and commodities implies the becoming of everything as a commodity or capital and the becoming of man as nothing. In our present discussion, the worker, his food and the earth, as far as the needs of human life are concerned, also proceed in the process of becoming nothing, and instead it is capital that accelerates the dynamic of playing its divine role to the highest infinity. Agricultural products, while maintaining the appearance of nutritional content and the ability to satisfy real human needs, are emptied. The worker is also not only reduced to a tool, not only under the painful impetus of the process of separation from work, which even in his nutrition becomes more and more inferior and worthless in order to reproduce his only saleable commodity, that is, his labor power. Here, the issue is not only that the worker is exempted from any involvement in work and the fate of his work, nor is it simply about his exhausting exploitation with a rate of mythical and destructive surplus values. The discussion is not even about the shortening of his life under the pressure of longer time, more deadly conditions, more unbearable intensity and hardship of work in countries like India, Brazil, China, Thailand, Bangladesh, Iran, Africa and other places. It is about the fact that, following all these calamities, even what he should spend on recreating this labor force with the price of his labor power becomes the target of a renewed attack by capital, becomes devoid of productive labor power and, worst of all, becomes pathogenic and deadly.
Capital decides on the type of food the worker eats and continues this chain of decisions even in the private sphere of his life as far as it wants and its profiteering demands. It goes to the fortifier, pesticide or preservative to make all this cheaper by auctioning off human lives and thereby increasing the amount of surplus labor hidden in them. The process of decay of food and the reduction of its use value for the body begins from the very beginning, when the fruit ripens, the animal is slaughtered, the vegetables are separated from the soil. Although the tissues and cells of these goods are protected by their skin and resistant walls against bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, they do not remain healthy forever and their lifespan is limited even in minus 20 degrees. We all witness daily changes in the color, taste, smell and shape of food and the foods we have prepared ourselves, even when they are stored in the refrigerator. When the cell walls and tissues of food are broken down by cooking or other processes and the cell contents spill out, the process of spoilage of these materials increases manifold. Ready-made food is attacked without hindrance by bacteria, worms, microorganisms and fungi and quickly goes on the path of spoilage. Ready-made and semi-prepared food sales centers, including restaurants, large manufacturing companies, supermarkets and food preparation and preservation companies, add substances such as antioxidants, preservatives and stabilizers to them to deal with this situation and also to increase the shelf life of the goods and reduce waste (in general, reduce the cost of production, transportation and storage). However, no substance can prevent the spoilage process of ready-made and semi-prepared foods, so capitalism takes initiatives in a profit-seeking and inhumane manner to cover up changes in the color, taste, smell and even the shape of these products.
Two categories of substances are added to agricultural products: one is the so-called food fortification, the reasons for which I discussed in the previous chapter, and the other is processing aids, which are used to increase the shelf life, change the color, smell and taste of ready-made and semi-ready foods. These substances, which include 22 different groups, include about 250 official substances. All of them are approved by JECFA (Food safety and quality) 16 or the United Nations Food Control Agency and EFSA or the European Food Safety Authority. It should be noted that these products are not only used in food production, but are also used in the preparation of medicines, cosmetics, shampoos and soaps. The classification of these substances based on their role is as follows. 41 colorants, 49 preservatives, 44 antioxidants, 12 sweeteners and more than 100 other substances, including polysorbate, are on this list. The latter group causes skin sensitization, people who are allergic to propylene glycol, which is found in cosmetics, are also allergic to polysorbates, which are added to foods to dissolve fats. These compounds have a European code (E number) or “E number” and for more information about them, see Appendix 5. Information collected in this regard is from sources 18, 19, 20, 21.
But it should be noted that this is the official list of registered substances that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 17 has issued a license to register and use in food production. In addition to the official substances, thousands of other legal and illegal substances are added to foods. For example, to create the taste and aroma of strawberries in ice cream and creams, 8 different types of chemicals are used, which the manufacturer uses only with the name of flavor on the product package, to ease his mind and make the customer’s life easier. Among the coloring substances used, azo compounds are the most famous because they cause allergies, asthma, eczema, skin changes such as urticaria. For example, E120 or carmine acid, the attractive red color that increases sales in milk, syrups and candies, causes insomnia, hyperactivity (ADHD), fetal lesions and aggression. Sweeteners such as E420 Sorbitol or E412 (Guar gum) cause intestinal problems, intestinal infections, brain diseases, muscle cramps, aggression and depression. The vast majority of these substances are produced chemically and therefore, as soon as they enter the body, they are attacked by enzymes that the liver produces to fight foreign substances. Basically, from the point of view of pharmacology and pharmacodynamics, all chemicals that enter the body are attacked as harmful substances by the organs and members of the body’s defense system and must be destroyed. Including liver enzymes (CYP enzymes), which number in the dozens, they have the same task. This process unconsciously reminds man of the capital, of a production method that is fundamentally anti-human. Profit production is everything in it and man is nothing. Remember this important fact, how vulgar is the work of those who consider the struggle for this or that minor change in the composition of this or that food or this or that corner of the environment to be the cure for the pain of modern man!! Remember this great lesson of history that without the elimination of capitalism, without a conscious, radical and class-based attack on the very foundation of this system, without a labor movement, Soviet and nationwide that has all the capacity, facilities and preparations necessary for this attack, talk of improving the environment or making food healthier and the like is nothing but self-deception and deception of others. Capitalism lives on the unpaid labor of workers, by producing profits and converting profits into capital and continuing its self-expansion. For this system, polluting the environment and making food pathogenic is a mechanism for increasing surplus values. To eliminate these scourges, we must get to the root. The roots are hidden deep in the very existence of capital. Merely trying to improve the condition of this or that commodity without fighting to dry up the roots of the damage, even assuming some achievements, only prolongs the life of this cancerous tumor and this infectious swamp. The enormous growth in the productivity of labor after World War II caused the worker’s labor to produce many times more product than before. In this regard, less socially necessary labor for a given amount of product led to a lower price of the commodity, together with a much higher rate of surplus value.
The desire to reduce the price of goods, increase competitiveness in the capitalist market and secure a larger share of global surplus value has drawn the greedy eyes of capitalists to the production of food products at a lower price than what workers produce in their kitchens. The massive accumulation in this area has also provided the opportunity for capitalists to bring more women into the labor market, increasing competition among workers for labor and, in the process, putting even more pressure on wages. The greater employment of women in the labor market has in turn paved the way for greater accumulation of capital in the food production sector. The amount of time a Swedish female worker spent preparing food at home in the 1950s was on average about 3 hours a day. This figure has fallen to 10 minutes in 2010. 22 This change has meant that the massive accumulation of capital in the food industry, coupled with the compulsion of women to sell their labor, has significantly filled the space in the kitchens. In this way, as workers became more and more consumers of ready-made and semi-prepared foods, capital accumulated in a new area, and the price of labor also fell in two ways. First, because the mass of workers selling labor increased greatly, a phenomenon that led to competition among workers and a decline in wages. Second, because mass production and the rapid increase in labor productivity led to a decline in the price of goods, which in turn provided a basis for keeping the price of labor low. Two points need to be explained here. First, not only is the reduction of domestic work not bad, but the elimination of this type of work is the agenda of the anti-capitalist movement of the working class. There is nothing to say about this. However, the point is about the role, purpose, effects, and complications of the functioning of capitalist relations in this process. If the anti-capitalist socialist movement of the proletariat attacks domestic work as a factor of physical and intellectual degradation and degeneration of humans and demands its abolition, the wage slavery system, on the contrary, sees everything, including any change in the volume of this type of work, as a mere function of the conditions of the cycle of mass profit production. For this very reason, with the increase in unemployment, the bourgeoisie is immediately reminded of the caressing warmth of home kitchens and the warmth of mothers’ arms to care for their children. The second point is that capitalism, as has been stated, pursues this work not only at the cost of increasing the pressure, speed, and intensity of work, but also at the same time exposes human lives to all kinds of threats. Let us return to the main point of the discussion.
