FOOD ADDITIVES – ARE THEY HARMFUL? What are food additives? Unfortunately most people are consuming processed foods that contain alarming amounts of food additives. Food additives such as preservatives, colours, bleaches, flavours, emulsifiers and stabilisers allow food to sit on the supermarket shelf, or in our cupboards, for several months without going bad, making it taste, look and smell like something that it is not and then we eat it. Food additives have been used for centuries, with salt, sugar and vinegar among the first to be used to preserve food. However due to the popularity of processed food, there has been a large increase in foods that contain additives and with this increase comes controversy over the potential threats and possible side effects of consuming these food additives. Each food additive is typically identified by its name and a number. These names and numbers are the same worldwide and in some countries, such as Europe, an E is placed in front of the number. For example, monosodium glutamate is 621 in Australia and E621 in the UK (2). It is hard to predict how many of these little chemicals are sneaking into your mouth, however it has been estimated that Australians consume approximately 5 kilograms of food additives as preservatives, colours, bleaches, flavours, emulsifiers and stabilisers every year in the food we eat (1). Once in your body the liver must process all these chemicals and if/when your liver becomes over worked, these chemicals and additives can end up in your blood stream which allows them almost unlimited access to the cells in your body, placing a strain on your detoxification systems (2). This not only results in extra work for our body to remove them, but this can frequently trigger asthma attacks; skin disorders; respiratory disturbances; hyperactivity in children, weight gain, and the list continues (2). Common additives found in processed foods There are more than 350 permitted food additives in Australia and more than 50 are widely recognized to have adverse health effects (1). Below are some common additives found in processed foods, and well-worth avoiding by those susceptible to their effects. | Additive | Name | Possible danger | Used in | | Preservative 223 | Sodium Metabisulphate | Reduces B1, gastric irritation, nettle rash and swelling | Bread and flour products | | Preservative 282 | Calcium Propionate | Migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, unexplained bouts of tiredness and depression | Mould inhibitor used in bread | | Preservative 220 | Sulphur Dioxide | Trigger asthma attacks, destroys Vitamin B1 in food, gastric irritation | Most dried fruit, juice, wine | | Sweetener 951 | Aspartame | There are reportedly 92 side effects (3), which include headaches, hyperactivity, change in vision, vomiting or nausea, rash, memory loss……. | Diet products such as diet coke, yoghurt, chewing gum, hot chocolate | | Colour 102 | Tartrazine | Known to provoke asthma attacks, inhibits zinc metabolism and interferes with digestive enzymes | Coloured drinks, sweets, jams, cereal, snack foods, packaged soups | | Preservative 621 | Monosodium glutamate (MSG) | In susceptible adults it causes vomiting, dizziness, headaches.
Animal experiments show brain damage. | Not permitted in foods manufactured for children & infants.
occurs in sauces, packet soups, quick soups, flavoured noodles, condiments | And the list continues! If you are think you might be sensitive to some of today's hazardous food additives, the key is to look over the ingredient list of all food before buying or consuming the product. This gives you an idea of what you are actually putting in your mouth, look to see how many ingredients you either can not pronounce, do not know what they are or are labeled as a number; Unfortunately most multi-syllable words look like ingredients for cleaning products or glue rather then food! Food additives you should try and avoid Although it may seem hard to avoid all additives, learning the most important ones to avoid could make a big difference to your health. Below are food additives you should try and avoid (1). | Additive | Number | | Colours | 102, 104, 107, 110, 122-124, 127-129, 132, 133, 142, 151, 155, 160b | | Preservatives | 200–203, 210–213, 220–225, 228, 249–252, 280–283, 310-312, 319–321 | | Vegetables gums & thickeners | 407 | | Flavour enhancers | 620–625, 627, 631, 635 | | Artificial sweetener | 950–952,954–957 | | Thickeners | Only a problem for Celiacs and others who are sensitive to gluten: 1400 – 1450 may contain traces of gluten, but if gluten is in the product this must be listed on the label | Please do not be fooled by the use of ‘natural’ on the labels of food, as food manufacturers like to play with your perception of what given words mean. Mercury, alcohol and copper are all natural and are just a few of the natural ingredients that end up in the food that we eat. As consumers we need to actively read the food labels of all packaged food we buy. Why not go through the food you currently have in your pantry or cupboards, you may be surprised just how many additives you consume on a regular basis! References
(1) http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-3-14/52831.html
(2) www.fedupwithfoodadditvies.info
(3) http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html
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