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Additives and preservatives in foods

Written By Live Naturally Admin
Dated: October 10, 2006

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Additives and preservatives in foods were considered a helpful thing when food first began to be mass produced, but time has shown that not all additives and preservatives are good for people to ingest. They can cause harmful side effects and allergies that the same food without the additives and preservatives normally would not cause.

Additives & Preservatives

When food began to be mass produced, a new need was created. The food needed to retain its quality for a long period of time. The purpose of many food additives is to ensure that the quality of the food long after it is made is stable. There are presently 3,794 additives found in foods today. They can be broken down into three main categories - those that preserve, those that are necessary for processing and those that are strictly cosmetic.

Some additives and preservatives are essential to keep foods quality and freshness. In fact they are so essential that even organic foods may contain them. Preservatives help food to retain a foods quality in a very specific way. In order to help food from going off very quickly, preservatives are added to inhibit or stop the growth of micro-organisms on the food. A loaf of bread would grow mouldy much more quickly without preservatives. 63 of the 3,794 additives are classified as preservatives.

Those additives that are used as processing aids help food retain its quality, texture, consistency and taste when it is mass produced. 91 of the known additives are classified as processing aids.

The bulk of the additives 3,640 of them, are used purely for cosmetic reasons and are unnecessary. They do nothing but change the look of the food. These are the ones that tend to be particularly harmful, also.

75% of the diets of people in the West are made up of processed foods. That means that 75% of their diets include many additives and preservatives and the bulk of them are unnecessary. Although it would be best for people to try to avoid additives and preservatives as much as possible in their diets, it is difficult for many people to imagine living a life without processed, convenient foods. Therefore, their best recourse is to educate themselves on the types of additives and their side effects. Then, educated, deliberate choices can be made when choosing processed foods.

Additives are only allowed to be put into food after they have been fully tested and found to be safe. They are then added to an official list and given an E number. The E number is used throughout the European Community to alert and inform consumers about the ingredients in their foods, drinks and other products. Each country has the option to ban whichever additives and preservatives it chooses.

Even when an additive has been approved by a country, certain people may have adverse effects to the additive. Having the E numbers on packages helps those people who have problems quickly identify the ingredients that they want to avoid.

Common Problem Additives

While people can have adverse reactions, particularly allergies, to natural foods, there are several additives that have been identified that tend to cause problems.

Sulphites (E220 - E227) – These chemicals which are found in drinks, fruit juice concentrates, and wine can also be sprayed onto foods such as processed meats, dried fruits and salads to keep them from browning. They are known to cause lung irritations and trigger asthma in some people.

Benzoic Acid and Parabens (E210-E219) – These are added to foods to prevent spoilage. They may cause urticaria, asthma and angioedema.

Antioxidants (E320-E321) – While natural antioxidants are good, synthetic antioxidants that help prevent food spoilage may trigger urticaria, rhinitis and asthma.

Monosodium Glutamate (E620-E635) – Commonly known as MSG, this substance can cause headaches, and tightness in the chest, neck and face.

Colourings (E100-E180) – The only purpose colourings serve is to make food more visually appealing. They can trigger hives, asthma, generalized allergic reactions and specific adverse reactions in children.

The Effects of Colourings on Child Behavior

A 2004 report from researchers at the University of Southampton stated that there is evidence that additives can have a significant impact on children’s behavior and urged from them to be eliminated in the interest of public health.

While researchers have had a difficult time finding conclusive evidence that additives, particularly artificial colourings, and preservatives in food and drink have an adverse reaction on children, many parents can attest that they tend to make young children hyperactive. They find that by avoiding these harmful additions to their children’s diets, many of them show less signs of hyperactivity.

The Hyperactive Children Support Group (HACSG) has recommended that the additives E120#, E150(a), E160(b)#, and E319, be specifically avoided with children. Other additives that are helpful to avoid are any artificial colourings, particularly reds and blues.

Many foods that are otherwise healthy such as juice, yogurt, and applesauce add unneeded colourings to entice children. Parents should strive to buy only those products that do not add these harmful ingredients.