Due to excessive or prolonged consumption of some of the above substances (E621-E625), the human body suffers from disorders. Hypersensitivity such as headache, excessive sweating, burning throat and increased pressure in the chest are among these disorders. These symptoms are known as (Chinese restaurant syndrome) 23, because these substances are widely used in the production of Chinese and Asian ready-made and semi-ready foods, and through this, they have entered the food sector of other world markets, including chain restaurants such as (McDonalds), etc. since the 1970s. New research shows that excessive consumption of these substances has destructive effects on the fetus, liver, nervous system and vision, and also causes asthma, depression, growth problems in young people and hormonal disorders. E621 is a poison for the nervous system and causes Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Let’s not forget that the main customers of fast food such as hamburgers and restaurants that produce this food are the vast mass of workers. After these symptoms and signs (syndrome) were recognized, the capitalists in the food production sector made a huge effort to prevent their sales from falling. They increased research budgets in this period. The clarity of the problem was such that they could not hide the high human complications and losses, so they took another path. They resorted to the same old method of pharmaceutical companies to prove the lack of relationship between symptoms and diseases and added substances. Among the methods that the producers and capitalists in this field, with the full agreement of government officials, used to standardize these additives and scientifically demonstrate their anti-human performance is the ADI (Acceptable daily intake) test. This test is carried out with the aim of falsely showing the safety of daily consumption of technical additives. The way it works is that laboratory mice are fed relatively large amount of the substance in question and when no reaction is apparently observed, the consumption of the tested substance is recognized by the authorities as a natural substance.
This system, which stems from the fraud and demagoguery of capital, has no scientific value other than misleading the mass of workers who consume these goods for the simple reason that, first, the biological and genetic structure of mice is very different from that of humans. In such a way that these same government officials consider drug tests on mice to be completely inadequate, and this leads to a long process of various tests on humans (a drug undergoes various tests for 10 to 12 years, and sometimes more, until it is accepted by the authorities, such that testing on mice only takes 10% of the time and capital required). Second, no scientific results are obtained from the changes or lack of changes in the appearance of laboratory mice, because genetic changes, allergic reactions, and internal and even skin lesions are the result of a long process of consuming waste materials, and this cannot be clarified with a few hours of testing. The capitalists’ strategy is that they first decide to add their desired ingredients to prolong the life of the product, to make the taste, color, smell and shape of their product attractive, and then they start to fabricate any justifications they want to mislead the minds of the working masses of consumers. Third, the destructive effect of the additives is postponed until they are actually used. This means that when the use of the desired substance is recognized by the authorities after widespread human casualties and its destructive effects become apparent after a while, then the entire scientific, technical, advertising and judicial apparatus of capital is used to show that these effects are unnecessary with the desired substance!! Therefore, there is no name for this except fraud and the trick of an inhuman game. The best example of this fraud is the 2002 exposure of the Acrylamide phenomenon in Sweden. 24 Acrylamide (AA) is formed when plant products (such as flour, potatoes, coffee and other hydrocarbon-containing products) are exposed to temperatures exceeding 120 degrees during the production of ready-made and semi-finished foods. It is a chemical compound of hydrocarbons (sugars, starches and the like) and an amino acid called aspartic acid, which is present in all plants. The rate of formation of acrylamide and its concentration in products such as chips, corn flakes, French fries, bread, biscuits, processed cereal-based foods for infants and young children and many other foods depends on the temperature and time of frying. So that the more acrylamide is formed, the more the color of these products turns from light (light yellow) to dark. For example, half-cooked uncooked French fries contain 45 micrograms of acrylamide, and the same product when fully cooked and fried contains 1512 micrograms of acrylamide per kilogram of potato. As can be seen from Figure 6, the attractiveness, appeal, and taste of these products are proportional to the amount of acrylamide formed in the production process. This phenomenon, which causes the attractive taste and color of foods, is called the Maillard reaction in chemistry. The dangerousness and harmfulness of this substance is certain due to its combination with body proteins such as hemoglobin and DNA, at least as far as has been shown in laboratory mice. So far, no trace of this substance has been seen in cooked foods. However, frying and grilling are the main conditions for the formation of acrylamide. In other words, this problem has appeared and spread since the production of ready-made and semi-prepared foods became the agenda of capital (the majority of these foods are produced by large companies. Table 2 of Appendix 5 shows the percentage of market share of European companies in the sale of these products). The side effects of this substance are, to the extent that laboratory experiments on mice show damage to the nervous system such as tremors, pregnancy disorders and DNA changes, the latter of which causes cancers of the breast, goiter, brain and genital organs. The leakage of this substance into surface and groundwater during the construction of a train tunnel in western Sweden in 1996 caused the death of cows and the illness of humans in the area. Part of the deception of the capitalist production system in the process of exposing this substance in ready-made and semi-ready foods is the system’s work in two ways. While factory owners, producers, and their government officials agree on a short and inexpensive test of technical substances to be added to ready-made foods on rats, and this process is approved as soon as possible and the substance in question is licensed, the opposite is true in the case of acrylamide. The capitalists and their government agree, scientifically! That the results of the test on rats are not applicable to humans and that the aforementioned diseases in humans cannot be attributed to acrylamide! Therefore, the officials and government bodies in this case are content with recommending a reduction in the amount of acrylamide produced!! But these recommendations have not led anywhere in the 12 years since the disclosure of the crime of capital, and the amount of this toxic and carcinogenic substance in the foods served in restaurants and ready-made and semi-ready foods in stores is still high. For more information, see the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report of June 2014, which includes test results on 43,419 ready-to-eat and semi-ready-to-eat foods from the food industry 17.
Figure 1 Level of AA according to color and cooking time of some pre-cooked French fries’ products
It should be noted that no trace of acrylamide has been found in cooked foods. On the other hand, frying and roasting in devices called “ovens”, which are the food preparation processes in factory production, are the main cause of the formation and especially the high levels of this substance.
Acrylamide (AA), a product for the production of plastic (Polyacrylamide), has a close relationship with the crimes of capital after World War II. This substance, which was first produced as an element needed in the war, was used in various products by the American company Monsanto Company in the 1950s. This company, which is today the main producer of genetically modified plants and chemicals and plant pesticides in the world, has a long history of producing chemical warfare agents. For example, in the criminal war of the US government against the people of Vietnam, it started destroying forests with bombs containing the substance Agent Orange. The products of this company alone caused the illness of 4.8 million Vietnamese and the birth defects of 500 thousand children in this country. The amount of acrylamide produced in chips is on average 1000 micrograms, in Pommes frites and 500 micrograms per kilogram of product. According to research by the Swedish Food Safety Authority, the maximum permissible intake for each person per day is 30 to 40 micrograms. One third of this amount enters the body through chips, Pommes frites and other fried potatoes. Biscuits, hard factory breads and other toasted breads provide another third and the rest enters the body through coffee (for more information, see Appendix 5 Table 1). About half of the acrylamide that enters the body is excreted from the body within 4 to 5 hours through various routes, especially urine, due to its small molecules and easy solubility in water. Interestingly, the European Health Organization and the World Health Organization WHO have set a maximum level of this substance in water at 0.1 micrograms per liter, but these main international capital bodies have not yet set any limits for this substance in ready-made and semi-prepared foods.
