Unless you pull a product out of the ground and put it right into a box, it’s going to have other ingredients added to it.
That’s what the FDA considers an “additive” – basically anything you add to the starting product.
Caffeine is an additive. Salt is an additive. B-vitamins are additives.
So let’s stop trying to scare people that all additives are evil/deadly.
On that same note, SALT is a preservative. So is citric acid. It’s one thing to lean into the “clean and healthy” marketing message, but saying there are ZERO preservatives is taking too many liberties with the science.
Preservatives are important. They help our food and drinks stay fresh while moving from manufacturer to the warehouse to the store to the consumer.
Preservatives are so important that the word “SALARY” comes from the value of salt before the days of refrigeration.