In the kitchen, an ingredient’s taste is sometimes less important than its function. Cornstarch has rescued many a watery gravy; gelatin turns juice to Jell-O. Yet the substances that make bread fluffy, hold mayonnaise together, and keep the cream in ice cream have, according to the new stance of the United States government, “no culinary use.”
在厨房里，成分的味道有时不如其功能重要。玉米淀粉已营救了许多水肉汁。明胶将果汁变成果冻。然而，根据美国政府的新态度，使面包蓬松，将蛋黄酱放在冰淇淋中并保存冰淇淋的物质“不用烹饪”。
These natural and synthetic substances, called emulsifiers, are added to processed foods to give them the textures that Americans have come to love. They’ve also become targets in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to remove many food additives from the American diet. The “Make America Healthy Again” report, published in May, groups emulsifiers with other additives, some of which it says are linked to mental disorders, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Online, the MAHA crowd echoes claims that emulsifiers are helping drive America’s chronic health problems.
这些天然和合成的物质（称为乳化剂）被添加到加工食品中，以使它们赋予美国人所爱的质地。他们还成为卫生部长罗伯特·肯尼迪（Robert F. Kennedy Jr.五月发表的“使美国再次健康”的报告将乳化剂与其他添加剂组成，其中一些添加剂与精神障碍，代谢综合征和癌症有关。在网上，Maha人群回应说，乳化剂正在帮助解决美国的慢性健康问题。
Like seed oils and food dyes, emulsifiers have raised some real health concerns, particularly about gut health. But distinguishing their ill effects from those of the foods they’re in is challenging—and probably a distraction from the diet changes that would really make Americans healthier.
像种子油和食物染料一样，乳化剂提出了一些真正的健康问题，尤其是肠道健康。但是，将他们的不良影响与他们所处的食物区分开来是具有挑战性的，并且可能会分散饮食变化的注意力，而饮食的变化确实会使美国人更健康。
To anyone who’s attempted (and failed) to make a smooth vinaigrette using only oil and vinegar, MAHA’s assertion that emulsifiers have no culinary use is an affront. Any recipe that calls for blending two substances that don’t mix well together requires emulsifiers’ magic touch. Their molecular structure is drawn to watery substances on one end and fat-based ones on the other, bridging ingredients that would otherwise separate. In a vinaigrette, a dollop of mustard does the trick. Mayonnaise, essentially a blend of oil and a water-based acid, such as vinegar, is spreadable thanks to a natural emulsifier: egg yolks. Similarly, adding eggs to milk prevents ice cream from separating into solid milk fat studded with ice shards (yum).
对于任何尝试（并失败）仅使用油和醋制作醋的人来说，Maha断言乳化剂没有烹饪用途是affront。任何需要混合两种不能充分混合在一起的物质的食谱都需要乳化剂的魔术触感。它们的分子结构在一端被吸引到水性物质上，而另一端则是基于脂肪的物质，它们弥合了原本可以分开的成分。在醋中，一团芥末来解决问题。蛋黄酱，本质上是油和水基酸（例如醋）的混合物，这要归功于天然乳化剂：蛋黄。同样，向牛奶中添加鸡蛋可以防止冰淇淋分成固体牛奶脂肪，这些牛奶脂肪用冰碎（yum）分开。
Not all emulsifiers are as recognizable as eggs and mustard. Many commercial ice creams swap eggs for cheaper synthetic emulsifiers. Cake mixes are foolproof because chemicals called propylene glycol esters prevent powdered fats from clumping. Monoglycerides and diglycerides add structure to and extend the shelf life of bread. Xanthan gum thickens creamy salad dressings. The MAHA report makes no distinction between purely chemical emulsifiers and those that are naturally occurring, such as egg yolks and soy lecithin. So far, studies have not definitively identified differences in their effects on human health.
并非所有乳化剂都像鸡蛋和芥末一样识别。许多商业冰淇淋将鸡蛋交换为较便宜的合成乳化剂。蛋糕混合物是万无一失的，因为称为丙烯乙二醇酯的化学物质防止粉状脂肪结块。单甘油三酸酯和二甘油三酸酯为面包的保质期增添了结构。黄原胶增稠奶油沙拉敷料。MAHA报告没有纯粹的化学乳化剂与天然发生的乳化剂（例如蛋黄和大豆卵磷脂）之间的区别。到目前为止，研究尚未明确地确定其对人类健康的影响的差异。
Read: America stopped cooking with tallow for a reason
阅读：美国停止用牛脂做饭是有原因的
Perhaps because they are so useful, emulsifiers are in about half of supermarket foods sold in the United Kingdom, according to a 2023 study of the country’s four largest supermarkets; one study in France found that they account for seven of the top 10 most-consumed food additives among adults. So far, their prevalence in the U.S. food system hasn’t been studied, but given the dominance of processed food in the American diet, it’s safe to say that we eat a lot of them.
