What’s Really In Your Food?
A conversation in the cereal aisle, shared as a guest article from Dr. Tiffany Troso-Sandoval.
This Is Not A New Conversation
Back in the 1970s and 80s, researchers were already sounding alarms about nitrites and nitrates in our food. A 1978 FDA study raised concerns. By 1985, studies were linking these preservatives to gastric cancer. The food industry pushed back hard, and the debate faded into the background noise of nutritional science.
But the evidence never really went away. It just kept quietly accumulating.
I was standing in the cereal aisle of Whole Foods last December with my daughter, Gabriella, home on winter break from her neuroscience program. She picked up a box of granola and started reading the ingredient list out loud.
Problems In The Box
“Potassium sorbate. Sodium benzoate. Calcium propionate.” She paused. “Mom, we literally just covered these in organic chemistry. Potassium sorbate is a salt of sorbic acid. It’s a weak acid that disrupts microbial cell membranes by interfering with amino acid transport.”
I looked at the box. Healthy-looking granola. Wholesome packaging. A laundry list of preservatives.
“Keep reading,” I said.