Another important issue to mention is the addition of phosphorus compounds to ready-made and semi-prepared foods. Phosphorus is an important element in the body’s structure (for more information, see the beginning of Chapter 2). This substance is absorbed by the body in much greater quantities than needed (unlike other elements, this element is very easily absorbed by the body, so that even phosphorus salts have a high metabolism). Phosphates are even used for canning, sourening the taste of food or as a stabilizer. The destructive effects of increasing the consumption of phosphorus compounds are very great and shocking reports are published every day in this field. For example, research by Johns Hopkins University and Alabama on 9700 people over 15 years 25 shows how the increase in mortality is directly related to the amount of phosphorus absorbed. Heart disease, reduced kidney function capacity and cancer can be mentioned among the complications of its unnecessary consumption. American researchers 26 concluded from a study of 200 food ingredients in 2,394 different products in the state of Ohio that the addition of phosphates to ready-made and semi-prepared foods is much higher than previously thought, and the increase is sometimes 50% more than what is stated on the labels!!
44% of the most popular food items have added phosphorus, and since foods with added phosphorus are cheaper than similar foods without phosphorus, it is not surprising that these types of products are more popular. Researchers conclude from this trend that consuming foods with added phosphorus is a health threat, especially for those who have weaker kidneys or are at risk of their bodies being constantly consumed by these substances. Other research shows that 72% of frozen ready meals contain high levels of phosphate. 70% of convenience foods such as tacos, chili, and chips also contain various phosphorus compounds. 57% of machine-made breads produced in the United States have added phosphate. For example, phosphate plays the role of a leavening agent. By adding phosphate, the dough takes on its natural shape in a short time without having to go through the preparation process of several hours and sometimes days due to the effect of sourdough.
It is noteworthy that Sangack bread, which is the result of a long (several days) fermentation of a special dough, has undergone enormous changes in the last few decades, so that by adding various chemicals, the long and healthy and valuable fermentation process that makes this nutritious bread special is prevented and something like leather is delivered to the workers and consumers. It is clear that the consumer value of the produced product is not of interest to the capitalist producer and seller, but is important to the consumer, but production determines the method, type and manner of consumption. When producers of ready-made and semi-finished foods add ingredients to their foods with the aim of attracting customers, they also create and develop the method of consumption and the desire to consume this product. Here a reciprocal relationship arises. This means that production has given birth to a new type of consumption, and new consumption creates a need for production. The production of new food products is always rooted in previous consumption, which has left its effects on the human mind and body. Therefore, consumption becomes the motivation for production and even the expansion of the sphere of capital accumulation. In capitalist relations of production, workers are the producers of all goods and capital, but not only are they unable to interfere in any way with the process and fate of these products, but capital, in pursuit of galactic profits, does whatever it wants to their lives, bodies, and health. The materials mentioned in this chapter (and in Appendix 5) were not discovered and used overnight. Capital is inherently captive to the fall in the rate of profit and is exposed to the onslaught of crises. With the occurrence of each crisis, the entire bourgeoisie, while feasting on the empty table of the working masses, sets out with all its intellectual wealth and resources to find and carry out a way out of the crisis and the resumption of a period of prosperity. The capitalists and their governments always, at every moment, and most of all in these conditions, think of ever greater mass production, the advance of all free capital, the ever greater decline in wages, the reduction of prices as much as possible, the heating up of the competitive market, and in a word, the achievement of ever greater profits.
In the same vein, and in line with price reductions, expanding sales and earning more profits, they turn to producing harmful, pathogenic and deadly goods. If five decades ago we were flipping through the pages of the food health organizations of capitalist governments and encountered a little criticism and complaint about the use of chemicals in food, today it is only necessary, useful and natural to show these substances as ornaments on their pages and lines. This is exactly the same time as the increase in the volume of additives, more harmful chemicals and even the simultaneous use of several substances. Many researchers, out of goodwill, advise capitalists to use harmless but expensive natural substances, reduce the quantity of chemicals and forgo the consumption of unnecessary substances, unaware that capital wants profit, capital thinks about its own self-expansion, profitability and greater growth, and ignores wise sermons and advice to protect human health. Every day, capitalism finds itself burdened with its inherent contradictions, its reproduction becomes more difficult, its profit rates fall more rapidly, its crises knock on its door more sharply and with greater urgency. Capitalism is inherently anti-human, but especially in these circumstances, killing crores and crores of people for every rial of profit is the most common thing that it welcomes. The goal of capital is not to satisfy the real needs of humans, but to generate profit. The goal of capital is not to balance production and the needs of human life, but rather to increase the burden of unpaid labor (surplus value) against paid labor (wages). When the rate of profit decreases, capital grabs every opportunity to stop this process. In this transition, various capitalists do everything they can to reduce production costs. They plan the production of goods that are cheaper to produce, have more customers, have more competitive power, and will give them a greater share of surplus value. To achieve this goal, they will take the path of committing any crime. These include fraud, new adventures in food products, making them attractive, changing the taste, smell and appearance of food through the use of harmful and poisonous substances and making them more popular at any cost, including at the cost of the inevitable threat to the health of the mass of workers and consumers. This is how we have witnessed the unbridled and continuous progress of capital in opening up the fields of poison production, especially after the Second World War, and in this process the capitalist fire-bringing states are omnipresent and powerful.
I wrote the above review about ten years ago. Now let’s see how it looks ten years later.
The Lancet Medical Journal: Ultra-processed dietary patterns: global trends over time 18 November 2025
Ultra-processed foods and human health: main hypothesis and evidence.
International experts in a global review cite research that now needs to be done to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods in diets around the world because they pose a health threat. They say people’s eating patterns are changing, shifting from fresh, whole foods to cheap, highly processed meals that increase the risk of a range of chronic diseases, including obesity and depression. “However, some scientists say the scientific review cannot prove that UPFs directly cause health harm and that more research and testing are needed to prove this,” a tactic that has been used for years by manufacturing companies, corporate-funded institutes and capitalist governments to surround any obstacles to the production of such substances with a thousand ifs and buts, doubts and doubts.
Ultra-processed foods are foods that contain more than five types of ingredients that are not normally found in our kitchens; such as emulsifiers, preservatives, additives, colorings, and sweeteners (all of these ingredients have been reviewed and discussed in the main article in the first volume of the above book with specific sources and data, and there is no need to repeat them in the current review). Examples of these foods include sausages, chips, sweets, biscuits, ready-made soups, soft drinks, ice cream, and factory-made breads. Studies show that the consumption of these ingredients in diets around the world is increasing, and by increasing sugar and unhealthy fats and reducing fiber and protein, it worsens the quality of nutrition. The study, which reviewed 104 long-term studies and was conducted by 43 international experts, found that there is a link between the consumption of these substances and an increased risk of 12 diseases. These diseases include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, depression and premature death from any cause. Carlos Monteiro, a professor at the University of São Paulo in Brazil and the designer of the “NOA” classification system, says that the increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods “is transforming diets around the world, replacing fresh and minimally processed foods.” He added that this change is being fueled by the profiteering of large global companies, which, by prioritizing these products and using extensive advertising and political lobbying, are preventing the implementation of effective public health policies for healthy nutrition. Philip Baker, a researcher at the University of Sydney and one of the authors of this article, has also said that “a strong, global public health response” is needed to counter this trend!!
