Factory-made foods have resulted in chemical additives becoming a principal part of our daily diet. With literally hundreds of different artificial additives saturating much of what we eat at meal times, it's not surprising that people are starting to become a little more anxious about how these substances affect our health.
According to a recent study in the UK, over 80 per cent of what we now consume comes from supermarkets. This statistic is up by 20 per cent from the 1950s. During this period, we have also seen a parallel increase in the rate of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, depression and asthma, and many health professionals believe the reduction in fresh foods and the increase in artificial additives may be part of the reason for the increase in disease.
In Australia, there are laws governing the labelling requirements of all packaged foods. There are more than 350 permitted food additives in Australia and more than 50 are widely recognised to have adverse health effects. With the average person eating over 5kg of these additives each year, how many of us really know what these chemicals are doing to our bodies?
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, the infamous monosodium glutamate is 621 in Australia and E621 in the UK.
Food additives are generally used either as a preservative or to enhance flavour or colour.
Preservatives are supposedly added to prevent decay and bacterial contamination. A widely publicised example of an added preservative is 282, calcium propionate. This substance is predominantly used in Australia and the US and is most commonly added to bread. Contrary to what the food manufacturers want you to think, this additive is not to maintain the freshness of your lovely baker's loaf; it is in fact a mould inhibitor. Reactions to this product have been broad and quite well publicised, ranging from migraines to irritable bowel syndrome, depression and unexplained bouts of tiredness and depression.
Colour and flavour enhancers seem to have even less benefit than preservatives. The intent of these additives is to make otherwise flavourless foods appear more appealing. These enhancers include thickeners that are used to transform unappealing or watered-down products into something a little more substantial.
At least 60 of these additives are known to aggravate asthmatics and are recommended not to be consumed by children due to their untested effects on behaviour and development.
Some believe that the flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the main cause of many adverse reactions to Chinese food. Some people even refer to the reactions as "Chinese restaurant syndrome". But it's not just your local takeaway that uses MSG – it is added to many frozen foods, canned tuna and dressings.
If you are think you might be sensitive to some of today's hazardous food additives, it is well worth reading the labels and finding out more about those little numbers. Although it might be hard to avoid all additives, learning the most important ones to avoid could make a big difference to your health.
Food additives to avoid
For more information, visit www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info .
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
Artificialsweetener
950–952,954–957
Feeds