也许是因为它们是如此有用，乳化剂大约是在英国出售的超市食品中的一半。法国的一项研究发现，他们在成年人中占了十大最耗费的食品添加剂中的七种。到目前为止，尚未研究它们在美国食品系统中的普遍性，但是鉴于美国饮食中加工食品的主导地位，可以肯定地说我们吃了很多。
In Kennedy’s view, that abundance of emulsifiers is at least partly responsible for America’s chronic-disease epidemic. In May, he promised to investigate and ban food additives that are “really dangerous.” But so far, the research on emulsifiers doesn’t justify such a label. In 2017, an FDA-led study concluded that seven common emulsifiers didn’t raise any safety concerns at the usual levels of consumption. The agency’s calculations have “a lot of safety built in,” says Renee Leber, a food scientist at the Institute of Food Technologists, a trade group. There’s no reason to expect that Americans would ever consume enough emulsifiers to spark serious health concerns.
肯尼迪认为，丰富的乳化剂至少是对美国慢性疾病流行的部分原因。5月，他承诺调查和禁止“真正危险”的食品添加剂。但是到目前为止，对乳化剂的研究并不能证明这样的标签是合理的。2017年，一项由FDA领导的研究得出的结论是，七个常见的乳化剂并没有在通常的消费水平上引起任何安全问题。该机构的计算“内置了许多安全性”，贸易集团食品技术人员的食品科学家蕾妮·莱伯（Renee Leber）说。没有理由期望美国人会消耗足够的乳化剂来引发严重的健康问题。
Still, looking further into emulsifiers’ health impacts isn’t a bad idea. A growing number of studies suggest that some can harm the gut, perhaps by shifting the balance of the gut microbiome. They may also damage the gut’s protective mucus layer, leaving it more vulnerable to inflammation and bacteria. A few studies suggest a link between the inflammation that some emulsifiers cause and certain illnesses, including Crohn’s disease, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. But other research has turned up conflicting results; a study published last year linked a high-emulsifier diet to a better-protected gut.
尽管如此，进一步研究乳化剂的健康影响并不是一个坏主意。越来越多的研究表明，有些研究可能会通过移动肠道微生物组的平衡来损害肠道。它们也可能损坏肠道的保护性粘液层，使其更容易受到炎症和细菌的影响。一些研究表明，某些乳化剂引起的炎症与某些疾病（包括克罗恩病，代谢综合征和2型糖尿病）之间有联系。但是其他研究却遇到了矛盾的结果。去年发表的一项研究将高乳液饮食与受保护的肠道联系起来。
Even emulsifier experts aren’t sure exactly what the substances do in the body. Research on how they affect intestinal health is “very much a work in progress,” Benoit Chassaing, a professor at the Institut Pasteur, in Paris, told me. It also still isn’t clear which ones, if any, have the most potential for harm. In a 2021 study, Chassaing and his colleagues used a model to test the effects of 20 common emulsifiers on the gut microbiome. Only two of them—the synthetic emulsifiers carboxymethylcellulose (found in vitamins and dietary supplements) and polysorbate 80 (usually in edible oils and cake icing)—were determined to have lasting negative consequences. Chassaing has also found that some people’s microbiomes are more sensitive to emulsifiers—which is to say, conceivably emulsifiers could have different effects on different people. Without large-scale human trials, none of the research on emulsifiers can be considered conclusive. As the authors behind the 2024 study wrote, “For now, do not feel guilty if you eat ice-cream!” (At least, not because you’re consuming emulsifiers.)
即使是乳化剂专家，也不确定物质在体内做什么。关于它们如何影响肠道健康的研究“正在进行中，这是一项正在进行的工作”。目前尚不清楚哪些（如果有的话）有最大的伤害潜力。在2021年的一项研究中，Chassaing及其同事使用模型来测试20种常见乳化剂对肠道微生物组的影响。其中只有两个 - 合成乳化剂羧甲基纤维素（在维生素和饮食补充剂中发现）和多糖甲基纤维素80（通常在可食用的油和蛋糕糖霜中），他们确定持久的负面后果。底盘还发现，有些人的微生物组对乳化剂更敏感，这就是说，可以想象的乳化剂可能会对不同的人产生不同的影响。没有大规模的人类试验，对乳化剂的研究都不能被认为是结论性的。正如2024年研究背后的作者写道：“就目前，如果您吃冰淇淋，那就不要感到内！”（至少不是因为您正在消耗乳液。）
From the May 2023 issue: Could ice cream possibly be good for you?
从2023年5月的问题中：冰淇淋可能对您有好处吗？
None of this has deterred Kennedy from fearmongering about additives like emulsifiers. Instead, he’s continuing a pattern that by now has become a MAHA signature: In the health secretary’s campaigns against seed oils and food dyes, he has exaggerated modest scientific findings to justify grand allegations that additives drive chronic disease. Some skepticism of these ingredients may be warranted. But Kennedy’s critiques lack nuance at a stage when nuance is all that the current research can provide.