Ultra-processed foods include: factory-made breads and breakfast cereals with added sugar, ready-made soups, ready-to-eat meals that are heated in the microwave, fruit yoghurts, processed meats such as sausages, ice cream, crisps and biscuits, soft drinks and some alcoholic drinks such as whisky, gin and rum. The Food and Drink Industry Federation says ultra-processed foods can be part of a balanced diet, such as frozen peas and wholemeal bread. The UK’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has also said the link between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and adverse health outcomes is “worrying”.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are aggressively marketed and engineered to be overly palatable, leading to frequent consumption and often replacing traditional, nutrient-rich foods. In many high-income countries, UPFs account for around 50% of household food consumption, and their consumption is rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income countries. These harms extend to the health of the planet. Industrial production, processing, and transportation of agricultural commodities are fossil-fuel intensive systems, and plastic packaging is ubiquitous in UPFs. The UPF industry generates huge revenues for capitalists in the sector, which support continued growth and fund corporate political campaigns to counter efforts to regulate UPFs. A handful of manufacturers, including Nestle, PepsiCo, Unilever and Coca-Cola, dominate the market. A comprehensive, government-led approach is needed to reverse the rise in UPF consumption.
Echoing the recommendations of the Lancet Commission, transforming food systems requires redirecting agricultural subsidies from large, multinational corporations. Instead, a diverse range of food producers should be supported in producing locally sourced, affordable, minimally processed foods and meals that are convenient and appealing to consumers. A tax on UPFs could help finance cash transfers for whole foods and other minimally processed foods to help protect low-income households. The UPF industry is emblematic of a food system increasingly controlled by multinational corporations that prioritize corporate profits over public health. The Lancet series reinforces the urgent need for policies to address the UPF challenge. This requires a coordinated and well-resourced global response with comprehensive and mutually reinforcing policies that address harmful corporate practices and break the UFP industry’s dominance of food systems around the world.
The Lancet further writes: “We assessed the first hypothesis through a narrative review of studies in which we applied Nova to three or more national food purchase or consumption surveys conducted in a single country over decades. Relevant studies were identified based on the authors’ long-standing knowledge and expertise in the field. In addition, we conducted preliminary analyses of food sales data from 93 countries.”
“The energy share of UPFs in total household food purchases almost tripled in Spain over three decades (11.0% to 31.7%), in Canada it more than doubled over eight decades (24.4% to 54.9%), and in Mexico and Brazil it increased from 10% to 23% over four decades (Figure 1). In Argentina, it increased from 19% to 29% over three decades. In China (3.5% to 10.4%) and South Korea (12.9% to 32.6%), the small share of UPFs in the diet tripled over three decades. In the United States20 and the United Kingdom, where consumption was already above 50%, it increased only slightly over two decades, indicating that dietary patterns in these countries were already well established and that this dietary pattern had indeed established its share in the production and consumption of food goods. All studies, except the UK study, reported statistically significant increasing trends.”
Figure 2 Time trend of the share of UPFs in nine countries estimated from repeated national food purchase or consumption surveys.
Multiple nutrient imbalances
A meta-analysis of national surveys from 13 countries (i.e., Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States) showed that diets with a higher energy share of UPFs had higher content of nutrients directly associated with chronic disease risk (i.e., free sugars, total fat, and saturated fat) and lower content of nutrients inversely associated with chronic disease risk (i.e., fiber, protein, potassium, zinc, magnesium, and several vitamins). Further analysis of eight of the 13 countries showed that reducing UPF intake to the lowest quintile significantly reduced the prevalence of diets with inadequate fiber or energy density, excessive free sugars, or saturated fat, and reduced the percentage of diets inadequate in all four parameters from 69.4% (in Canada) to 92.1% (in the United States). National surveys of children and adolescents in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States have shown that the energy contribution of UPFs is positively correlated with energy density and free sugars, and inversely correlated with fiber. Cross-sectional analyses of large cohorts in Europe, the United States, and Brazil have also found positive associations between the contribution of UPFs and nutrient profiles associated with chronic diseases.
Increased energy intake
This 13-country meta-analysis predicted an increase of 34.7 kcal (95% CI 14.7–54.7) in total daily energy intake for every 10% increase in the share of UPFs. This increase is consistent with the linear associations shown by the same meta-analysis between the share of UPFs and dietary nutrient profiles that contribute to excess energy intake (i.e. high free sugars, total and saturated fat, and low fiber and protein). An American study at Drexel University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) evaluated 14 adults in an 8-week experimental behavioral intervention designed to reduce UPF consumption. Three 24-hour food recalls were used before and after the intervention, and statistically significant reductions were reported in daily energy intake (2561 kcal to 1949 kcal), number of UPFs consumed (11.5/day to 6.2/day), and energy from UPFs (1944 kcal/day to 993 kcal/day).
To understand what the Lancet dietary recommendations are called, let’s examine the history of these recommendations, what the standard-bearers and philosophers have said over the last 60 years, and what their practical results have been.
In the introduction, I said that the goal of capitalist production is nothing other than profit, and it is aimed at obtaining increasingly golden profits that destroy nature, make the relationship between humans and nature contradictory and destructive, link the way in which this contradiction is broken and ruptured to the requirements of maximizing capital’s profit, and finally make finding the mechanisms of this profit-making without any boundaries the content of thought and logic of cognition and the foundation of people’s consciousness. Individuals, organizations, and colorful parties of the bourgeoisie, with this same consciousness and thought, approach the relationship between humans and nature with the approach of sacrificing everything for the sake of maximizing capital’s profit, and propose a dialogue to resolve the conflict between the two. In their inverted and inverted thinking, which is the evaporation of the process of capital’s valorization, they consider all the social changes and developments in history to be the product of the theories of a handful of philosophers and scholars and see themselves as among those “history-making” philosophers. It is their custom to engineer the public opinion of the working masses and their oppression by distorting the facts. Insist on them that they have the prescription for all pains in the grooves of their brains and are capable of eliminating all the environmental disasters created by the exploits of capital.
This group does this to keep capitalist relations of production out of the reach of the protest and struggle of the workers of the world. Meanwhile, the conscious workers, the workers who have freed their minds and consciousness from the pressure of the damage of these distortions, know very well that whatever destruction, pollution and destruction of nature is done by the hands of capital. They understand deeply that in order to free nature from these dangers, in order for nature to properly serve the real needs of human life, it is necessary to fight against capital, to throw away the false solutions of capitalism, to see the issue on a global level and to think about internationalist strategies. When bourgeois theorists deal with the historical issues of this field in past centuries, they present a scroll of ideas separated from the real data and the underlying practical developments. They put forward issues that will certainly shed light on the real roots of the incidents and disasters that have occurred and hide the relationship of these dark events with the capitalist mode of production. These arrogant saviors of capital who call themselves the conscience of humanity!! Don’t even think a little that their own occasional repetition of environmental issues is evidence of their disgrace and conclusive proof of the invalidity of all their theorizing. This constant repetition of issues screams that their word games have not solved any of the environmental problems, on the contrary, the great human disasters in this area have become more terrible at each moment than before. Their repeated and continuous clamour also screams the fact that the root of the problem is not in the deficit and lack of rhetoric and theorizing, but in the basis of the existence of capitalism. They do not even listen to the fatwas and opinions of their fellow citizens in the past to see that they have also expressed the same words in various forms and because their consciousness has been the consciousness of capital, because they have not explored the roots and, worse, they have blocked the way to this exploration, they have not only done nothing but have also blocked the way to find the right path and follow it. They are unable to understand the fact that what humanity needs is a fundamental change in the existing situation and not an interpretation of events. They do not understand that it is not theoretical inferences and ideas that shape human existence; on the contrary, it is the social existence of people that shapes their thoughts and opinions. For all these reasons, this group only contributes to the increasing perpetuation of disasters. The same points were repeated ten years ago regarding technical additives to food and supplements prescribed to consumers. As if these prescriptions resulted in the human nutritional status not becoming more sphincteric.!?
