New research is raising serious concerns about what’s really hiding in your food. A large-scale study involving over 100,000 adults has linked specific combinations of food additives—found in many everyday products—to a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
These additives are not rare. They’re everywhere—from sauces and desserts to diet sodas and convenience foods. While past safety tests have only looked at individual additives, this study from French researchers at Inserm, INRAE, and Sorbonne Paris Nord University is the first to assess the impact of additive mixtures.
Using detailed dietary records and health data tracked over 7.7 years, the team identified five common additive combinations. Two of these were strongly linked to increased diabetes risk:
- One mixture includes emulsifiers and preservatives like carrageenan, modified starches, guar gum, and potassium sorbate—found in processed sauces, stocks, and desserts.
- The second mixture is found mostly in artificially sweetened drinks and sodas and includes sweeteners, acidifiers, and colorants such as aspartame, citric acid, and caramel coloring.
These substances may interact with one another, amplifying harmful effects through what scientists call “cocktail effects.” This means consuming multiple additives together may be far riskier than previously thought—even when your overall diet looks healthy.
What does this mean for you? If you rely heavily on ultra-processed foods or diet drinks, you could be unknowingly increasing your long-term risk of type 2 diabetes.
Researchers stress that more studies are needed to confirm a direct cause, but the evidence is strong enough to urge caution and reduced consumption of unnecessary additives.
Check your labels. The ingredients hiding in plain sight may be doing more than just flavoring your food—they could be silently harming your health.
