New food additives are believed to be met with stringent testing. But due to unreliable testing methods, lack of qualified technicians, expensive analysis equipment, budget cuts and government lobbying by food conglomerates, additives that are marginally carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic stay in use. The fetus cannot deal with foreign chemicals. Whatever toxic substances the mother eats flow largely unimpeded into the fetus. Unlike an adult, the fetus lacks protective, detoxifying systems.
Teratogens are toxins which harm fetal development.
Certain food additives are considered mildly teratogenic. What toxicology testing cannot accurately predict is the long-term combined effect of 3,000 additives and environmental toxins on children, the elderly, newborn, the fetus, and people with cancer. The combined effect of these toxins on humans is unknown. The processed food industry loads fat, sugar and salt into their products because they are cheap. They use chemicals to change these cheap, raw materials into brightly-colored, tasty products with a long shelf life.