The inevitable and ever-growing contradictions of capitalism inevitably bring the intellectual representatives of this system to the fore, but only to expose these contradictions and to seek justification for their normalization and solvability by this system. They raise the flag of rebellion against environmental pollution in a quixotic and deceptive manner, using rhetoric to separate themselves from the statesmen and rulers of capital, dressing in a cloak of chastity and innocence, and after all this, they present to others a detailed record of the emergence, influence, and field of radiating environmental ideas in history. As is the tradition of the bourgeoisie, they separate these ideas from the mode of production that gave rise to them and from the expectations and interests of a certain social class that founded them. They create an independent and autonomous existence for ideas, they talk about miracles and magical effects, and they consider the owners of these ideas and thoughts as the saviors of humanity. The group in question uses all these tricks to introduce capitalism as a rational and humane system capable of solving all existing problems. They bring in Rousseau, who said, “Nature should not be dominated, but should be protected, because human life lies in nature.” They quote this phrase and at the same time they throw a curtain on these very clear facts: First, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Locke, Hobbes, and the like were thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment, interpreters of the expectations of the bourgeoisie of those days and interpreters of the philosophy, law, order, and ethics of the expanding system of wage slavery. Secondly, although capitalism in those days was by its very nature “oozing filth and blood from every pore”, it was still taking its first steps in terms of creating a world of misery and suffering for humanity, and it is worlds apart from what it has created for humanity at present. Thirdly, what problem does Rousseau and Depp have to solve when they say such and such things about millions of workers dying of cancer due to massive radioactive leaks in Chernobyl, Fukushima, Sellafield and other places?!!
The above “philosophers” are naturally unable to understand the fact that if we are to seek a word about the enormous dimensions of environmental dangers and the way to get rid of them, we have no choice but to look to people whose work has been to put their finger on the roots. In “The Condition of the English Working Class,” Frederick Engels speaks about the relationship between diseases and deaths, and the disability and injury of workers, with the dynamics of capital’s valorisation as far as the eye can see. Marx’s detailed references in the volumes of Capital about the working-class work and living environment and their close and inevitable relationship with the growth and accumulation of capital contain a world of education. If the intellectual representatives of capital consider it forbidden to refer to these works, which they necessarily do, it would be good to at least look at the writings of George Perkins Marsh in the nineteenth century about environmental destruction as a complication of the expansion of capitalism.
The fact is that until the years after the second imperialist war, bourgeois thinkers did not talk at all about the environment and its dangers to humanity. It is only since the mid-1960s that some discussions have been made by these people. It is from this period that terms and categories without any class and social content, lacking an address, within the framework of generalizations and in fact, nonsense and deceit about how to protect capitalist systems and functions enter bourgeois literature. Bertrand de Jouvenel, the French economist who is the founder of the term “political ecology”, speaks of “ecological conscience and awareness” in the mid-1960s. One of the reasons for the emergence and growth of environmental ideas in this period was the staggering growth of capitalism on an international level and its environmental destruction, the destruction of imperialist war and especially the atomic bomb and the contamination of radioactive materials in contact with nature and humanity, the huge growth of nuclear power plants and nuclear tests in connection with the competition of imperialist powers. The Paris student movement of 1968 was the starting point for the proposal of the necessity of some changes in order to prevent environmental destruction by students and intellectuals of the left in Europe. The result of this period was the expression of the experts who initially appeared with radical orientations but quickly fell into the lap of capital and capitalist institutions, they eventually became technocrats of the control apparatus and the redistribution of the surplus value of the labour of the world’s workers among the different sectors of capital.
Dennis Meadows, a professor at the University of Massachusetts and one of the founders of the Club of Rome in 1972 (a forum of these thinkers), raised the collapse of economic growth and population in his report (The Limits to Growth), which served as the platform of this forum, and wrote, “Intensification of industrialization, rapid population growth, the growth of malnutrition, the destruction of non-renewable resources, and the devastation of the environment. These are the consequences of a pattern that, given its crisis-causing nature, has structural limitations. Since the current unbridled pace is leading us to catastrophic results, we must move towards a more balanced society and find fundamental compromises and understandings for the earth that is ending… We must seek the ecologically sound management of the transition period and a sensible growth.”
The arrogant statements of these thinkers and their warnings have been repeated time and time again without the slightest change in the process of production, the process of accumulation and the destruction of the environment by capital. When global capitals generally invade all areas of the world with a high organic composition to achieve the desired and ideal rate of profit, when even the areas of exploitation of quasi-free labour are not able to find a solution to the decline in the rate of profit, and finally, the high capacity of capital and the high degree of productivity of labour are reaching astronomical proportions, the occasional belching of bourgeois intellectuals does not alleviate the pain of the capitalists’ concerns and only makes the intellectual blindness more obvious. The theme of reducing production and consumption is repeated in the Brundtland Report under the title of “Sustainable Development” in 1987, and as mentioned in the first chapter of this series, the latest report of the International Climate Forum and its recommendations in Berlin on April 14, 2014, talks about stopping production!! It has been nearly 50 years since the first report by US environmental researchers to Congress and its president, in which they emphasized the destructive effects of carbon dioxide and called for changes in economic policy to reduce environmental degradation. The repetition of this nonsense makes two points clear.
First: Since their thoughts and ideas are repeated without analysing the performance (or, in fact, non-performance) of similar ideas of their predecessors, the question arises whether this does not just show their ridiculous demagoguery.
Second: Demagoguery is certainly inherent in the bourgeoisie, but more importantly, the bourgeois intellect is essentially the intellect of capital, and, as Marx said, the intellect of capital that has dressed up as a human being and taken on the personification of a human being. Thinking and reasoning with this theme is not going to shout from the minarets that the root of all pollution and destruction of the environment lies in the existence of capital.
French sociologist Andre Gorz, who considered himself closer to Marx than all the intellectuals of the 1970s, says in his work called Ecology, “Advertising and marketing experts stimulate the needs, desires, and temptations of consumers, direct them, and cultivate them in line with the interests of the market and the sale of more and more goods, so that the way people consume becomes responsive to the ever-increasing profitability of capital.” (Quoted in the article) In Ecology, he moves from a critique of needs to a critique of social ethics. “Social and ecological ethics is that the earth is being destroyed and degraded, and therefore action must be taken. One of these actions is the critique of techniques that serve to dominate man and nature.” He believes that the concept of need in consumer culture is far from the real concept of need and forgets that capitalism both produces and creates need itself, and both of these are realities of this system. The arrogant bourgeois philosopher, who considers himself a materialist and apparently claims to criticize capitalism, escapes from the hard and tangible reality of this system into “ecological ethics” and, like the theistic preachers of his class, takes the path of supernatural ethics. When he returns from heaven to earth, he says about current issues in society: “Capitalism must be forced to accept environmental requirements, just as in the last century the working class fought for reduced working hours, weekly holidays, higher wages, free healthcare, and is currently struggling in various areas of socio-economic welfare.” He is teetering in the abyss of contradiction. He sees environmental disasters as the product of capitalism, but his thinking, strategies, and solutions are tied to the process of capital appreciation. In this regard and under the pressure of this contradiction, he formulates reform prescriptions and, like all leftist and social democratic parties, divides the struggle of the masses into two spheres: an economic one (including current environmental issues) which is considered within the power and vision of the workers, and a political sphere which is exclusive to us, the better ones and the parties!! Andre Gorz uses these demagoguery and self-deceptions to convince everyone that everything will be fine. “Taking into account environmental requirements has many opponents among business owners. But at the same time it also has enough capitalist supporters and its acceptance by the money powers is a serious possibility. As a result, it is better to stop playing the rocket game right now: the fight for the environment is not the ultimate goal, but only a stage. This fight can create problems for capitalism and force changes on it; but capitalism, after a long resistance relying on force or using trickery, finally retreats and includes the requirements in its calculations when the environmental deadlock becomes insurmountable. As it had done in other cases.” This is the word of the bourgeois materialist philosopher, who is also an environmentalist and a critic of the pollution of nature by capital. But the conscious workers know very well that with small changes and reforms here and there, neither capitalism will collapse nor will any improvement in the state of the environment naturally occur, nor will the terrifying acceleration of the development of pollution slow down. We cannot fight only to reduce misery, for the obvious reason that as long as the system that created and caused misery remains, there will be no news of even a reduction in the pressure of misfortunes. We are fighting against a system that is the source of all misery, including the destruction of the environment and work. Therefore, although the fight over the individual issues of our lives will not lead to the destruction of this system, we will turn each individual part of this fight into continuous rings of a huge and global war to destroy capitalism and establish a communist society. Our difference from the imaginary parties and intellectuals who sometimes claim to be critics of capitalism with the left is that, firstly, we organize both the daily economic struggle and the overthrow of this system ourselves and do not need any party or vanguard. We do not fragment and tear our struggle apart, for example, by engaging in a reformist economic struggle for hundreds of years and delegating the political struggle to parties and groups. Secondly, our daily struggles are at the same time a platform for raising awareness, organizing councils, exercising power against capital, and a field of preparation and preparation for the abolition of wage slavery. We know very well that capitalist economic-productive institutions never plan and invest on their own to make the working environment of workers more bearable. They never plan to produce goods that meet the greatest needs of people and guarantee their health. They do not think about education and health that will give the best results, and such things.
