Did you know that the mozzarella you eat contains titanium and custard contains petroleum?

We are very 'fans' of

, those that enter our eyes before we put them in our mouths.

Also of the

, those that cause a storm of sensations in our taste buds.

And, put to order, we love that the food

beyond reasonable limits.

Well, well, paraphrasing the dance teacher from 'Fama' (a reference that the youngest probably won't understand), our 'likes' have a price and, sooner or later,

.

Or perhaps we are so delusional that we believe that

by nature or that that envelope soup that is prepared in a 'pispás' is tastier than the one our mothers prepared for us because its manufacturer uses only the best meats, bones and vegetables from the market?

Well no.

All those 'tweaks' to make food more attractive to our selective eyes and capricious palates have a rather disturbing background.

"

are chemical substances that are added to food in order to

: color, taste, smell or texture," explains Vicente Mera, head of Internal Medicine and head of the Healthy Aging Unit at SHA Wellness Clinic.

To give this issue the magnitude it deserves, Mera warns us that "in Europe, there are more than

In other regions of the world, for their part, other initials are used: SIN (International System number) in Latin America; or INS (International Numeric System) in the United States. The numbers are always the same; but the regulations and restrictions may change depending on the territories in which they apply".

Although, at this point, we should do it, Mera reminds us of the importance of "

in which the additives can be specified by

, by the generic name, or by both".

Although not all additives have proven toxicity, he continues, "suspicion always falls on a chemical that is added to food."

Because, there is no doubt that "when the characteristics of some of the additives are read, it is surprising that their origin or their characteristics

".

For proof, these buttons that Dr. Mera lists:

Tartrazine (E102):

It is an intense yellow dye

(very common in custard, flans or cookies) that is used alone, or in combination to give green tones.

It is associated with numerous cases of hypersensitivity.

Glutamate (E621):

It is a flavor enhancer that produces an umami taste sensation (tasty in Japanese) that acts on certain brain receptors that encourage you to eat more.

Apart from oriental food, it is introduced into

foods to encourage their consumption.

Titanium (E171):

It is a

.

The potential toxicity of nanoparticles can cause chromosomal alterations and even colon cancer, as has been observed in some animal research.

For this reason, its use has begun to be prohibited in certain countries such as France.

Aspartame (E951):

It is a

with a high content of phenylalanine that is widely used.

In high doses, it could cause diarrhea acutely, and cancer chronically.

That said, it's all very disturbing.

Above all, that we swallow it without questioning anything.

Conforms to The Trust Project criteria

Know more

• Petroleum

• Europe

• USA

• Colon cancer

• France