I first became aware of the additives in dairy when I was writing my eBook last summer. Reading labels is now normal before anything hits my shopping cart, so when I turned around a container of cottage cheese (just to make sure) I was stunned! It contained 16 ingredients when I knew darn tootin’ well that it didn’t take nearly that many to make cottage cheese at home.
Added chemicals, preservatives and man-made junk is everywhere in our foods and I don’t know about you, but it’s hard to keep it all straight as to what I should be worried about and what I shouldn’t be.
This list is a great majority of the common additives found in dairy products. I surveyed all sorts of dairy: yogurt, traditional cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, milk, creamer, sour cream… and there were additives everywhere.
This list should help you decipher what additives are okay to deal with and which you should put your foot down on. Remember though – this is just my opinion and a broad overview of what’s out there. This list is not exhaustive, but I’m hoping it’ll help out a little bit the next time you turn a tub of something around and wonder, “What in the world is that and why is it in my dairy?!”
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and the opinions in this article should not be misconstrued as medical advice. I am just a mom trying to feed her family the best food possible, without any artificial additives.
30 Dairy Additives You Should Know About
Acesulfame Potassium
What it is: Artificial sweetener, commonly found in the little pink packets.
Is it okay to eat? No. Found to produce lung, breast, and organ tumors in rats, as well as leukemia and chronic respiratory disease. Humans exposed to acesulfame potassium over the long term have experienced side effects such as headaches, mental confusion, nausea, depression, and consequences on the liver and kidneys.
Annatto
What it is: An orange-yellow food coloring extract from the seeds of the Boxa Orellana tree.
Is it okay to eat? No. Annatto is an artificial color that can cause headaches, irritability, restlessness, as well as adverse reactions in the skin, gastrointestinal, airway, and central nervous system.
Carmine
What it is: Red/pink coloring derived from female cochnieal beetles.
Is it okay to eat? Maybe. Shown to cause allergic reactions like sneezing, asthma and even anaphylactic shock to those who are allergic to the bug.
Carrageenan
What it is: Used as a thickener, it’s extracted from red seaweed and contains no nutritional value.
Is it okay to eat? No. Exposure to carrageenan causes inflammation throughout the body, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and arteriosclerosis. Carrageenan is so effective at causing inflammation that it’s used to test anti-inflammatory drugs.
Citric Acid
What it is: A compound created by the fermentation of either beet sugar or corn sugar while in the presence of fungus Aspergillus niger.
Is it okay to eat? Maybe. Avoid if you are allergic to the mold strain Aspergillus niger, or very concerned about GMO products (since it’s likely being fermented with either GMO sugar or GMO corn).
Diglycerides
What it is: Similar to trans fat, these are fats that have been heated and treated in such a way that the molecules in the end result have been rearranged to an unnatural position.
Is it okay to eat? No. The process of creating these is eerily similar to trans fat, which I avoid like the plague. I would treat monoglycerides and diglycerides the same.
Fructose
What it is: An artificial sweetener usually derived from corn.
Is it okay to eat? No. It’s been shown to contribute to obesity, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer, arthritis and elevated blood pressure. When creating high fructose corn syrup, manufacturers start here.
Modified Corn Starch
What it is: A derivative of corn starch. The type of derivative depends on how it will be used.
Is it okay to eat? Maybe. It originates from corn, so there’s a good chance it’s GMO. It also has a high probability of being contaminated with wheat, potato rice, or tapioca.
Monoglycerides
What it is: Similar to trans fat, these are fats that have been heated and treated in such a way that the molecules in the end result have been rearranged to an unnatural position.
Is it okay to eat? No. The process of creating these is eerily similar to trans fat, which I avoid like the plague. I would treat monoglycerides and diglycerides the same.
Polysorbate 80
What it is: An emulsifying agent made of corn, palm oil, and petroleum that does not ever spoil.
Is it okay to eat? No. It’s been linked to infertility and ovary deformities in animals. It’s also shown to increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart failure in patients at risk. Also, it may increase the risk of tumor growth in cancer patients.
Powdered Cellulose
What it is: Tiny pieces of raw plant fibers that have been processed in various chemicals.
Is it okay to eat? No. It’s used to block out moisture to prevent shredded or chunks of cheese from sticking together, but you can avoid this by buying a large block of cheese and shredding it yourself.
