Have you ever stopped and looked at what's in the food you're eating. Those long winded names, numbers and obscure words like "flavour"? When a friend of mine started telling me about artifical colours and flavours in food I admit I was pretty lax in the observant parent stakes. Yes, like most parents, I noticed my child "went hypo" after eating red frogs or drinking green cordial. But what I had never considered was all the other "ingredients" listed in foods, what they meant and what sort of effect they could have on my children and even myself.
After reading Sue Dengate's book "Fed Up" my eyes were open to the onslaught of chemicals our bodies encountered everyday. I was shocked, and at first adhered to the common thinking that if these things were really that bad for us, they wouldn't be there. When reports started surfacing about bans on artifical colours in the UK I started to look more closely at the research.
Unfortunately very limited testing is actually done on the effects these products have on behaviour and other physical symptoms. In addition, it is not just one or two things that we ingest each day, it's the compounding effect of the multitudes of artifical colours, flavours, preservatives and sweeteners that we expose our bodies to each and every day. On Sue Dengates website, "Fed Up With Food Additives", she states that most people consume approximately 20 additives a day, 19 in homecooked food.
What I was unaware of and found most shocking was the range of reactions caused by additives. We have all heard about hypoactive children and 'going silly', but I hadn't considered longer term effects; things such as moodiness, depression, exzema and cold symptoms. As adults we often see reactions in our children and yet assume it's ok for us to consume the same food. I found from personal experience that although I may not feel like running round and round the washing line getting dizzy, I could become very snappy, tired or even experience asthma-like symptoms after consuming some additives. I also had never taken the time to watch my children's behaviour in the days following exposure to high quanities of these things, it is not a simple reaction that passes in a few hours, the effects can be seen even days after ingesting these things, particularly when they build up over a number of days - such as on holdidays, over christmas or long road trips.
The good news is that the tide does seem to be turnng against the use of additives in our food. Recently in Europe the five top artificial food colours were banned. In Australian products we are seeing a very slow change to companies advertising "no artifical ...". However, as a compulsive label checker I stress that you should always confirm from the ingredient label what is and isn't in the food. A packet which may claim to have no artifical colours or flavours may have 3 different artifical preservatives or sweeteners or flavour enhancers. Companies are also not required to report preservatives if used in very small amounts or in the cooking process, so it may pay to ring a manufacturer to get all the information if you find you or your children are reacting to additives in food. But the change is coming and the more educated and aware we become, the more companies are going to have to make the change, and if one company can produce a cereal or bread without preservatives - why not all of them?
As Sue Dengate says in her books and on her website, our food has changed! It is no longer a simple choice of nutrition and convenience. We, as consumers, need to fight for our right to good, wholesome food without unnecessary additives and preservatives.
This list of food additives is taken from the Fed Up website - more information is available directly from their site
Some additives that can cause problems
ARTIFICIAL COLOURS
In sweets, drinks, takeaways, cereals and many processed foods
102 tartrazine, 104 quinoline yellow, 110 sunset yellow, 122 azorubine, 123 amaranth, 124 ponceau red, 127 erythrosine, 129 allura red, 132 indigotine,133 brilliant blue, 142 green S, 143 fast green FCF, 151 brilliant black, 155 chocolate brown
NATURAL COLOUR
In yoghurts, icecreams, popcorn etc, 160a is a safe alternative
160b annatto
PRESERVATIVES
200-203 sorbates - in margarine, dips, cakes, fruit products
210-213 benzoates - in juices, soft drinks, cordials, syrups, medications
220-228 sulphites - in dried fruit, fruit drinks, sausages and wine (for adults only of course)
280-283 propionates - in bread, crumpets, bakery products
249-252 nitrates, nitrites - in processed meats like ham
SYNTHETIC ANTIOXIDANTS
In margarines, vegetable oils, fried foods, snacks, biscuits etc
310-312 Gallates
319-320 TBHQ, BHA, BHT - 306-309 are safe alternatives
FLAVOUR ENHANCERS
In many foods
621 MSG, 627, 631, 635 disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, ribonucleotides
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