Our difference with the reformists is that we fight with the goal and direction of abolishing wage labour and destroying capitalist relations of production and we have no illusions about capitalism and its minor changes. Capitalist and in this regard, capitalist environmental thinkers always consider themselves to be ahead of history and the real movement of the masses and think that they are the ones who lead the masses with their words, writings and messages. Of course, in their writings, they never refer to the working class as a class, but rather see them as a collection of separate individuals who are waiting for a message and a prophet. The class interests and concerns of the workers are not important to them, and they see themselves as miracle workers who, with the help of a magical formula called ecological ethics, will simultaneously repair and humanize all the destruction in the environment, all the mire and filth caused by capitalism!!. The latest and most recent thinker of this kind is John Bellamy Foster, who considers himself the successor of Marx and his ideas!! He calls Marx’s description of communist society synonymous with the theory of “sustainable development” of capitalist thinkers!! The concept of “sustainable development”, which was the message of the bourgeois environmental movements of the 1970s in Europe, was the content of the Brundtland report entitled “Our Common Future” (in 1987) and then became the basis of the work of the United Nations conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Some of its provisions are as follows.
1. In sustainable development, people are the center of attention and humans, in harmony with nature, deserve a healthy and productive life.
2. Development is a right that must equally cover present and future generations.
3. Environmental protection is an inseparable part of development and cannot be considered in isolation.
These paragraphs continue with the same content and finally end as follows.
27. All governments and individuals should cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of cooperation in giving effect to the principles reflected in this Declaration and in the development of international law in the field of sustainable development.
In this way, Mr. Bellamy Foster really, really succeeds in linking Marx’s ideas and criticism of capitalism with the ridiculous thesis of “sustainable development of capitalism”!! No more disgusting and disgusting nonsense can be put together than this. The bourgeois rationalist shows us only one thing by juxtaposing these two ideas. How vulgar, ridiculous and repulsive is the struggle of the reactionary reformists of the bourgeoisie to restore the dignity of capitalism and scenarios such as the “sustainable development” of the United Nations. Today, bourgeois environmental theorists have themselves become part of the rotten, reactionary parliamentary system of capitalism and from within its frozen organs they raise a voice of criticism that “the capitalist model must be subordinated to the model of political ecology in order to overcome the crisis.” As if the political organs of this same system must return the formidable giant of capitalism to the bottle with their miraculous power. But we say that this system and relations of production have reached the highest phase of their historical degeneration and that any attempt to manipulate it has only the role of stirring up the mire and the more deadly rebellion of infections. Therefore, it is necessary to forever twist the scroll of reformist efforts of individuals and parties that only pursue the perpetuation of this system. It is time for the working masses to take control of the fate of their work, production and social life. This is the only way to liberate man. The way to achieve this goal is also very clear. We must get down to work. We must organize the soviets and anti-capitalists, make the deepest and most Marxist understanding of capitalist relations our consciousness. We must make this consciousness a weapon of war. With this weapon and the power of a conscious communist soviets, we fight against capital in all areas of social life, including the environment. In this regard, we became stronger, more aware, more organized and more united. On this basis of struggle, we learned the many ways of soviets. It overthrew capitalism and established a communist society that abolished wage labour. These are not academic fantasies, but the real way of life and liberation for the working masses. The history of human societies is the history of class struggle. The history of capitalist society is also the history of the struggle of the working class against capital. This war must and can take the path of victory. We must learn from mistakes and failures. Let us not forget that our current experiences have been acquired very dearly. The distance between the Paris Commune and the October Revolution was 46 years, all the evidence indicates that we did not learn from the Commune, fell into the trap of peaceful and militant social democracy and lost the October workers’ revolution. A hundred years have passed since the October Revolution, and during this period the capitalist class has used all its wealth, knowledge, experience and everything to crush and ground our class struggle. The huge cultural apparatuses of demagogy, the state systems and spy institutes, parliamentarism, the bourgeois narratives of socialism, have thrown everything at us. It is enough to look at this last category alone to see how during this time the entire power of the anti-wage war has captured the working class. We are the class that constitutes the vast majority of society, and most importantly, we are the ones who advance the struggle for human liberation with every stage of our class struggle and take a step forward in the work of human liberation with every step of our success. The struggle against the destruction of the environment by capitalism is also an organic link in this war. What is felt to be the need of this process, especially in recent years, is the raising of the communist consciousness of the billion-strong masses of the working class. This raising of consciousness is not the work of the so-called communist parties that want to be the leaders of the proletariat and rule over the working masses, but only the work of the conscious anti-wage workers everywhere present in the process of their own ongoing struggle. It is these who are trying to organize the working class in the soviets, who are making the Marx critique of the current objectivity of capitalist production relations in all aspects of social life a current of workers’ consciousness and knowledge, and as more conscious members of their class, they are working to exert an increasingly anti-capitalist influence on the course of their daily struggles. The existing mode of production and its relations have not only exploited successive generations of workers, not only transformed the fruits of their labour into capital and more massive capital, not only separated them from their work and made them disappear from existence, but have practically subjected their survival to the most brutal scourges by producing biocidal toxins, empty food, life-destroying energy, mountains of garbage, destroyed nature, rotten and dried-up lakes and reservoirs, smoke-filled air, and the growing wave of diseases caused by all this filth. The short history of capitalism’s inhuman existence has brought with it all the scourges of humanity. This history must be put to an end.
