8 ingredients you never want to see on nutrition labels

Some of these I knew about, some were new to me.
I also avoid buying pet food with such ingredients.
The article also gives examples of foods containing these ingredients.

http://todayhealth.today.com/_news/2012/10/17/14489629-8-ingredients-you-never-want-to-see-on-nutrition-labels?lite#__utma=238145375.446806096.1350577753.1350577753.1350580134.2&__utmb=238145375.1.10.1350580134&__utmc=238145375&__utmx=-&__utmz=238145375.1350580134.2.2.utmcsr=economywatch.nbcnews.com|utmccn=%28referral%29|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/_news/2012/10/18/14533490-jobless-claims-take-big-jump-in-latest-week&__utmv=238145375.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc|health=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.msnbc.msn.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Internal%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=124543689

By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding Oct. 17, 2012

.....

The Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 3,000 additives, most of which you've never heard of. But the truth is, you don't have to know them all. You just need to be able to parse out the bad stuff. Do that and you'll have a pretty good idea how your future will shape up--whether you'll end up overweight and unhealthy or turn out to be fit, happy, and energized.

While researching the new Eat This, Not That! 2013: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution, I identified 8 ingredients you never want to see on the nutrition label. Should you put down products that contain them? As the Magic 8-Ball would say: Signs point to yes.

BHA
This preservative is used to prevent rancidity in foods that contain oils. Unfortunately, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) has been shown to cause cancer in rats, mice, and hamsters. .....

Parabens
These synthetic preservatives are used to inhibit mold and yeast in food. The problem is parabens may also disrupt your body's hormonal balance. A study in Food Chemical Toxicology found that daily ingestion decreased sperm and testosterone production in rats, and parabens have been found present in breast cancer tissues. .....

Partially Hydrogenated Oil
I've harped on this before, but it bears repeating: Don't confuse "0 g trans fat" with being trans fat-free. The FDA allows products to claim zero grams of trans fat as long as they have less than half a gram per serving. That means they can have 0.49 grams per serving and still be labeled a no-trans-fat food. Considering that two grams is the absolute most you ought to consume in a day, those fractions can quickly add up. .....

Sodium Nitrite
Nitrites are used to inhibit botulism-causing bacteria and to maintain processed meats' pink hues, which is why the FDA allows their use. Unfortunately, once ingested, nitrite can fuse with amino acids (of which meat is a prime source) to form nitrosamines, powerful carcinogenic compounds. .....

Caramel Coloring
This additive wouldn't be dangerous if you made it the old-fashioned way--with water and sugar, on top of a stove. But the food industry follows a different recipe: They treat sugar with ammonia, which can produce some nasty carcinogens. .....

Castoreum
Castoreum is one of the many nebulous "natural ingredients" used to flavor food. Though it isn't harmful, it is unsettling. Castoreum is a substance made from beavers' castor sacs, or anal scent glands. .....

Food Dyes
Plenty of fruit-flavored candies and sugary cereals don't contain a single gram of produce, but instead rely on artificial dyes and flavorings to suggest a relationship with nature. Not only do these dyes allow manufacturers to mask the drab colors of heavily processed foods, but certain hues have been linked to more serious ailments. A Journal of Pediatrics study linked Yellow 5 to hyperactivity in children, Canadian researchers found Yellow 6 and Red 40 to be contaminated with known carcinogens, and Red 3 is known to cause tumors. .....

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, used as a flavor enhancer, is plant protein that has been chemically broken down into amino acids. One of these acids, glutamic acid, can release free glutamate. When this glutamate joins with free sodium in your body, they form monosodium glutamate (MSG), an additive known to cause adverse reactions--headaches, nausea, and weakness, among others--in sensitive individuals. .....
[I personally don't seem to be have this problem, but I know some people who do.]