Food Additives: Food Preservatives, Colours, Bleaches, Flavours, Emulsifiers, Stabilisers
| Additives are used in food to keep it lasting longer and to make it taste, look and smell like something that it is not. They enable food to sit on a supermarket shelf, or in our cupboards, for several months without going bad - and then we eat it. It has been estimated that we consume about 5 kilograms of food additives as preservatives, colours, bleaches, flavours, emulsifiers and stabilisers every year in the food we eat. This not only results in extra work for our body to remove them, but frequently trigger asthma attacks; rashes; respiratory disturbances; hyperactivity in children, and in some people, an abnormal sensitivity to prescribed medications, particularly aspirin. Below are some common additives found in refined foods, and well-worth avoiding by those susceptible to their effects. | |||
Number |
Food
Additive Name |
Often
used in |
Common
reactions |
102 |
tartrazine (colour) |
drinks, cakes, snacks, ice-cream, confectionery |
asthma; hyperactivity; aspirin sensitivity |
110 |
sunset yellow (colour) |
drinks, packet soups, dessert, biscuits, confectionery, ice-cream |
hyperactivity; allergies; aspirin sensitivity |
120 |
cochineal (colour) |
cakes, confectionery, ice-cream |
hyperactivity |
122 |
azorubine (colour) |
packet soups, sauces, jams, desserts (jellies) |
asthma; hyperactivity; asprin sensitivity |
132 |
indigotine (colour) | tablets, capsules, icecream, biscuits | nausea; skin rashes; allergies; high blood pressure |
133 |
brilliant blue (colour) |
tinned peas, bacon-flavoured snacks |
hyperactivity |
150 |
caramel (colour) | drinks, sauces, soups, cakes, pickles, vinegar | hyperactivity |
172 |
iron oxides (colour) | tinned fish, fish pastes | toxic in high doses |
210 |
benzoic acid (preservative) | confectionery, cheeses, baked goods | asthma; hyperactivity; reacts with 222 |
220 |
sulphur dioxide (preservative) |
beer, wine, soft drinks, dried fruit, cordials |
asthma; hyperactivity |
222 |
sodium bisulphite (preservative) | wine, beer, soft drinks, juices, cordials | asthma; destroys vitamin B1; hyperactivity |
250 |
sodium nitrite (preservative) |
cured meats, some cheeses |
hyperactivity; adverse reactions in children; potentially carcinogenic |
310 |
propyl gallate (antioxidant) | oils, margarine, salad dressings | gastric and skin irritant |
319 |
tert-butyl hydroquinone (antioxidant) | fats, oils, margarine,packet chips | nausea; delirium |
320 |
Butylated hydroxyanisole (antioxidant) |
fried snacks, soft drinks, edible oils, margarine, chewing gum |
hyperactivity; asthma; adverse reactions; allergies; increases cholesterol levels |
407 |
carageenan (thickener) (emulsifier) |
ice-cream, jellies, cake decorations, cheese, salad dressings |
allergies; intolerances |
421 |
mannitol (emulsifier) | icecream, confectionery, low calorie foods | allergies; diarrhoea, nausea |
621 |
monosodium glutamate (MSG) (flavour enhancer) |
prepacked meals, snacks, Chinese cooking |
hyperactivity; asthma; adverse reactions; allergies; aspirin sensitivity |
635 |
disodium 5' ribonucleotide (flavour enhancer) | flavoured crisps, instant noodles, party pies | skin rashes; not easily broken down by body |
951 |
aspartame (sweetener) |
diet drinks, diabetic confectionery, icecream |
allergies; headaches; nervous disorders |
**For a more
extensive list and further information on Food Additives,see 'How Not To Take
Medicine', or view the title list of our other medical books, videos and audio tapes |
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