Danger signs of food additives are brightly lit

Published on Thursday 7 February 2008 09:23

ADDITIVES used in drinks, sweets and processed foods have long been linked to behaviour problems in children.

It is often claimed that tantrums, poor concentration, rashes and even asthma are triggered, or at least aggravated, by a child's diet.

Blue lemonades, bright yellow curries or peas so green they almost glow, should sound alarm bells in our minds, suggesting the presence of artificial colourants. But other chemical additives can be less easy to spot and may provoke similarly negative reactions in children, whose immune systems tend to be more sensitive.

This week, a study funded by the Government's Food Standards Agency (FSA) was reported to have found a link between additives and behavioural problems in children.

Experts at the FSA define a food additive as any substance intentionally added to food for a specific function – for example, to preserve or colour food with something that is not normally eaten.

All additives used in UK food production must comply with EU law, however, the FSA admits that some additives may only cause side effects in certain people.

An FSA spokesman says: "All food additives, whether they are natural or artificial, must go through rigorous safety assessment and approval procedures, and must comply with European Union (EU) legislation.

"However, some people can react to certain additives, just as some people react to certain foods that most people can eat without any reaction." Some companies have already responded to mounting evidence of harm caused by additives, particularly the vivid colours used to dress up products. Smarties has dropped artificial colours, with the result that the blue variety has disappeared.

Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has banned artificial colours and flavours from 120 own label soft drinks, following similar moves by Marks & Spencer and the Co-op.

The Hyperactive Children's Support Group says additives have a major role to play in conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and the charity is pressing for a closer look to be taken at the chemical content of food given to children.

Herbalist Dee Atkinson, who works at Napier's Herbalist in Hamilton Place, says she has seen a difference when children with attention problems or allergies have cut out additives.

She says that the worst offending additives are E102, also known as tartrazine, and a sweetener called E951 or aspartame.

"Tartrazine causes allergic reactions or intolerance," she asserts, "It's a synthetic yellow found in fruit cordial, marzipan and jams. It's sometimes used along with E133, Brilliant Blue, for example in some processed peas.

"Aspartame is found in fizzy drinks, cordials, sweet things and sometimes in yoghurts. It's considered to cause more serious problems. People worry about its potential for causing memory loss and brain problems.

"There needs to be much more information. People should be much more aware that these are things that are added to our food and we are not 100 per cent certain of the side effects. They are often added because of the demand for products with long shelf lives."

Nutritionist Emma Conroy says children are often so energetic that parents don't realise that additives are affecting their behaviour.

"When the additives go, even parents of hyperactive children report being amazed at the change," she says.

"In natural fruit and vegetables, the brighter the colour the better, but when it comes to processed foods, bright colours should set alarm bells ringing. Tartrazine is the most notorious additive and has been shown to cause hyperactivity, as well as allergic reactions such as eczema and asthma. One mechanism by which this occurs may be tartrazine's lowering of zinc levels. Zinc is an essential nutrient and low levels are associated with behavioural and immune problems."

For parents whose children's behaviour is causing concern, Emma recommends stopping them from taking drinks containing caffeine. "Soft drinks containing caffeine should be avoided," she says. "Avoid aspartame too, which is often used in supposedly healthy, low sugar products.

"Monosodium Glutamate (E621) is believed by some to cause damage to brain cells. E250-E252 are nitrates, preservatives that can form carcinogens."

However it's not all bad news. Some E numbers are natural substances and are actually beneficial. "Manufacturers tend to list the natural ones by name rather than number, so if there's a long list of E-numbers, put it back on the shelf," advises Emma.

ADDITIVES TO APPROACH WITH CAUTION

Tartrazine (E102): Tartrazine is a yellow colour used in a range of foods including soft drinks, sweets and sauces. Studies have shown that eating foods or drinks containing tartrazine can cause nettle rash (urticaria), dermatitis (an allergic skin condition), asthma, or rhinitis (runny nose) in a very small number of people. Its use has decreased in recent years.

The following additives can cause allergic reactions: Sulphur dioxide (E220) and other sulphites (E221, E222, E223, E224, E226, E227 and E228) are used as preservatives, particularly in soft drinks, sausages, burgers, and dried fruit and vegetables.

The following artificial colours can aggravate hyperactivity in children: sunset yellow (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102), and ponceau 4R (E124)