Appendix 5
Technical additives added to ready-made and semi-prepared foods (E number and functions)
- Food antioxidants. They are added to prevent oxygen from combining with food (oxidation).
| Code (Enumber) | Disadvantages | They are used in these foods |
| E310 | Cancer, asthma, eczema, allergies, liver | Potato powder, chewing gum, sweets, sauce, dessert, chips, fat, soup, dried meat |
| E311 | Asthma | liver damage like E310 |
| E312 | Asthma, cancer, skin diseases, fetal, throat, headache, liver | like E310 |
| E320 | Asthma, cancer, skin diseases, fetal, throat, headache | like E310 |
| E321 | like E320 | like fats used in restaurants, chewing gum, already meals |
| E325 | Liver damage in children | like E321 |
| E380 | Causes damage to the nervous system | like E325 |
| E385 | Causes liver damage and causes the absorption of heavy metals | Canned beans, peas and mushrooms, fish dishes, sauce |
| EDTA | causes kidney dysfunction | Foods containing fish, sauce |
2.Glazing agents. These are substances that give a transparent and attractive coating to food and food products. They include E901-E914
3. Packaging gases. They are used in food packaging. They include E938-E948.
4. Humectants.
5. Filling agents. They increase the volume of food products without adding to their nutritional value.
6. Food coloring. Used to color foods ranging from chocolates, candies to ice cream and ready meals. Includes the following ingredients:
| Code (Enumber) | Disadvantages | They are used in these foods |
| E100 | Cancer risk | All foods and prepared foods that can be colored, jam, marmalade, jelly |
| E102 | Asthma, ADHD, migraine, allergies, | soft drinks |
| E104 | Cancer, itchy skin, allergies | like E100 |
| E110 | Asthma, dilation of blood vessels, cancer, itchy skin, ADHD | like E102 |
| E120 | Fetal, hypersensitivity, ADHD, insomnia | insomnia All foods, cheese, jam, marmalade, sausage |
| E123 | Respiratory, cancer, fetal loss, itchy skin soft | drinks |
| E124 | Cancer, itchy skin, allergies, urinary problems Soft | drinks |
| E127 | Respiratory problems, cancer, brain function damage, iodine metabolism damage in the body, ADHD Soft | drinks |
| E131 | Cancer | All foods that can be coloured |
| E132 | Cancer, blood changes, liver damage, sensitivity to viral diseases, ADHD | Like E131 |
| E133 | Cancer, skin diseases, allergies, ADHD | Like E131 |
| E142 | Asthma, cancer, hypersensitivity, ADHD | Like E131 |
| E150 | Embryonic lesions, reduction of white blood cells, negative effect on the immune system, nerve damage, seizures | All foods that can be coloured |
| E151 | Cancer, severe allergy to fish eggs | All foods that can be coloured |
| E153 | Cancer | All foods that can be coloured |
| E160b | Severe allergy to some cheeses | margarine, desserts, chips, smoked fish, liqueur |
| E161g | Visual discomfort, Sensitivity to light and photosensitivity | French sausages |
| E171 | Severe allergy to all foods | can be coloured |
| E173 | Severe allergy to sugar products | |
| E174 | Lung and kidney problems, stomach and intestinal problems, skin discoloration | Chocolate products and liqueurs |
| E175 | Cancer, allergy, allergy | such as E174 |
7. Thickening agents. They are used to thicken foods and food ingredients.
Emulsifiers. Used to mix fatty substances and oils with water. Gasoline is used in the preparation of these substances (such as E322), and therefore there is some residual gasoline in foods such as margarines, ice cream and other fatty products in which emulsifiers are used.
| Code (Enumber) | Disadvantages | They are used in these foods |
| E322 | Lecithin can cause allergies | Emulsifying, stabilizing and thickening agents |
| E400 | Nervous disorders, allergies | All foods without limit of quantity |
| E401 | Nervous disorders, allergies | All foods without limit of quantity |
| E402 | Nervous disorders, allergies | All foods without limit of quantity |
| E403 | Nervous disorders, allergies | All foods without limit of quantity |
| E404 | Nervous disorders, allergies | All foods without limit of quantity |
| E405 | Nervous disorders, allergies | Margarine, mayonnaise, desserts, ice cream, prepared fruit, sugary products, chewing gum, sweets, beer, diet products, chips, liqueur |
| E407 | Cancer, fetal, liver and stomach lesions, allergies, intestinal infections | All foods without limit of quantity |
| E413 | habit cessation | Same as E407 All foods without limit of quantity |
| E414 | habit cessation for children | Same as E407 All foods without limit of quantity |
| E431 | Cancer, eczema, kidney and intestinal disorders | Wine |
| E432 | Cancer, eczema, kidney and intestinal disorders | Ice cream, sugary products, chewing gum, soups, sauces, sausages, desserts, milk, milk products |
| E433 | Cancer, eczema, kidney and intestinal disorders | such as E432 |
| E434 | Cancer, eczema, kidney and intestinal disorders | such as E432 |
| E435 | Cancer, eczema, kidney and intestinal disorders | such as E432 |
| E436 | Cancer, eczema, kidney and intestinal disorders | such as E432 |
| E442 | Kidney disorders, nerve cell damage | Chocolate, cocoa |
| E450 | Kidney damage, stomach and intestinal disorders, increased metabolism of heavy metals | Some cheeses, ice cream, sweets, soups, sauces, cornflakes, cookies |
| E452 | Similar to E450 | Similar to E450 |
| E460 | Fetal damage, allergies, intestinal disorders | such as E407 |
| E461 | Fetal damage, allergies, intestinal disorders | such as E407 |
| E463 | Fetal damage, allergies, intestinal disorders | such as E407 |
| E464 | Fetal damage, allergies, intestinal disorders | such as E407 |
| E465 | Fetal damage, allergies, intestinal disorders | such as E407 |
| E466 | Fetal damage, allergy, intestinal upset | such as E460 |
| E470a | Intestinal lining damage, allergy | such as E460 |
| E470b | Intestinal lining damage, allergy | such as E460 |
| E472a | Decreased sperm production, poisoning | such as E460, baby food, prepared meat food, ice cream, sugary products, chewing gum |
| E473 | Decreased sperm production, poisoning | such as E472a |
| E474 | Decreased sperm production, poisoning | such as E472a |
| E476 | Enlarged liver and kidneys, growth retardation, eczema, chocolate allergy | fat emulsion and sauce |
| E477 | such as E476 | fat emulsion, sweets, diet foods, ice cream, sugary products, sauce, chewing gum |
| E491 | Eczema, intestinal upset | Dessert, fat emulsion, sweets, diet foods, ice cream, sugary products, sauce, chewing gum, tea and spices Liquid |
| E492 | Same as E491 Allergy | Same as E491 |
| E493 | Same as E491 Cancer | Same as E491 |
| E494 | Same as E491 Cancer | Same as E491 |
| E495 | Same as E491 | Same as E491 |
8. Anti-caking agent. Added to foods in powder form to prevent them from becoming discolored over time.
| Code (Enumber) | Disadvantages | They are used in these foods |
| E535 | Contains the toxic substance Cyanide | Salt |
| E536 | Contains the toxic substance Cyanide | Salt |
| E538 | Contains the toxic substance Cyanide | Salt |
| E541 | Alzheimer’s Scone | Sponge Cake |
| E553a | Kidney Damage, Allergy | Powdered in Food, Cheese and Rice |
| E553b | Cancer | Powdered in Food, Cheese and Rice |
| E554 | Alzheimer’s | Powdered in Food, Cheese and Rice |
| E555 | Alzheimer’s | Powdered in Food, Cheese and Rice |
| E556 | Alzheimer’s | Powdered in Food, Cheese and Rice |
| E558 | Alzheimer’s, Cancer | Color Aid, Wine Clarifier |
| E559 | Alzheimer’s | Powdered in Food, Cheese and Rice |
| E577 | Lesions in the Intestinal Lining | All Foods No Limits |
| E578 | Intestinal Discomfort | All Foods No Limits |
| E579 | Cancer | Black Olive Colorant |
9. Preservatives or preservatives (food preservation). These substances are generally used to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi in food.
