Preservatives Beyond Trans Fats and HFCS

I have always felt strongly about eating foods that are as natural as possible. Consuming additives and preservatives that help extend shelf life can be like playing Russian roulette. There has been publicity on the poor health effects of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), even though I have seen ads that attempt to refute this, but in my opinion most of the food (and beverage) supply is tainted with anything that will help improve the bottom line of profits without a care for your health. 
I have put together a list of websites that I found to be interesting. It may seem to focus on soda but keep in mind many foods contain these same preservatives.
“Feed your child less sugar and other sweeteners. Studies have shown that drinking the equivalent of two and a half 12-ounce cans of soda can reduce the ability of immune-fighting white blood cells by 40 percent. — http://www.parenting.com/article/Pregnancy/Health/Ask-Dr-Sears-Immune-System-Boosters
Martin Hickman a consumer affair correspondent reported a link between Sodium Benzoate (SB) with damage to DNA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA) specifically referencing a few health conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, cirrhosis of the liver and hyperactivity in children. —http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/caution-some-soft-drinks-may-seriously-harm-your-health-450593.html
 
“Just like trans fat, sodium benzoate is naturally found in some foods, cranberries, prunes, plums, apples and cinnamon”. This is a perfect example of why you should not eat too much of any one food but also if apples provide SB naturally, you sure do not want to consume excess SB from a smorgasbord of commercially prepared foods.  Our pets are not immune to our tainted food supply, for all you animal lovers start reading labels for your pet too! —http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Sodium_benzoate
You may also be interested in additional “Quotes from the Experts”– http://www.organicconsumers.org/school/cocacola021605.cfm
This is not supposed to alarm you, well maybe just a little. Try to keep things in perspective and make better food choices to maintain a healthy body and a good quality of life. It is very easy to lose sight of ingredients that are used in foods and can effect your health when everyone is shoving the “low fat message” down your throat. BTW, this can also be true for commercially prepared low carbohydrate foods too.
There are companies that realize there is a demand for “clean” foods and are trying to provide consumers with healthier choices. I can list a few products and I’m sure there are more. Anyone care to add to the list?
1. Beverages:
Celestial Seasonings herbal tea, http://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Seasonings-Tangerine-Orange-20 Count/dp/B000E65OJC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1249198101&sr=1-5
V-8 100% vegetable juice original flavor, http://www.v8juice.com/Products.aspx
2. Ice cream:
Haagen Dazs Five, http://www.haagendazs.com/products/five.aspx            Breyers http://www.breyersicecream.com/#/flavors/
3. Chocolate:
Endangered species, http://www.chocolatebar.com/nutrition3.asp                         Vivani http://internaturalfoods.com/Vivani/Vivani.html