这些都没有阻止肯尼迪对诸如乳化剂等添加剂的恐惧。取而代之的是，他正在继续一种模式，该模式到目前为止已成为Maha的签名：在卫生部长针对种子油和食物染料的运动中，他夸大了适度的科学发现，以证明添加剂驱动慢性病的大指控是合理的。可能需要对这些成分的一些怀疑。但是，肯尼迪的批评在当前研究所能提供的一切差别的阶段缺乏细微差别。
A MAHA-led deep dive into these questions could turn up some genuinely useful information. If certain emulsifiers are especially gentle on the gut, the food industry could use them to replace the ones that might be more irritating. Identifying what makes certain people more sensitive to them could shape criteria for prescribing emulsifier-free diets.
由Maha领导的深入研究这些问题可能会出现一些真正有用的信息。如果某些乳化剂对肠道特别温和，食品行业可以用它们来代替可能更令人烦人的乳液。确定什么使某些人对他们更敏感的是什么可以塑造出处方无乳化剂饮食的标准。
But what Kennedy plans to do about emulsifiers beyond investigating their safety is anyone’s guess. When I asked the Department of Health and Human Services about it, Emily G. Hilliard, a press secretary, told me that “Secretary Kennedy is committed to ensuring transparency in the food supply so that Americans know exactly what’s in their food.” Banning any emulsifiers that might be found to cause serious harm would be prudent, but then foods that contain them would have to be reformulated—a costly, time-consuming endeavor. For some foods, that might not even be an option: Without an emulsifier, natural or synthetic, ice cream “just wouldn’t be plausible,” Leber told me.
但是，肯尼迪（Kennedy）计划在调查安全性之外的乳化剂，这是任何人的猜测。当我向卫生和公共服务部询问有关此事时，新闻秘书艾米莉·希利亚德（Emily G. Hilliard）告诉我：“肯尼迪秘书致力于确保食品供应的透明度，以便美国人确切地知道食物中有什么。”禁止任何可能被发现造成严重伤害的乳化剂都是谨慎的，但是随后包含它们的食物必须重新重新制定，这是一项昂贵，耗时的努力。对于某些食物来说，这甚至可能不是一种选择：如果没有乳化剂，天然或合成的冰淇淋，“只是不合理的，” Leber告诉我。
If Kennedy aggressively pursues bans or some other type of restrictions, it will be worth stepping back and asking what the administration is really trying to achieve. The health effects of emulsifiers haven’t yet been fully distinguished from those of the foods they’re in (which tend to have high levels of fat, sugar, or both), nor have those of seed oils and food dyes. In fact, the science points to the likelihood that emulsifiers’ potential harms are minor in comparison with more basic nutritional problems. But maybe ditching emulsifiers could act as some roundabout way of nudging Americans toward eating healthier, if Kennedy is prepared to rob us all of ice cream.
如果肯尼迪（Kennedy）积极追求禁令或其他类型的限制，那么值得退后一步，询问政府真正要实现的目标。乳液的健康影响尚未与所处的食物（易于脂肪，糖或两者兼而有之），也没有种子油和食物染料的健康作用。实际上，科学指出，与更基本的营养问题相比，乳化剂的潜在危害很小。但是，如果肯尼迪准备抢劫我们所有的冰淇淋，也许沟渠乳化剂可以作为一种使美国人更健康的环形交叉路口的方式。
Read: RFK Jr. is taking an axe to America’s dietary guidelines
阅读：小RFK Jr.正在将斧头带到美国的饮食指南
In May, Kennedy announced that food additives and processed foods would be the “central focus” of his health administration. But really, that indicates just how unfocused his movement is. The MAHA report rails against American overconsumption of high-sugar, high-fat, ultra-processed foods, yet so far, it hasn’t been able to do much to limit their consumption beyond eliciting a nonbinding promise from Kraft-Heinz and General Mills to remove dyes from foods like mac and cheese and Kool-Aid, and encouraging people to cook french fries in beef tallow. Removing or replacing emulsifiers could result in some health gains, but none that are likely to outweigh the health consequences of eating the foods that contain them.
5月，肯尼迪宣布，食品添加剂和加工食品将是他的健康管理局的“核心重点”。但实际上，这表明他的运动没有专心。The MAHA report rails against American overconsumption of high-sugar, high-fat, ultra-processed foods, yet so far, it hasn’t been able to do much to limit their consumption beyond eliciting a nonbinding promise from Kraft-Heinz and General Mills to remove dyes from foods like mac and cheese and Kool-Aid, and encouraging people to cook french fries in beef tallow.去除或替换乳化剂可能会导致一些健康增长，但没有可能超过食用含有食物的食物的健康后果。