| Code (Enumber) | Disadvantages | They are used in these foods |
| E200 | Cancer, liver damage, allergy | Cheese, margarine, mayonnaise, dessert, syrup, dessert, marmalade, dried leaves, vegetables, bread, salad, soup and chips |
| E202 | liver damage, allergy | like E200 |
| E203 | liver damage, allergy, stomach-ache | like E200 |
| E210 | Asthma, skin disorder, growth disorder | Prepared fruits and vegetables, dessert, sugary products, marinated fish, soup, mayonnaise, salad, syrup, marmalade, jelly |
| E211 | Brain disorder, nervous disorder | like E210 |
| E212 | Allergy | like E210 |
| E213 | like E210 | like E210 |
| E214 | Asthma, eczema, skin disorder, migraine, allergy, sensitivity, ADHD | Sugary products, dried meat surface, increased fluids, chips |
| E215 | Asthma, runny nose | |
| E216 | Asthma | |
| E217 | Asthma | |
| E218 | Asthma, runny nose | |
| E219 | Asthma | |
| E220 | Respiratory and behavioral disorders, fetal lesions, intestinal changes, vomiting, anesthesia, genetic damage, allergies, vision impairment | Dried fruit, fruit and vegetable preparations, potato powder, fish preparations, barley beer, wine, liquor |
| E221 | Same as E220 | Same as E220 |
| E222 | Same as E220 | Same as E220 |
| E223 | Same as E220 | Same as E220 |
| E224 | Same as E220 | Same as E220 |
| E226 | Same as E220 | Same as E220 |
| E227 | Same as E220 | Same as E220 |
| E228 | Same as E220 | Same as E220 |
| E230 | Cancer, vomiting, nausea, liver and genetic lesions, pain in the hands, arms, bones and heart, allergies, runny nose | Citrus peel |
| E231 | Same as E230 | Same as E230 |
| E232 | Same as E230 | Same as E230 |
| E233 | Cancer, intestinal discomfort, nerves and blood | Citrus and banana peel |
| E235 | It is a type of antibiotic that kills microbes, so its use is harmful to beneficial intestinal bacteria. | It can be used in all foods |
| E239 | Cancer, genetic changes, kidney damage, allergies, toxic substance formaldehyde which causes allergies, eczema and cancer if inhaled | citrus peel and banana peel, Italian Provolone cheese |
| E249 | Cancer, fetal damage, poisoning, sudden death, allergies, genetic damage, tumours, production of nitrosamine which is a carcinogen | slow meat ingredients |
| E250, Natriumnitrit | such as E249 | Cheese, salted meats, marinated fish |
| E251 | such as E249 , slows down the production of nitrosamines, which is a carcinogenic substance | Same as E250 |
| E252 | E249 | E250 |
| E261 | Kidney damage | can be used in all foods |
| E262 | Fetal damage, allergies | can be used in all foods |
| E280 | Eczema, migraine, allergy | packaged bread |
| E282 | Skin discomfort, migraine, allergies | such as E280 |
| E284 | Stomach, intestinal and skin discomfort | caviar and fish eggs in general |
| E295 | Eczema | can be used in all foods |
| E297 | Eczema | sugar products, desserts, syrup powder, wine and confectionery powder |
10. Flavoring agents (E621-E635) are substances added to ready-made and semi-prepared foods to change or enhance the taste.
10. Flavoring agents (E621-E635) are substances added to ready-made and semi-prepared foods to change or enhance the taste.
| Code (Enumber) | Disadvantages | They are used in these foods |
| E621 | causes miscarriage and fetal damage, dementia, Alzheimer’s, menopause, liver damage, asthma, allergies and eye discomfort | Can be used in all foods |
| E622 | Same as E621 | Same as E621 |
| E623 | Same as E621 | Same as E621 |
| E624 | Same as E621 | Same as E621 |
| E626 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E627 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E628 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E629 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E630 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E631 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E632 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E633 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E634 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
| E635 | Joint pain and gout | gout Same as E621 |
11. Plasticizers (E331, E338-E352), which are generally phosphates, are used to soften margarines, cheeses, and semi-prepared foods (sauces, fish, and fish products), soups, ice cream, and desserts.
12. Sugar substitutes: These substances often sweeten food several times, or even thousands of times, as much as sugar. Their detrimental effects are generally to increase the body’s false desire and need for sweetness, which in turn increases insulin secretion.
| Code (Enumber) | Disadvantages | They are used in these foods |
| E420 | Cancer, allergy, intestinal and eye disorders | Dessert, ice cream, marmalade, sugary products |
| E421 | Cancer, kidney disorders, allergies | such as E420 |
| E950 | Cancer | Ice cream, dessert, sugary products, fruits and vegetables, cornflakes, marmalade, soup, sauce, syrup, drinks |
| E951 | Headache, cancer, depression, fetal, brain and menstrual lesions, sudden unconsciousness | such as E950 |
| E952 | Cancer, fetal lesions | Dessert, ice cream, sugary products, sweets |
| E954 | Cancer, fetal lesions, genetic lesions | Syrup, ice cream and sugary products |
| E967 | Cancer | such as E420 |
13. Table 1 Indicative values for AA (Acrylamide) in foodstuffs according to Commission Recommendation
2013/647/EU16 937
Amount of acrylamide in various foods (micrograms per kilogram of food)
| Foodstuff | Indicative value (μg/kg) |
| French fries ready-to-eat | 600 |
| Potato crisps from fresh potatoes and from potato dough Potato based crackers | 1000 |
| Soft bread Wheat based bread | 80 |
| Soft bread other than wheat based bread | 150 |
| Breakfast cereals (excl. porridge) – Bran bran products and whole grain cereals, gun puffed grain (gun puffed only relevant) | 400 |
| wheat and rye-based products | 300 |
| maize, oat, spelt, barley and rice-based products | 200 |
| Biscuits and wafers | 500 |
| Crackers with the exception of potato-based crackers | 500 |
| Crispbread | 450 |
| Gingerbread | 1000 |
| -Products similar to the other products in this category | 500 |
| Roast coffee | 450 |
| Instant (soluble coffee) | 950 |
| Coffee substitutes (a) coffee substitutes mainly based on cereals | 2000 |
| (b) other coffee substitutes | 4000 |
| Baby food, other than processed cereal based foods (a) not containing prunes | 50 |
| (b) containing prunes | 80 |
| Biscuits and rusks for infants and young children | 200 |
| Processed cereal based foods for infants and young children, excl. biscuits and rusks | 50 |
14. Table2 Overall representativeness of the food products within the European market
Food category Estimation of the EU market/volume share
A total of 20 countries is covered, and, in each case, the market leader is represented
| Food category Estimation of the EU market | volume share in percent (tonnes) of the market in 20 European countries |
| Baby food | 80 % of the market in the EU by volume |
| Breakfast cereals | 75 % of the market in the EU by volume |
| Coffee products | 70-80 % of the market in the EU by volume |
| Potato crisps from potato dough | 80 % of the market in the EU by volume |
| Potato crisps from fresh potatoes | 40-50 % of the market in the EU by volume |
| Pre-cooked French fries | Around 50 % share of the marketed pre-cooked |
| Crisp bread | Less than 50 % share of marketed crisp breads |
Sources:
17. EFSA Journal 20YY; volume (issue): NNNN EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
18. Ruth Winter, A Consumer of Food Additives
19. Beatrice Trumhunter, The Mirage of Safety
20. Roy Firus, Introduction-Dangerous food additives with E-number
21. Roy Firus, Min bok om mat och hälsa:
EFSA Journal 20YY; volume (issue): NNNN EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) 17
18 Ruth Winter, A Consumer of Food Additives
19. Beatrice Trumhunter, The Mirage of Safety
20. Roy Firus, Introduction-Dangerous food additives with E-number
21. Roy Firus, Min bok om mat och hälsa: www.bloglovin.com/blog/post/2784626/2448412071
22. Statistics Sweden
23. national food agency of Sweden http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article
24. national food agency of Sweden
25. Universities of Johns Hopkins, University of Alabama, American journal of clinical nutrition NHANES III.
26. ttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC3674209
Top Selling Foods in Grocery Stores, Janeen B. León
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)02322-0/fulltext
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01565-X/fulltext