An analysis by DailyMail.com found that American staples contain many times more additives than the same items in the UK.
For example, whole grain bread in the US contains almost three times as many ingredients as a similar bread in the UK.
There are now big differences between the same brand of spice in the two countries, with the American version containing more additives, sugar and other harmful substances.
European and British food laws are generally stricter and prohibit several toxic additives from remaining in products sold in the United States.
European and British food laws are generally stricter and prohibit several toxic additives from remaining in products sold in the United States. This means that American food often contains many more ingredients, as shown above
The more ingredients something contains, the more processed the food is.
Numerous studies show that eating too many highly processed foods dramatically increases the risk of premature death, dementia and heart disease.
Experts say a good rule of thumb is to aim for foods with no more than five ingredients.
DailyMail.com has selected six common foods and popular foods that Britons and Americans regularly buy and consume.
We analyzed the ingredients of the same products (or similar equivalents if the same brand was not available in both countries) from general supermarkets in each country, including Target and Walmart in the US and Tesco and Sainsbury’s in the UK.
Below, DailyMail.com highlights six common foods in the US and UK that, although they are the same products, differ drastically in their content:
Bread
This is crucial for some of your favorite foods: avocado toast, peanut butter and jelly, and grilled cheese.
But in America you use almost three times as many ingredients as one of the most common brands of wholemeal bread compared to a regular brand of bread in the UK.
Nature’s Own 100 per cent wholegrain sliced sandwich bread contains 33 ingredients, compared to the 13 ingredients in Warburtons wholegrain medium bread.
Although both contain the typical ingredients of flour, water and yeast, Nature’s Own also contains additives to improve the appearance of the products, such as monocalcium phosphate, an artificial compound used to obtain an even grain in baked goods.
Nutritionists told DailyMail.com that a short ingredient list indicates that something is natural, contains few additives and has undergone very little processing.
Another trick, according to Jessica Cording, a registered dietitian New Jerseyis to avoid items whose ingredients are difficult to pronounce.
Chips/chips
Doritos are a staple for snacking with friends and a household name in the snack world.
They are full of flavor, but also full of additives if you buy a bag in the US. Doritos Flamin’ Hot Nachos contain 41 ingredients listed on the package, including Red 40, Yellow 6 and Yellow 5 food colors.
These food dyes are believed to worsen attention problems in children.
The similar British product Doritos Chilli Heatwave does not list the food colors Red 40, Yellow 6 or Yellow 5 among its ingredients – and it contains just 19 ingredients.
Ketchup
You top your burger with it and dip your fries (or chips if you’re across the pond) in it, but the popular condiment isn’t made evenly around the world.
In the UK, a bottle of Heinz tomato ketchup contains seven ingredients, while in the US there are eight. Although the number of ingredients may be similar, the composition is not.
Not included in the UK version, but present in the US, are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. These are sweeteners made from corn starch, with high fructose glucose syrup containing more sugar than its regular counterpart.
Although they are not harmful substances either, added sugar and high fructose syrup are considered the leading causes of obesity in America.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 40 percent of Americans are currently obese, compared to 26 percent of people in the United Kingdom who are obese.
Grated cheese
Melt it over nachos or top your chili with it – grated cheese has endless uses.
And it has a ton of ingredients too – if you live in the US.
The average generic shop brand of soft grated cheddar cheese contains three times as many ingredients as in the UK, including coloring and a mold inhibitor.
In the British version of generic cheese, there are generally only two ingredients: milk and potato starch.
Deli meat
Deli meat is classified as a level 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization because it contains dangerous ingredients.
In both the US and the UK, generic turkey breast deli meat contains a harmful substance.
But in the US there are more than twice as many ingredients: ten compared to four in the UK.
pizza
A classic favorite, available in thin crust and deep form and can be served with almost any topping imaginable, including the controversial pineapple.
However, if you buy pizza from the popular Dominos chain in the US, you get a lot more than those who enjoy a slice of pizza in the UK.
The Buffalo Chicken Pizza in the US contains 27 ingredients in the grilled chicken topping alone, compared to six ingredients in the UK version.
While eating a large pizza is certainly not diet-friendly, the US version contains 700 more calories than the UK, at 2,720 calories compared to the UK’s 2,028.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
