If you ever needed proof that most of what we eat isn’t actually food, just look at the difference in food regulations between the US and the EU.
- The European Union allows ~400 food additives.
- The United States allows over 10,000.
That’s right—10,000 different chemicals, preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, colors, and compounds are legally permitted in American food, many of which have been banned elsewhere due to health concerns.
And the result?
- 75% of today’s food in the US is ultra-processed, meaning it cannot be replicated in a kitchen—because no normal person stocks titanium dioxide, butylated hydroxytoluene, or polysorbate 80 in their pantry.
If You Can’t Make It, Is It Really Food?
Here’s a simple test: Can you take basic ingredients and recreate the food in your own kitchen?
Real food? Yes.
Ultra-processed food? Absolutely not.
Because most of what’s on grocery store shelves isn’t food—it’s a hyper-engineered science project designed for shelf stability, addiction, and maximum profit.
We’re talking about:
- Preservatives to extend shelf life unnaturally.
- Emulsifiers and stabilizers that change texture.
- Artificial dyes banned in other countries for health risks.
- Flavor enhancers that hijack taste perception.
- Seed oils and chemically altered fats that distort natural nutrition.
All of these exist not to nourish—but to create products that are cheap to make, easy to store, and designed to be hyper-palatable so people keep buying more.
Why Are These Allowed in the US but Banned Elsewhere?
The EU has a strict, precautionary approach to food additives—meaning if there’s a credible risk of harm, they ban or severely restrict its use.
The US, on the other hand?
Regulations here prioritize corporate profit over consumer health.
Many harmful additives were grandfathered into approval decades ago, and getting them banned or restricted now requires years of legal battles, research funding, and industry pushback.
Meanwhile, companies keep churning out new formulations, loopholing their way around restrictions, and marketing ultra-processed junk as “healthy” and “natural.”
We Need to Wake Up to What’s Actually Happening
Most American food isn’t food—it’s chemically engineered for maximum sales, not maximum health.
If 75% of what’s on shelves can’t be made in a normal kitchen, that means we aren’t just dealing with “processed food.” We’re dealing with a full-scale nutritional deception that convinces people this stuff is normal.
It’s time to rethink what we’re eating, what we’re allowing in our food system, and what we define as “acceptable” when it comes to health and sustainability.
What do you think? Are food additives out of control, or do we just not talk about it enough? Pull up a chair—let’s dig into this mess.
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