HARMFUL INGREDIENTS IN FOOD
ADDITIVES
1. ARTIFICIAL COLOURING
E 102, 110, 120, 123, 124, 127, 131, 142
2. PRESERVATIVES
Benzoates E210-219
Sulphides E220-228
Nitrates and Nitrites E249-252
ANTIOXIDANTS E 310-312, E 320, E 321
3. ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Aspartame E 951
Acid Cyclamique E952
Saccharine E954
Mannitol, , Sorbitol, Xylitol
4. ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURINGS / FLAVOUR ENHANCERS
Glutamates E 621-623
FATS
Hydrogenated Oils / Saturated Fats/ Trans Fats
ADDED SUGAR
ADDED SALT
GM FOODS (Genetically Modified)
NOTES:
ADDITIVES
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or improve its taste and appearance. Some additives have been used for centuries such as preserving food by pickling (with vinegar), or salting. With the increasing use of processes food, many more additives have been introduced, of both natural and artificial origin.
Some artificial food additives have been linked with cancer, digestive problems, and neurological conditions such as Attention Deficit Disorder, or diseases like heart disease or obesity. Even ‘natural’ additives may be harmful, whether because of overuse (for example table salt) or because of natural toxicity.
1. FOOD COLOURING:
Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; Yellow 6
Food colourings are basically just a form of paint and should definitely be avoided in food. Blue 1 and 2, found in beverages, candy, baked goods and pet food, have been linked to cancer in lab animals. Red 3, has been shown to cause thyroid tumors in rats. Green 3 has been linked to bladder cancer. Yellow 6 has been linked to tumors of the adrenal gland and kidney.
2. PRESERVATIVES
Antioxidants are a kind of preservative and keep foods from becoming rancid, brown, or developing black spots.
Eg. BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydrozyttoluene are used as a preservative. You can find them in things like chips, cereals and even chewing gum. They are known to oxidize the cells and cell oxidation is the precursor to cancer.
3. ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Aspartame is a sweetener and is also known as NutraSweet. The brand of sweetener
called Equal is also aspartame. This food additive has been linked to cancer and
neurological problems. Other artificial sweeteners include: Saccharin, Mannitol, Sorbitol
and Xylitol.
4. FLAVOUR ENHANCERS
Eg. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
MSG is one of the more well-known food additives and is primarily used as a flavour-enhancer. Much of the restaurant food we consume is flavoured with MSG. This food additive can cause reactions in some people such as headaches and nausea.
FATS
Oils and Fats to Avoid
· Non-organic animal fats (lard, butter, beef tallow)
· Hydrogenated vegetable oils
· Margarine
· Shortening
· Trans fats
· Vegetable oils that are not cold pressed
· Fake fats (Olestra)
There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated.
Eating too much saturated fat can clog our arteries and lead to heart attack.
Having unsaturated fat, lowers blood cholesterol and is good for us.
Examples of food rich in saturated fat are meat pie, sausage, meat with visible white fat, hard cheese, butter and lard, pastry, cakes and biscuits, cream, soured cream, crème fraiche, coconut oil, coconut cream, and palm oil.
Trans-fats are proven to cause heart disease. Restaurant food, especially fast food chains, often serves foods laden with trans-fats.
Olestra Olestra is a chemical fat that is used in chips and can have a wide array of side effects. Additionally, Olestra can impede the absorption of vitamins from fruits and veggies.
Examples of food rich in unsaturated fat are vegetable oils, oily fish, avocado, nuts and seeds.
SUGAR
White Sugar White sugar is white because of bleach. Eating foods that add a lot of
white sugar is very bad for you.
All sugars, even natural ones, are simple carbohydrates, and thus affect your blood sugar levels quickly. Eating too much sugar contributes to health problems, and also reduces your body’s ability to eliminate toxins.
Also having sugary foods and drinks too often can cause tooth decay, especially if we have them between meals. Many foods that contain added sugars can also be high in calories, so cutting down could also help us control our weight.
Watch out for other words used to describe added sugars such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, hydrolysed starch, invert sugar, corn syrup, and honey.
Look at the label to see how much sugar a product contains. Generally, the label will say how many grams (g) of ‘Carbohydrates (of which sugars)” are in 100 g of the food.
As a rough guide:
|
Carbohydrates (of which sugars) |
Low
<5g |
Medium
5-15g |
High
>15g |
Some sugar free products contain additives such as Aspartame (E951), Acid Cyclamique (E952), and Saccharine (E954) which duplicate the effect of sugar in taste but have usually less food energy. There are many controversies surrounding the safety of these artificial sweeteners.
Salt ie. Sodium Chloride
Most of the commercial foods we eat are loaded with Sodium Chloride.
Eating too much salt can raise our blood pressure and lead to heart disease.
Look at the label to see how much salt a product contains. Generally, the label will say how many grams (g) of salt are in 100 g of the food. As a rough guide:
|
Salt Sodium |
Low
<0.3g <o.1g |
Medium
0.3-1.5g 0.1-0.6g |
High
>1.5g >0.6g |
Genetically Modified (GM) Food
GM foods are food items that have had their genetic material (DNA) changed in a way that does not occur naturally. For example a GM tomato would be a variety of tomato that would not rot or degrade as fast as a normal tomato. The long-term health effects of anyone eating GM food and the effects on the environment from these gene-altering processes are unknown.
Foods containing soya, corn (maize), and tomato puree may be GM.
Based on the European Union regulation, if a food on the shelf has less than 1% GM ingredients, it can be labeled as GM-free, or not labeled as containing GM ingredients. The easiest way to avoid GM foods is to buy organic.
Glossary
ANTIOXIDANTS retard the oxidation of unsaturated fats and oils, colorings, and flavorings. Oxidation leads to rancidity, flavor changes, and loss of color. Most of those effects are caused by reaction of oxygen in the air with fats.
CARCINOGEN is a chemical or other agent that causes cancer in animals or humans.
CHELATING AGENTS trap trace amounts of metal atoms that would otherwise cause food to discolor or go rancid.
EMULSIFIERS keep oil and water mixed together.
FLAVOUR ENHANCERS have little or no flavor of their own, but accentuate the natural flavor of foods. They are often used when very little of a natural ingredient is present.
THICKENING AGENTS are natural or chemically modified carbohydrates that absorb some of the water that is present in food, thereby making the food thicker. Thickening agents “stabilize” factory-made foods by keeping the complex mixtures of oils, water, acids, and solids well mixed.
References:
UK Food Standard Agency www.food.gov.uk
Jane Clarke, 2006, Yummy! Every parent’s nutrition bible, Hodder & Stoughton
Gen Intro to food Additives http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_additive
http://www.the-natural-path.com/food-additives.html
Guide to food additives and chemicals http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm
http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/chemicals.htm
On natural and artificial sweeteners: http://www.the-natural-path.com/artificial-sweeteners.html
On types of oils and Fats: http://www.the-natural-path.com/natural-oils.html