Soy Lecithin
What it is: The sludge leftover when raw soybean oil has gone through the “de-gumming” process.
Is it okay to eat? No. As a waste product, it’s filled with chemical solvents used in the manufacturing process and pesticides from the agricultural fields. As a derivative of soy, it’s also likely genetically modified.
Sucralose
What it is: An artificial sweetener, commonly found in little yellow packets. Also known as Splenda.
Is it okay to eat? No. Sucralose has been proven to cause several serious medical conditions including seizures, dizziness, migraines, blurred vision, and gastrointestinal problems. It also increases blood sugar and causes weight gain.
Sugar
What it is: Sugar.
Is it okay to eat? No. 🙂
Vitamin A Acetate
What it is: Synthetic form of Vitamin A.
Is it okay to eat? No. I don’t believe in eating any form of any synthetic vitamin when it’s too easy to consume real foods that offer the real thing.
Vitamin A Palmitate
What it is: Vitamin A mixed with palm oil
Is it okay to eat? No. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin found naturally within the fat of food. When the fat is removed, vitamin A and other fat-soluble vitamins are removed as well. To make up for the loss of nutrition, vitamin A palmitate (mixed with palm oil so that it is soluble) is added in its place.
Other additives I personally would avoid if possible, but aren’t deal breakers (in alphabetical order):
- Calcium Phosphate
- Disodium Phosphate
- Guar Gum
- Lactic Acid
- Locust Bean Gum
- Milk Protein Concentrate
- Natamycin
- Sodium Phosphate
- Vitamin D3
- Xanthan gum
Additives from natural sources and shouldn’t be much of a concern:
- Apocarotenal Powder
- Beta Carotene
- Malic Acid
- Pectin
What SHOULD my dairy contain?
- Cheese should contain milk (possibly cultured milk), enzymes, and salt. Some cheeses may contain rennet as well.
- Cottage cheese should contain cultured milk and salt. It may also contain specific cultures, enzymes, and cream.
- Milk should contain milk, but nearly every jug in a store will have Vitamin D3 added.
- Yogurt should contain milk and live cultures.
- Sour cream should contain cultured cream.
Note that these explanations are very basic. I could write for days on each individual additive and how it affects the body and who should avoid it and why, so I’ll offer you this thought:
If you have specific gut issues or severe allergies, be sure to investigate the common additives in your foods too. Many of those could be the cause of your symptoms.
FoodFacts.com is a good place to start if you’re wondering what a specific additive is, but be diligent and check other sources too.
Have you found any weird additives in your dairy products and wondered what they were? How do you feel about these chemicals being added to your food when they can be created just as well without them?
30 Minute Dinners Sample Meal Plan
Sign up to get instant access to my 30 Minute Dinners Sample Meal Plan, complete with recipes and step-by-step instructions!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. By making a purchase through those links, I will earn a commission that helps to keep the lights on in the Crumbs house – with no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Crumbs in this way. Read my full disclosure statement here.
Thank you. This was very informative. According to scientist, Ray Peat, who has a free website with info and doesn’t sell anything, all gums are bad for the gut.
I like that Ray isn’t selling anything. I feel that makes him more trustworthy. A lot of people follow his advice. Some call it metabolic eating, I believe.
Have you ever looked at the back of a jug of cream? In Canada, it’s chock full of ingredients! It is hard to find pure cream on the shelves unless you are buying organic or from a farm. It’s sad when something apparently a single ingredient product has been messed with so much.
I’ve noticed that cheeses seem to last much longer in the fridge than they used to before beginning to mold. Is this a result of fresher delivery to the store shelves, or have they added any new preservatives? I can’t seem to find anything about this online. I repackage my cheese in smaller portions in vacuum sealed bags as soon as I get it. That said, the smaller blocks that I’ve opened can last for months. I haven’t thrown away moldy cheese in ages. It’s a little bit worrying. 🤷♀️
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Of course, there are so many variables like quality of milk from the cow (organic vs. non organic), region the cow was raised, conditions for the cow, and the handling of the milk and cheese by manufacturers and, of course, you. We can’t really say why your cheese stays good for so long. We can all agree that manufacturing processes, for shelf life & etc., have definitely changed over the years – not necessarily for the good. My thoughts? Buy organic and more ethically sourced cheese, and see if there’s a difference in how long it lasts.
