Additives In Diet

Additives In Diet

Additives are used in foods in order to increase their shelf life and improve their flavour and colour. Not all additives are artificial. The most common, for example, are water, salt and sugar, bit recent research has shown that some artificial substances added to foods can be harmful to health and cause allergies. Additives have recently been accused of causing hyperactivity in young children as well as a wide variety of ailments ranging from gastric irritation to headaches and vomiting, but research to substantiate these accusations is still under way.

In both Europe and the United States, where additives are listed on food packaging they are listed in descending order by weight, so you can see at a glance which and relatively how much of each given additive is used. European Economic Community (EEC) regulations to ease movement of foods within the community introduced standardized 'E' numbers for the whole range of additives. By 1986 all additives, except flavourings, on European foods will be indicated on the packaging.

There are 9 main 'E' categories. Each is given a range of numbers.

* Permitted colours (E100-E180)
* Preservatives (E200-E290)
* Permitted anti-oxidants (E300-E321)
* Emulsifiers and stabilizers (E322 and 494)
* Sweeteners (E420-421)
* Solvents (E422)
* Mineral hydrocarbons (E905-E907)
* Modified starches (E1400-E1442)
* Miscellaneous additives (E170-927)

The standardized E systems not used in the United States, nor does every additive used always have to be listed on food packaging. Some food items, for example mayonnaise an dice-cream, have standardized food status. Standard of identity established by the Food and Drug Administration state what additives and ingredients may be used for each item, but the item will not necessarily contain all the allowed substances. Some producers of standard items do, however, voluntarily list ingredients in the interests of the public.

Sulphites (sulfites) in the form of sulphur dioxide, sodium sulphite and potassium bisulphite are often used to treat fresh salads such as coleslaw and fruit salad as well as frozen potatoes, vegetables, dried fruits, wine and beer. People with atopic tendency prone to asthma, hay fever and allergies - can be sensitive to sulphite and develop irritation of the skin or hives. On the positive side, BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) has anti-oxidant properties like vitamins C and E. This additive is used in products such as breakfast cereals and potato flakes and some red wines. It is thought to provide some protection against the incidence of sun-related skin cancer and protection against UV rays

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