Many of the foods we eat are chock-full of food additives such as preservatives, flavor enhancers, food colorings, and even hormones. These additives are used to add color, flavor, enhance flavor, sweeten, and preserve food freshness. New additives must pass very rigid government safety tests before they are considered safe for consumers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the entity responsible for approving additives used in foods. The FDA sets safety standards, determines whether a substance is safe for its intended use, decides what type of foods the additive can be used in, what amounts it can be used in, and how it must be indicated on food labels.

Regulating Additives

Some additives are labeled as “Generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) because they have an extensive history of safe use or because existing scientific evidence indicates their safe use in foods. There is an extensive list of GRAS additives, which the FDA and USDA re-evaluate from time to time.

Additives fall into three categories: prior-approved substances, regulated additives, and color additives. Prior-approved substances are additives that were approved prior to the 1958 Food Additives Amendment, which made the FDA responsible for approving additives. Regulated additives are not considered as GRAS or prior-approved until they are fully approved and go through rigorous testing. Before color additives can be used in food, they need to be tested the same as regulated food additives.

Most food additives are safe during pregnancy unless you have a known reaction or specific allergy to certain food additives. As a pregnant woman, you should get in the habit of reading labels carefully, especially if you are sensitive to any food additives or colorings. If you are concerned about food additives, the best advice is to eat a wide variety of fresh foods. A diet high in whole grains, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and fresh meats can help you avoid excessive amounts of some food additives.

MSG

Monosodium glutamate, known as MSG, is used as a flavor enhancer. MSG does not add a flavor of its own to food; instead, it enhances or intensifies the natural salty taste of many processed foods. Although the additive is best known for its use in Chinese food, it is also incorporated into many other processed foods. MSG is made up of sodium and glutamate, or glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is an amino acid that is found naturally in the body and in high protein foods. The FDA classifies MSG as a “generally recognized as safe” additive. Because some people have an adverse reaction to it, the FDA requires all foods that contain MSG to indicate it as an ingredient on the label. In sensitive people, whether pregnant or not, MSG can trigger headaches, nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbances, and dizziness. More severe symptoms include breathing problems, chest pains, and increased blood pressure. Some studies in mice have shown possible birth defects and behavioral problems when MSG is consumed in large amounts, but no correlation has been established for humans. The FDA believes MSG is safe for the majority of the population to consume.

The bottom line is that if you are worried about ingesting MSG during pregnancy and how it may affect you and your baby, you should become aware of what foods contain it and limit your intake.

Olestra

Olean, also known as Olestra, is a noncaloric fat substitute that is made of a synthetic mixture of sugar and vegetable oil. Olestra was certified as safe by the FDA in 1996 and was approved for use in snack foods including potato chips, tortilla chips, and crackers. Some of these products include the Lay's WOW snacks, Doritos, and Pringles. Olestra basically passes through the body undigested. Because it is not absorbed, there is no danger in pregnant women of its reaching the fetus.

However, there can be some negative effects from eating Olestra. It does interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. For that reason, the manufacturer is required to fortify Olestra products with those vitamins. The product also causes mild gastrointestinal discomfort such as diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramping, and greasy stools. The FDA initially required that Olestra products be labeled with a warning of the artificial fat's gastrointestinal affects. Recently, the FDA dropped the requirement because the effects are only mild for most people.

During pregnancy, you probably already deal with plenty of gastrointestinal discomforts. There is no need to compound these problems with foods that contain Olestra. In addition, they provide no real nutritional value. This is a time when you need foods that contain loads of nutrition. There are much better choices when it comes to snacks. Don't get yourself into the habit of snacking on chips, whether they contain fat or not. Instead, get in the habit of snacking on fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and other healthier foods.