In the UK, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) rules on food are “prove it’s safe before you use it”. The Government starts with a “no”, and a company has to provide a lot of scientific proof before an additive gets a green light. This is why you see far fewer artificial colours and other additives in British food—they have to pass a strict test first.
Across the pond in the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) takes a different approach. The government deems an ingredient is okay unless it’s shown to be harmful. This allows food companies to introduce many new additives without waiting for formal government approval, which is why the list of ingredients in a snack from the US is often much longer than the same snack sold in the UK. Mountain Dew is just one example of an item with differing ingredients.
In the US, Dew uses brominated vegetable oil, which is banned in the UK and most of Europe. HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup) is used to sweeten the US product, but in the UK, it’s just normal, plain sugar.
Supermarket bread is another sticking point for banned products. As Vice reported, Potassium Bromate was used as a flour improver to make bread dough rise higher and create a better texture.
1. Potassium Bromate
The powder enhances texture and whitens bread, primarily in commercial bakeries.
Britain prohibited potassium bromate following research linking it to cancer in laboratory animals. California enacted a prohibition in 2023, though it will take effect in 2027.
Meanwhile, the FDA continues permitting potassium bromate in food at restricted quantities.
This early ban by the UK (and later the wider EU) is a key example of the precautionary principle in action, a contrast to the slower, less decisive approach taken by the FDA in the US.
2. Azodicarbonamide (ADA)
Azodicarbonamide, or ADA, is a chemical that’s widely used in the US as a dough conditioner to make bread more pliable and consistent. Like potassium Bromate, it’s also a bleaching agent for flour.
While the FDA considers it safe in very small amounts, the UK (and the entire European Union) banned it completely due to the precautionary principle and concerns over its health risks, including asthma and breathing problems from prolonged industrial exposure.
Studies have shown that when ADA is baked, it breaks down into other chemicals, including semicarbazide and urethane, which are suspected carcinogens.
The UK decided that even the potential for harm, however small, was enough to justify a ban on this “yoga mat chemical,” which is often used in yoga mats and shoe soles. However, the US controversially concluded that the levels of these byproducts in food are too low to be a concern.
3. Mineral Oil Hydrocarbons (MOAH and MOSH)
Many individuals presume the FDA prohibits harmful substances. However, regarding food additives, the US frequently delays action until harm occurs.
Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons (MOSH) are a large group of chemical compounds derived from crude oil and are legal in food products across the pond.
They’re not intentionally added to food, but they often make their way in through packaging and processing.
These petroleum-derived substances grabbed attention following Britain’s discovery of them in Jolly Ranchers. The Food Standards Agency cautioned that MOAH might harm DNA and heighten cancer risk over prolonged periods.
The UK treats MOAH as a contaminant that should not be present in food at all. While MOSH is considered less of a direct risk, it has been found to accumulate in human organs like the liver and lymph nodes.
4. Artificial dyes
Many artificial dyes are used in both countries, but the UK has taken a much stricter stance, particularly on those linked to hyperactivity in children. While not all are completely banned, they are subject to a voluntary phase-out by manufacturers and products containing them must carry a warning label, including:
- Allura Red AC (Red 40)
- Tartrazine (Yellow 5)
- Sunset Yellow FCF (Yellow 6)