A comparison of powdered milk brands revealed that ingredients
that are NOT disclosed can also cause problems, not only for your
plumbing, but also for your gustatory and neurological senses.
Is powdered cellulose also added to powdered milk as well as
the now highly disclosed powdered parmesan? One brand contained
a chemical that immediately made my mouth pucker or dehydrate.
Upon further inspection of the packaging there were unsealed portions
along the lower curve of the circular openings used for hanging products
on display shelves. However, it also happened with a package that was fully
sealed. Pesticide? Too much of a phosphate or nitrate?
Hi Elaine,
We’re not sure if powdered cellulose is also added to powdered milk or powdered parmesan. You can contact the companies to ask!
Yes you are all right and thanks for this nice post. Very informative. I always prefer non gmo and non additives.
If possible always buy from your local farmers rather than from stores. Here in West Africa it’s still possible to buy all u need directly from the farm. Be it dairy products or meat or food stuffs at low prices all natural fresh and void of junk additives
I’ve become allergic to cream cheese and some cream products My eyelids were suddenly swollen, often near shut. I went through allergy testing but the allergist said since it was “only my eyes” he wasn’t going to treat it. He also said he hadn’t seen it before. It was my husband that checked some of the products we had and found an additive that was known to cause some allergies. Once I eliminated those products and took a daily fish oil pill (a friend’s recommendation), I am fine. Some of the products we’ve bought for decades now have additives. I hadn’t checked those labels since they were well known.
Just a few months ago I turned a milk carton around and read the ingredients, which I thought should say-milk. I was shocked, SHOCKED at how much junk was added to our labeled “whole milk”. Label needs to read “whole milk and a TON of un-needed chemicals!” Read your labels…so very important to our health now. Buy from farmers markets when possible, whole foods there with nothing added but a few hours of fun shopping.
Great article! Thanks for your research and thoughts on this. It’s becomes increasingly scary to put solid healthy foods on the table for me and my family, especially for snacks when it’s easy to give the kids Greek yogurt, etc. Do you have any recommendations for brands, or places to buy, wholesome dairy foods? I can’t find anything at Walmart that doesn’t have the additives that you’ve mentioned!
Hi Holly! I tend to shop at Costco, ALDI, Walmart and Kroger. Between these stores, I can find dairy that doesn’t have the additives mentioned. I know it’s not always easy, but don’t give up! ♥
Thanks so much! I’m keeping my eyes open. Spent extra time at the market today looking at labels and found some brands to try. Little by little, we’ll get there!
Tiffany, have you found a good heavy whipping cream? Aldi’s price is amazing but has lots of bad things in it. I don’t use it a lot, but do love it to make whipped cream as an alternative to Cool Whip.
Heavy cream is really hit and miss Lydia. I haven’t narrowed down a particular brand yet, because most have carageenan. I’m thinking the best bet would be a local health foods store.
It is a challenge to find additive free whipping cream. It’s out there, though. I found that Daisy Brand is always good. I don’t know how many states it is distributed in but here in California it is availale in some loxal supermarkets and natural food stores.
Searching for additive-free dairy is sometimes like wading through a swamp in the fog. I am continually shocked at what goes into some of these well-known brands. I shop at Trader Joes a lot and when I found that there was carrageenan in the cottage cheese, I got on their website and bitched like a dog barking at a coyote.
I also got on the Knudson site and found a way to register a complaint. Sometimes this approach works. In California, I have discovered Daisy brand dairy products that have no additives. They are affordable and available in some regular grocery stores.
I often wonder how a pioneer woman did it with having to make EVERYTHING from scratch. I make my own yogurt and ghee. I also make most everything from scratch with the highest quality ingredients I can afford. It’s a lot of work but worth it. Thanks for your great blog.
I don’t understand the aversion to all Genetically Modified Organisms. All organisms that reproduce sexually are, in a broad sense, genetically modified. And humans have been cross breeding and artificially selecting organisms since the dawn of agriculture. That inherently means that the organisms were genetically modified. I do understand the aversion people have to organisms whose genetics have been specifically modified at the macromolecular level, but not all GMOs are necessarily modified in that way.
Hi Monsatan,
You couldn’t be more wrong. Organisms that reproduce sexually have limited possibilities for genetic recombination. A fish and a bacterium and a tomato can’t mate and produce offspring that expresses pesticide toxins resists freezing.