be prudent therefore to limit the amount of smoked and cured
foods that you eat, many of which are high in saturated fats
anyway. Two of the most common food additives are the
preservatives BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated
hydroxytoluene). They are used extensively in dry cereals,
shortenings, instant potato products, active dry yeast, and dry
drink and dessert mixes. These two compounds have been around
for many years, with no convincing evidence that they cause
cancer or any other chronic diseases. There is no evidence,
either, that the 100 or so milligrams of various food colors
that we eat every day increases our risk of developing cancer.
Many of the indirect contaminants present in food can cause
illness in humans at high levels. The amounts found in food,
though, are so small that any risk they might pose is
negligible. The one exception to this might be the microbial
contaminant called aflatoxin, produced by a mold that infects
corn and peanuts. Aflatoxin is among the most potent canc