Do you read food labels? Here is why ingredients matter in everything you consume

Poland has recently set a European record in terms of rising consumer awareness. Research conducted by the National Centre for Public Opinion Research shows that over 60% of shoppers now regularly check food labels, compared to less than 30% a decade ago. Yet experts warn: simply reading labels is not enough if you don’t understand what each ingredient actually means. The problem arises when consumers face choices between products containing E621 or “natural flavoring” — often without realizing that both terms can mask similar substances.

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Hidden Chemistry in Everyday Diets

Food labels can often resemble a code that requires specialized knowledge to decode. For example, when a product lists “hydrogenated vegetable fats,” most consumers may not realize they are dealing with trans fats — substances associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Similarly, high-fructose corn syrup may appear under various names, such as “corn syrup,” “glucose-fructose syrup,” or simply “glucose-fructose.”

EU regulations require producers to list ingredients in descending order by weight. This seemingly simple rule can be circumvented by splitting a single ingredient into multiple forms — sugar may appear simultaneously as sucrose, glucose, fructose, and maltodextrin, so none of them takes the top spot on the list, even though the total sugar content is dominant. Consumers unaware of this practice may believe a product is healthier than it actually is.

Particularly concerning is the use of marketing terms that suggest natural origin while the ingredient has undergone extensive chemical processing. “Yeast extract” may sound harmless but contains high levels of monosodium glutamate — the same substance consumers often try to avoid when they see E621. Such linguistic tricks mislead even informed shoppers actively monitoring their diet.

Invisible Long-Term Risks

The accumulation of additives in the body is rarely part of everyday consumer thinking. A single serving of a product containing preservatives, colorants, or stabilizers may fall within safety limits set by regulatory agencies, yet the effects of years of daily consumption of multiple such products remain poorly understood. The human body, although equipped with detoxification mechanisms, was not evolutionarily prepared to metabolize the wide range of synthetic chemical compounds present in the modern diet.

Azo dyes, commonly used in sweets, beverages, and processed meats, are an example of substances whose safety remains debated. Some studies suggest a potential link between their consumption and increased hyperactivity symptoms in children, yet due to insufficient conclusive evidence, they have not been fully banned. In countries like Norway, some of these dyes have been prohibited for years, highlighting differing regulatory approaches to the same issue.

The problem is multiplied for individuals relying heavily on ready-made, highly processed foods. Such diets may unknowingly deliver dozens of chemical additives daily, with unpredictable interactions. Awareness of ingredients now extends beyond traditional foods.

This also applies to liquids, such as https://eliqvapoteur.com/en/liquids-c1054, where a clear list of components is one of the main selection criteria for users. As a result, interest is growing in branded products from manufacturers who provide detailed information on the origin and nature of ingredients.